Lieutenant R E Mcvoy (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Original gilt-illustrated navy cloth with pictorial endpapers 24x32cm. (142)pp with colour frontis painting of Washington's HQ at Valley Forge, b/w photos and blue drawings throughout, and double-page route map. Very good with some marks to the covers and interiors, and a couple of closed tears. Laid in is slightly later Korean War era press clipping with photos of celebratory scenes of Valley Forge's return to San Diego (Independent Record, Helena, Montana, 1950, Vol VIII - No. 14, p1). Rare, with 7 locations recorded on Worldcat, all in the US (OCLC 31185003, 993049307). Valley Forge became Flagship of Fast Carrier Task Force 38 and Carrier Division Five just prior to departure. It was captained by Richard Waynick Ruble under the flag of Rear Admira Harold M. Martin. Leaving San Diego on 9 October 1947, the cruise took in Pearl Harbour (for almost 3 months of training operations), Sydney (for exercises with the Royal Australian Navy), Hong Kong, Tsingtao, Singapore, Trincomalee, the Aramco refinery at Ras Tanura (a goodwill gesture from the US Government, manning the rail for Emir Saud, with Prince's banquet laid on in Dammam), Suez (the longest ship at that time to navigate the Canal, with exercises in the Mediterranean), Gibraltar, Portsmouth (with two 72 hour leaves granted in war-damaged London), Bergen (through treacherous fjords in limited visibility), New York, and Panama, returning to San Diego on 11 June 1948. Among other Congratulatory Messages, the Secretary of the Navy praises the Valley Forge in achieving its goals: "The Valley Forge did not make this cruise around the world to seize bases in foreign territory, but to build trust, hope and confidence in the minds of those who love freedom".