Earl Adams
Bowditch at Sea: Misc. Black and White Photos

Earl Adams, with the sailor's ever-present coffee cup

Note the sheath knife. I bought this because I had to cut heavy nylon line to rig Bowditch's Transponders. I wore it all the time which I think may have made our CO nervous. I still have the knife!

Bill Goldrup

Also with a coffee cup.

Chess Players

ETC John Grewe on the left and Ripley.

MSTS Deck Officer on the Bridge

MSTS Helmsman on the Bridge

Bridge Wing Port Side

Ladder to the Port Bridge Wing

Number One Lifeboat, Looking Aft

A cargo boom is just visible under the access platform for No. 1 Lifeboat.

Under Number One Lifeboat

Starboard side of the 01 Level, looking aft.

Bridge Wing, Starboard Side

Ladder to the Starboard Bridhe Wing

Transponder Shop

The shop was on the upper 'tween deck of No. 5 Hold.

Transponder Shop

In the lower right corner, just visible, is the safety chain around the ladder down to the lower 'tween deck. One of the MSTS officers built a 35 foot saiboat in the lower 'tween deck. (According to Matthew Ekdahl, this was Archie Campbell, one of the MSTS Engineers.

Transponder Shop

The Aft Superstructure

Looking forward from the starboard side of No. 5 Hold. Just visible on the Starboard side of the 04 Level is a figure, almost certainly a Navyman, working at the oil-fired furnace that we used to burn all our classified paper. (For three decades the T-AGS filled the air of the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Med with tiny little pieces of Top Secret ash.)

The Oceanographer's Balls

Raised on the mainmast.

Looking Forward

Taken from the superstructure. Everyone who served on the T-AGS took a picture like this. Perhaps anyone who ever served on ANY ship has taken a picture just like this!

Looking Forward

Looking Forward

Probably taken from the No. 3 Hold cover.

Looking Aft and to Port

No. 6 Lifeboat. Probably taken from the 02 Level.

Looking Aft

Probably taken from the 02 Level. The open Water Tight Door leads to the ladder down to the Transponder Shop in No. 5 Hold. The transponders had to be humped up this ladder, where they were then placed on the hatch cover of No. 4 Hold for final rigging. Recovered transponders were hauled aboard using one of Bowditch's cargo cranes and placed on the No. 4 Hold cover for disassembly. This door was the only access to No. 5 Hold, and therefore the only escape in an emergency. This fact never registered with me when I was working alone back there in heavy weather. There were no communications, such as a sound powered phone, back there either!

Looking Aft and to Starboard

No. 5 Lifeboat. Probably taken from the 02 Level.

Top of a Cargo Boom

Lifeboat Ladder

Neatly stowed and ready for use in an emergency. Right!

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