Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Hello Mr. Mackenzie,

I enjoy your website and reading what you've put up on the web.

If I understand your website correctly, you were part of the Taffy II group off Samar on that fateful day of 25 October 1944. My uncle, Ensign Hans L Jensen of the Kadashan Bay, was a part of Taffy II. He flew a TBM torpedo bomber from the Kadashan Bay, and he was the pilot who first discovered, reported, and attacked Kurita's Centre Force after it came out of the San Bernardino Strait.  For this he won the Navy Cross. You can read about him at
http://www.hansljensen.homestead.com/mainpage.html "Ens. Hans Lundby Jensen, Jr." 

This site is in bad English, but I don't have the heart to tell the dear old vets to edit it; I'm content to leave it the way it is.

I'd like to ask you one question.  Was it common knowledge in Taffy II that Jensen, and not a Taffy III pilot, had sniffed out Kurita's Centre Force? 

If you remember liberty on Ponam Island in the Admiralties I'd like to hear about that as well.  Jensen was killed in late November 1944 when his plane took off from Ponam and its engine cut out, forcing him to land in the shoal water.  I'd very much like to visit Ponam Island some day, but I hear PNG has an extremely high crime rate and that it can be dangerous for a white man travelling alone.  Is this true?  

Regards,  
David

David Curtis Wright

David,

Nice to hear from you in Canada, incidentally my first name is Mackenzie and the surname is Gregory, but it has proven a problem all my life, with Mackenzie being  confused as a surname. Thank you for your kind words about AHOY.

No, I was not part of Taffy 11 off Samar in October 1944. The heavy cruiser HMAS Shropshire took part in the invasion of Leyte, and was part of the force  for the Battle of Suriago Straits, on her return to Manus in November, I was waiting to join her as a watchkeeping Lieutenant RAN. I had missed out on the last great Sea  Battle in Naval History.
 
I then went on to have a great two years in the best, most efficient and happy ship, I was ever to serve in.
 
I am unable to answer your question about your Uncle being the first to sight Kurita's force.
 
I also did not ever land at Ponam Island, we were always based on the huge US Naval Base at Manus in the Admiralties.
 
See this URL: http://www.lulu.com/items/volume_11/211000/211640/4/preview/BOSv4preview.pdf  for The Battle off Samar Taffy 111 at Leyte Gulf, on page 23 is a Presidential Citation that includes USS Kadashan Bay.

There is certainly an amount of crime reported for PNG, but I would not go so far as saying you should not visit Ponam Island, its somewhat off the beaten track, and I would think you would be safe there.

Great to hear from you David.

Best wishes from Australia.  
Mackenzie. Gregory.