Pelham Bay Naval Training Station

Pelham Bay Naval Training Station was a World War I-era United States Navy training facility located on Rodman's Neck, a peninsula at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, New York City. Located near City Island and Westchester County, it was operational from 1917 to 1919.

History

Prior to the creation of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station, a national guard base was set up in the heart of Pelham Bay Park. The 280 acre site was designed by the architectural firm of Ewing & Allen and included a ninety acre hospital.

The camp also featured entertainment facilities provided by the Knights of Columbus, the Y.M.C.A., and other organizations including the American Red Cross and the American Library Association.

Curriculum

The camp offered a number of sequential training courses, with mastery of a given course being required to advance to the next one.

First: Inoculation period of 21 days in the Isolation Camp (also known as the "Probation Camp"). During this time, the trainee also learned about naval regulations and some basic seamanship topics.
Second: Month-long seamanship course.
Third: If qualified - Three weeks of either Petty Officer's School, Radio school, Quartermaster School, Gunnery School, or Boatswain Mate schools.
Fourth: If qualified - Two months of Officers' Material School or the Naval Auxiliary School.

Influenza pandemic of 1918

The camp suffered from the Influenza pandemic of 1918 from late 21 September through late 21 October 1918, and again in December 1918. There were 2,399 cases of influenza, with a total of 145 deaths.

Personnel

Commandants

Commander William B. Franklin until 25 February 1919
Captain Julian Lane Latimer, captain of USS Rhode Island, assumed command of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station New York, 25 February 1919 - later Judge Advocate General of the Navy 1921 - 1925

Librarians

A number of Queens Borough Public Library staff members took a leave of absence, and were placed at the Naval station via the efforts of the American Library Association. The station's library staff included:

Blanche Galloway - Librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Librarian.
Wilhelmina Harper - Assistant librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Children's librarian.
Amy E. Doncourt - Hospital librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Flushing Branch assistant librarian.

Other personnel

Richard W. Dorgan - served at the naval station.
James F. Duffy - served at the naval station.
Humphrey Bogart - The actor was one of the trainees.
Edward G. Robinson - The actor was one of the trainees.