1943 Vintage World War II Painted Tool Chest Uss La Salle Transport Ship Ditty

Details

Description

ORIGINAL AMERICAN US NAVY SAILOR'S BOX / CHEST / TRUNK USS LA SALLE DATED 1943

DIMENSIONS About 18 3/4" x … Read more ORIGINAL AMERICAN US NAVY SAILOR'S BOX / CHEST / TRUNK USS LA SALLE DATED 1943

DIMENSIONS About 18 3/4" x 9 1/4" x 11" including the handle.

DESCRIPTION Painted World War II sailor's box. Possibly a tool box or a personal property chest. Black and gold paint decorations with anchors on the lid, and reading "USS LASALLE" on the front, and the date 1943 painted on the ends. An ink inscription, added sometime after 1963, gives the name and location of an owner (possibly the original crewman to who the box belonged).

The USS La Salle was the lead ship of her class of transport ships in use during the latter part of World War II. The ship was laid down on 29 April 1942 as the Type C2 ship SS Hotspur by Moore Dry Dock Company of Oakland, California, and commissioned as Hotspur on 31 March 1943, then renamed La Salle on April 6th. She participated in numerous engagements and locations in the South Pacific including Tarawa, Wellington (New Zealand), the New Hebrides, Kwajalein, etc. She sailed from Pearl Harbor with Marines to prepare for the invasion of the Marianas, arriving on D-Day. Later she proceeded to Guadalcanal and the Palaus. Later, she discharged 731 troop to block the Japanese retirement into the Bataan Peninsula. She fought off kamikaze attacks and steamed to Seattle for overhall. She was decommissioned on 24 July 1946 and was returned to the Maritime Commission the following day.

CONDITION Overall excellent. Minor surface wear commensurate with age and use (all visible in the images). A FINE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II NAVAL HISTORICAL ARTIFACT. See less