USS Saginaw (LST-1188)

[bbroerman]

Hi, all...

I recently received a request from an Aussie sailor about the appearance of an African American Sailor walking the reefer flats... Anyone have an idea who it may be??

--------------- Original Message ---------------------------------------

Hi Brad,

I am currently a sailor serving onboard HMAS KANIMBLA. I am wondering if you can help me with a question I have.

One of my Petty Officer's was in the fridge flat a little time ago and saw something very strange.
He saw a Black American Sailor walk out of the refrigeration machinery room into the fridge passageway whilst doing rounds at night. He wasn't imagining things because alot of boys have heard footsteps in some of the engine rooms. A few guys have even seen the same black sailor walking in the engine rooms.

Now I know for a fact that we don't have American sailors onboard and apparently some yank marines that came onboard said this ghosts name is Gavin?

I am wondering if you know anything about this sailor and how / where he died. We have found all sorts of stories and written messages on the breaker panels in compartments but nothing that explains this ghost though.

Thanks for your help


Cristian Saez
ABWTR
Technical Office Writer
HMAS KANIMBLA

[dk3 price]

Never heard or saw anything like that, but it sounds like a cool story. What kind of history does the ship have? Any accidental deaths recorded in the old log books?
Nothing weird during my stay (90 - 94). Other than the robbery.

[jwellison67]

I know this is going to sound silly, but more than once down in #3AUX I could have sworn that I heard someone enter the space, heard boondockers on the rattling deckplates. Of course, there was nobody there. Anyone who has been down there knows that sound. It seems like we just could not tighten down those plates, no matter how much we tried. Anyone that remembers me (Brad), knows that I spent most of my time down there. That generator was my baby for a long time.

[sirluke]

Brad: this is not a direct reply regarding the ghost of the black American sailor, but there was an assumed death off the coast of Sicily in 77 or 78. A white PN (or maybe YN) third class by the name of Cole disappeared while we were anchored out. Of course we did the man overboard thing, but to my knowledge, the only thing found was an old kapok life preserver found some distance from the water's edge. This fed a rumor that Cole had jumped ship and swam ashore, then caught a hop out. With the incident being over 30 years ago, memories of details are not to sharp anymore. I do remember Cole being a malcontent, and surly to boot. If any other old timers have any more info, I am curious as to what was found.
_________________
Lee Lucas

[sonny]

well we did have a sailor killed in Norfolk near the airport when we were home, He was shot and he did work in the the engine room area or ic area

[dexterleft]

I was on the Sag from 74 to 78 but don't remember a ghost in the reefers. There was definitely something in the bow ramp room. I experienced odd occurrences such as someone dogging the hatch behind you, ice cold air passing across your back and the sense you weren't alone. This only occurred while underway. We had a new Hull Tech (Monie) we forgot to tell about the ghost and after his first roving watch underway, returned to the berthing compartment pale and nervous. We asked what was wrong and he wanted to know if there was something in the bow ramp room. We all began laughing and told him it was "George" (the name we gave to the entity). Monie was upset we had forgotten to notify him. The story we had heard was that the ghost was a shipyard worker killed during construction. I never strongly believed in ghosts until I had these experiences.

Jim Arehart
HT2