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Naval Construction Battalion
Maintenance Unit (CBMU) 553
The original Seabee Battalions were 1200 man forces, selected and trained as a unit to survey, land, carve roads, create airstrips, and develop camps and facilities for naval, marine, and air combat units. Most were posted to the Pacific where their remarkable flexibility and creativity was essential to island combat. As time went on, however, the need arose for smaller, more specialized outfits, but still carrying the now-legendary "Can Do" Seabee spirit. One off-shoot was the Construction Battalion Maintenance Units (CBMU) which were trained to provide public works functions at advanced bases. As the 93rd Seabees prepared to leave the Green Islands for the Philippines, CBMUs 552 and 553 arrived to provide continuing maintenance for the remaining combat and administrative units. CBMU 553 was organised at Camp Peary, transferred to Hueneme, and departed Hueneme on January 14, 1944. The first assignment was Nanomea, Ellice Island where they arrived February 2, 1944. On July 3, they were on Nissan, Green Islands. By February, 1945, the dismantling of the Green Islands Naval Advanced Base was beginning, and it was officially decommissioned on March 1. The Green Islands facilities, serviced by CBMU 552, continued to house and serve New Zealand Air Force and other outfits until after the end of the war. CBMU 553 followed the 93rd to Samar on May 1. The unit was inactivated September 25, 1945 and its few remaining members transferred to NCB 100. Pictures left by John Gould
John Loring Gould may have been the outfit's photographer. His photographs - those displayed here and another collection deposited with the Seabee Museum in Hueneme - appear to have been the makings of a CBMU 553 cruise book. For some reason - perhaps the small size of the unit or the quality of the photos, the book never materialized. Seabees93.net has succeeded in sharpening some of the group shots. Text explanations and identifications for the photos is below. Descriptions are as written on back of photo. Photos 58 through 72 do not have any written explanation. Row listings are not given either here or on the original photos unless specifically indicated.
Beckerman Carnahan Eckert
Timmons MM 3/c Stout MM 2/c Rodriquez S 2/c
Perry McGhee Robinson Ores
Genis Mosley Sweeney Nemeth
Ubank Wilson
Owens Stanley Schwaab Layhill Mazolic Cirko Barber Hansen
Pollack Neese Healey Gazo Jacobs Wilde Soeller Strickland
Slayton Shaeffer Simone Webb McGhee Sember Scranton Platt (W.O.) Randall (Chief) Owens Purcell Hopper Shaw Webber Honaker Taylor Hopper Junior Blitchard Lapete Gibson
Jentszch Mills Fane Geeseland Wright Walters Wimmer Rauer
Chilson Spannier Welch Tickell MacLaughlin Sapprette Starr Savarino Hess Scollo
Xmas ‘44
Fox MM 2/c On front sign reads “Tonite Double Feature Sundown & Coney Island
Front Row Rear Row Patterson CCM Beaseley CEM Randall CMOMM Andresen CCM Carmichell CSF Cahill CMM Heilman CMM Norman CSK Fane CCM Jensen CCM Burke Franey CCM
Stevens S 2/c Burthwick Y 3/c Menzel Y 3/c
Mallgren SF 3/c Martin SF 3/c Pasatorek S 1/c
Farmer EM 2/c Farley EM 3/c Rossi S 1/c Kerr EM 2/c Nather EM 3/c
Fishman Rysko Williams Fazzare Powell Cornachionne “Lou” Chief Yachanovich Paras Donaghue “Jack” Arnold Goldstein “Goldie” Robinson
Greco Henry Beaseley Chief Farley Farmer Cirko
Myers Newton Gurfy
Stackpole BM 1/c Simmer SP 2/c
Ensign Gerald A. Hickey (our “Skipper”) Lt. (j.g.)) Paul E. White Ens. Donald E. Johnson Warrant Officer Adriance C. Platt
Zink SK 2/c Morgan CM 2/c Oakie CM 1/c
Hughes Eisenman MM 3/c (Arty) Franey CCM Scribner Sevelley MM 2/c Whitney Morgan S 1/c Buller Salama
De Backer Giumette Fahey
Nel Weigher Reinhard Schein
Metcalf S 1/c Koenig CM 3/c
Peretta Barber Mosley Sheehan
Cahil Putz Martin E “Porky”
Xmas ‘44
Xmas ‘44
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