October 31, 1945

Joe wrote no entry today.

Another photo of Nagasaki survivors.

October 30, 1945

30 _____ 240 days out of states.
________

Pictured is a postcard that Joe purchased in Japan and brought home.

October 29, 1945

29 _____ Still in Nagasaki.
___________

A rare color photo of the bombed area.

October 28, 1945

28 _____ Sun. Had mass on focasle at 900 & Divine services at 10.00 _ More men were trans fered at 1200 _ first Div. lost 3 more men. Rope yarn sunday. 3
________

The "3" was the number of men transferred.

Rope Yarn Sunday = Originally in the Navy, this was any day BUT Sunday when sailors were given a day or a half day off to do sewing and mending. Usually it was a day in port when a tailor came aboard. Later, the term just came to mean a day off, either for personal chores or recreation. Joe used it on a Sunday, and since this is the first he's used it, he probably meant they were given the afternoon off for personal chores. He might have used the time to mend uniforms or write letters. This photo from the Mobile's cruise book was captioned "Feurt the Tailor." No clue if that was his real name.

October 27, 1945

27 _____ Sat. _ Navy Day.
_____ The Ship was all dress up with flags from focasle to fandtail. Sure look swell _ Marines from Shore came over to look over ship this afternoon. Some of the fellows were transferred today more is going off tomorrow. First Div lost four in the transferry 4
_______

transferry = transfer or transferring. Joe begins to count how many are transferred.

Photo shows Navy Day 1945 aboard the submarine USS Puffer.

October 26, 1945

26- _____ Fri. _ Had field day & lower deck inspection. Japs are bringing unfinish cargo ships back to rapair dock to be completed. One tied up to dock today about 500 yards from us.
______

A field day, to remind all, was a complete cleaning and organizing of the ship. In this case, it was for Navy Day on the 27th.

Photo shows what was left of a Nagasaki munitions plant.

October 25, 1945

25- _____ Tue. A few fellows were told to get ready for trains ferry tomorrow. All those who do not have 9 months of sea duty will be transfer to other ships or shore base.
_____________

Tue. - should be Thursday.

trains ferry = transferring

Photo of Mobile sailors.