Last updated: July 5, 2021
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Aerographers
"Aerographers' work included measuring, transmitting, and recording six types of weather observations. These weather observations included hourly, synoptic, ship report, pilot balloons, radiosonde, and pilot reports. Aerographers worked with a variety of instruments to gather necessary information."
From: Flying Fighting Weatherman of Patrol Wing Four,
by Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer's Mate, 1942-1943
by Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer's Mate, 1942-1943
Courtesy Walter Andersen, Aerographer’s Mate, 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1943-1945.
Courtesy Walter Andersen, Aerographer’s Mate, 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1943-1945.
Weather and Warfare
Battles have been won or lost due to various weather conditions. Towards the end of World War I, the US Navy expanded their focus on weather and its impact on warfare. In 1917, the director of Harvard University’s meteorological observatory, Alexander G. McAdie, agreed to teach a group of Navy candidates to make accurate weather observations. At that time, the Secretary of the Navy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, supported developing the Naval Aerographic Organization, which later because the Naval Weather Service.
In 1924, the Navy established the rating of “Aerographer” and by 1942, men and women (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Services, WAVES) were becoming “Aerographer’s Mates,” to help ships and planes navigate weather safely during World War II. Aerographers were especially important in the Aleutian Islands, where the weather was notoriously bad.
Here are a few recollections from men who served as Aerographer’s Mates during World War II in the Aleutian Islands:
Courtesy Walter Andersen, Aerographer’s Mate, 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1943-1945
"Then another time in a snow storm ... the radioman on duty in the middle of the night, he makes a ... encodes a message and he calls and he says, 'Hey, I've got an urgent message coming in we better decode it.' So the guy in charge, he says ... 'Enemy attack or abandon your base immediately, enemy attack imminent.' And it is snowing like you can't believe. We got all gear in our backpacks and we started out the door and we hadn't gone more than 25 yards and this guy started to laugh. He thought it was pretty funny."
Walter "Andy" Andersen, Aerographer's Mate, 1943-1945
Right: A 90’ radio range antenna tuning house.
Left: Courtesy Ralph Carrigan, brother of Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer’s Mate 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1942-1943.
Right: Courtesy of Mark S. Cramer, MD, FAAFP, San Diego, CA, from the collection of Marco James Cramer, Ph. D., Lt., US Army Air Corps
Courtesy Walter Andersen, Aerographer’s Mate, 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1943-1945.
"But anyhow, that was a big day. We had ... they had beer - truckloads of beer - so we went back in a little gully and we had a picnic back there... I was on Attu. The officers got beer for us. We had really good officers, too."
Walter "Andy" Andersen, Aerographer's Mate, 1943-1945
Courtesy Ralph Carrigan, brother of Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer’s Mate 2nd Class, US Navy, Circa 1942-1943.
On June 7, 1942, the Japanese invaded the island of Kiska. The men of the Kiska Aerological Unit (pictured below) were the only people on the island during the time of the invasion. The men of this unit fled to the hills, but most of them were captured within a week. Only Senior Petty Officer Charles House managed to remain at large for 50 days.
Prior to the invasion, Nulla and L. Yagnoneli had left Kiska for Dutch Harbor.
"By June 6, 1942, we figured the Japanese were well past Kiska ... Just after 0200 hours on June 7, 1942, Winfrey AG3 sleeping in the bunk above me shouted, 'Attack, attack!' I told him to go back to bed, it is not time to get up, and that he was having a bad dream. Wimpy then turned on the lights and showed me the bullet hole in his leg. About that time I observed window glass in our bunk room being broken by bullets ... Turner turned the heating stove up full, and I stuffed all the communication ciphers into the hot stove ... As I ran from the building the first light permitted the observation of many Japanese landing craft moving up the inner harbor with machine guns blasting from their bows."
Charles House, Aerographer's Mate
Top right: Lieutenant Marco Cramer’s work office.
Bottom right: The inside of Marco Cramer and his crewmembers work room. Shown in the photo is a safe, files, radio, teletype paper under the radio, teletype, desks, and stove.
Photos courtesy of Mark S. Cramer, MD, FAAFP, San Diego, CA, from the collection of Marco James Cramer, Ph. D., Lt., US Army Air Corps (Air Force)
"Fog, rain, sleet and snow accompanied by violent winds can occur during any season. It is for this reason that, in weather circles, the Aleutians are generally considered to have the worst weather in the world. It is granted that this fact plus their remoteness might make the Aleutians an intriguing place to visit briefly but it was a cheerless, unpleasant place to live and an exceedingly difficult place to wage war. ...
In spite of being bundled up in heavy, winter, fleece-lined, leather flight pants, jackets, boots and gloves, the aircrews returned half frozen from these reconnaissance patrols. This was especially true for the two blister gunners. Insidious, creeping cold began on one's extremities and slowly penetrated to the very bone marrow. It was not unusual to endure the last half of a patrol with uncontrollable shakes and chattering teeth."
From: Flying Fighting Weatherman of Patrol Wing Four,
by Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer's Mate, 1942-1943
by Paul E. Carrigan, Aerographer's Mate, 1942-1943
Today, Aerographer Mates continue to train in meteorology and oceanography and monitor weather characteristics. Planes, ships, and people on shore are then able to make tactical decisions about how to proceed.
Related People
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- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area
Walter "Andy" Andersen Interview
Walter "Andy" Andersen was trained as an aerographer and served at the US Naval Air Station on Attu, Alaska where he was stationed at a remote outpost at Cape Wrangell, on the west side of the island. He talks about the weather on Attu, living in a quonset hut, making pets out the local wildlife, and the duties of an aerographer in Alaska. Andersen resides in California with his wife and four children nearby.
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area
Charles House and the Invasion of Kiska
Stationed on Kiska when the Japanese invaded in 1942, Charles House fled to the Alaskan tundra. After surviving 48 days on his own survival came down to one option - surrender.
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area
Eleanor Mae Cramer Interview
Working in the Burbank Lockheed Aircraft Plant, Eleanor Mae Cramer recalls plant security, secret product development, rationing, & bomb scares. Listen to her interview, and browse her photo album of the Aircraft Plant.
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area
Kenneth "Ray" Skinner Interview
Ray was a radioman who served three tours of duty in the Aleutians as part of VP-41, VP-61 and VP-62 and flew in the PBY-5A.
- Aleutian Islands World War II National Historic Area
John Fahey Interview
John Fahey enlisted in the US Navy at age 17 and served as a radioman aboard the U.S.S. St. Mihiel during World War II transporting troops and nurses to and from Alaska where he endured some harrowing voyages.
- Canaveral National Seashore
Navy WAVES at Canaveral National Seashore
Women volunteered during the WWII era joining the military to show their patriotism and played a vital role in winning the war.
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Bill Maris - Weather and the W...
33 Images
As a mechanic for VP-43, Bill flew many missions in the Aleutians and fixed many a broken wing. He recalls boot camp, patrols in the Aleutians, and the destruction williwaws caused to aircraft.