USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE-86) at Sea
“Plowing the sea again and it feels good. We’re in company with the USS Barnes another CVE, and two destroyer-escorts. The Sitkoh Bay is a Kaiser Escort Plowing the sea again and it really feels good. We’re in company with the USS Barnes another CVE, and two destroyer-escorts. The Sitkoh Bay is a Kaiser Escort carrier and quite different from the York. There’s over 60 replacement pilots aboard and the ship is loaded down with replacement aircraft.
The quarters are not so good and the whole ship is crowded. I hope we don’t have to spend too much time aboard. Duties consist of Security watches and taking care of a Hellcat. No one with ship’s company seems friendly and they don’t care much for pilots, at least, not replacement pilots.
Destination hasn’t been announced but we’re on our way somewhere. We left Pearl early this morning. I stayed on deck and watched the mountains slowly sink into the sea. The sea was quite calm and a very deep blue. It always seems to be the same around these islands. They are very beautiful. So it’s so long to civilization once more and the routine life of sea.”
Ensign Kelley's WWII Service 