ABOUT THIS US NAVY WORLD WAR II PHOTO ARCHIVE

Kay Hopkins and Nora Nuckols

The photos and documents contained in this photo archive were, for the most part, taken and collected by Harold (Hank) M. Nuckols CY (SS) US Navy during his service between the years of 1938 to 1945.

Twelve years after his death on December 27th, 1989 his youngest daughter, Nora Nuckols, obtained two boxes of his personal effects from his second wife’s family. The boxes contained only a few books and the photographs and documents you’ll find here.

USS Chicago CA29

These pictures were of family & his years of service in the US Navy. Some of the images had information written by Hank on the back but for the most part they are faces & places unknown.

Hank joined the crew of the USS Chicago in 1938 and served until 1943. Most of the photographs depict the journey aboard the Chicago from San Pedro on the 29th of December, 1940, to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The Heavy Battle Cruiser, USS Chicago, patroled from Pearl Harbor to Australia and supported action at Suva Bay, Louisiade Archipelago, Lae and Salamaua, New Guinea, Port Moresby, New Caledonia, Tulagi, Solomon Islands, Oahu-Johnston Palmyra triangle, Guadalcanal, Midway, Southwest Pacific, Battle of Savo Island and the Battle of Rennell Island.

USS Gabilan SS252

The USS Gabilan was also stationed in Pearl Harbor and saw action in the Marianas, south coast of Honshu, Japan, Saipan, South China Sea, Palawan Passage, Java Sea, Celebes, coast of Hainan and Tokyo Bay. The Gabilan first rescued six men, the crews of two torpedo bombers, then raced well inside Tokyo Bay, in easy range of shore batteries, to rescue another three-man crew. Six Navy Hellcat fighter planes gave her cover for the mission. On the way out, she paused to destroy a drifting mine with gunfire. Altogether, on this patrol, Gabilan rescued 17 aviators.