Audio Memories of the George E. Davis DE-357 by
EM/2c Norman Edgar Morrison
| Presented on this page for your pleasure is a series of Audio Cuts from an “interview” with EM/2c Norman Edgar Morrison who served aboard the USS George E. Davis DE-357 from her launch in Orange, Texas in 1944 until after the war was over in 1945. The operational area was the Pacific Theater.
Morrison was already 29 when the Davis sailed, yet, he had never been away from his home in Oxford, Alabama, so, his service was a force in shaping the rest of his life. Frankly, after the war, he never cared much for the ocean again. He said he had had enough. He turned down excellent job opportunities so that he could stay close to home and family and work his own business. Morrison was an electrician by trade before the navy, and afterwards. He was a master electrician, and one of the best in the state. He had a gift and talent for it. He was also a master story teller and yarn spinner. His friends and customers were absolutely enthralled with his stories of the “olden” days…whether completely true or not. Thus, I can not testify to the complete historical accuracy contained in the Morrison Audio Cuts. I could testify that I know for a fact he embellished a bit, but after all, what you will hear below is a collection of sea tales, and a bit salty at that. It’s not a History Channel quality production here, but if you are interested hearing a first hand account of your navy in WWII, you will be thoroughly entertained. Nearly everything is true, even if at times he used the pronoun “we” as in the navy in general, rather than just the particular adventures of the George E. Davis. You will catch on. The audio is….atrocious. As they say in New Jersey, the boidies was a ‘chirpin’ just behind him outside the frame window. The muffled interviewer’s voice is me, Norman E. Jr. The interview took place in 1980 and the cassette tapes were already 22 years old when they were dubbed to digital. We begin with tape two. Tape one has succumbed to the ages. Tape two begins just after launch in Orange, Texas… You are hereby given permission to copy the files below for your personal collection. They are not to be used for commercial purposes without the consent of the family. Knock yourself out! -Norman Morrison Jr. shipmate@de357.com |
| Audio Cut | Time | Size | Comments |
| Cut 1 | 1:29 | 176kb | The action begins as the George E. Davis DE-357 leaves the Texas coast for points west. |
| Cut 2 | 3:32 | 415kb | What is not covered is the shakedown cruise to Bermuda. Later, on the way out to the Galapagos Island… Also an interesting description of a tropical mosquito…the Gallinipper. Click for picture. |
| Cut 3 | 1:06 | 129kb | “Alabamer” sees palm trees for the first time. |
| Cut 4 | 3:29 | 409kb | Headed for the Philippines and getting ready for action on the way. |
| Cut 5 | 5:47 | 678kb | New Guinea, white sand, blue water. Entering enemy territory. 5″/38 gun description. |
| Cut 6 | 3:51 | 453kb | Arrive in Leyte area, state of mind of shipmates, dropping depth charges, sonar problems, (Not stated here, later, they found a wadded up undershirt in the underwater sonar gear in dry dock.) |
| Cut 7 | 1:26 | 168kb | Dropped anchor in Leyte, barges loaded with the dead. |
| Cut 8 | 3:05 | 362kb | Leyte Gulf, subs, midget subs, sub nets, about a month or so out of Texas… |
| Cut 9 | 1:36 | 188kb | More fun in the Pacific and general information. |
| Cut 10 | 1:49 | 214kb | More on the 5″/38 gun, and electric on the ship. |
| Cut 11 | 1:12 | 142kb | What it means to be a “Shipmate.” |
| Cut 12 | 2:13 | 253kb | Japanese tricks to lure DE’s to doom . Torpedoes to aft and typhoons for’ard! |
| Cut 13 | 4:24 | 518kb | The men are introduced to the “Mysteries” courtesy helpers of good king Neptune! The transformation of lowly pollywogs to fierce and proud Shellbacks! Visit our associated picture pages…. |
| Cut 14 | 3:22 | 395kb | Alabamer goes shark fishing the DE way! |
| Cut 15 | 1:42 | 200kb | The war is coming to an end. Scuttlebutt is that there is some kind of atomic bomb in the offing. War ends… |
| Cut 16 | :23 | 44kb | For Alabamer the war is over. He transfers to a transport and heads off to San Francisco, and then back to his family back home. |
| MP3 Audio |
All cuts are in MP3 format. My gratitude and thanks goes to Jerry Randall of Jacksonville, Florida, a 20 year Navy man, for his early assistance with this project. |
For even more audio click here to visit the DE357 CBS Audio News Page
To hear a stunning presentation of DE-357 history visit the Davis Story Page!
And don’t you leave before you WATCH the DE-357 VIDEO PAGE