Roanoke (CL 145) - Naval Cruise Book

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THE SAGA OF ESTHER One of the numerous visitors aboard ROANOKE during our Far East Cruise, and certainly the best known, was Esther. Esther came into being in 1942 aboard an Australian destroyer, when one officer wrote a passionate inscription across a publicity photograph of Esther Williams, and hung it in the wardroom. In 1946, he was transferred to a cruiser and took the picture with him. Later that year, the Aussie cruiser was assigned to occupation duty in Japan, and the real saga of Esther began. For two years the struggle for Esther was carried on between officers of the Aust- ralian, Canadian, New Zealand and British Navies. ln 1948, the US Navy entered the fray and Esther has since been aboard most of our ships deployed to WESTPAC. The rules of the game are few, but are sufficient to prevent mass murder, while only slightly discouraging mayhem. Only officers may participate. Esther must be displayed in plain sight in the wardroom, she may not be welded to the bulkhead, and firearms cannot be used. yr? Al ,. K of-,J . Esther first came aboard ROANOKE when Lieutenants Breen and Carlson rowed a motor launch across India Basin to the USS CAVALLARO in the small hours of a dark and rainy night, sneaked aboard undetected, slipped into the wardroom, siezed Esther and fled into the night, their brilliant feat soon to be announced to the long- suffering 0.0.D's who didn't know what they were in for.

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BUT ALAS . .. The heroes of the epic admire their handy work... . r.. the newly created Esther Medal is bestowed. -W-Ulu Perhaps the most galling incident of the entire saga of Esther was her theft from the mighty ROANOKE by two officers of the USS AMPERE QADG-lll-six omcers embarked. Dressed as enlisted men and using liberty cards signed by 'RADM Atom Smasher, USSR , they came aboard ROANOKE about 2300 one early September evening. The O. O. D. stopped them on suspicion that they had been ashore on a duty day, and turned them over to the quartermaster who took their liberty cards and told them to go below. An obliging M.A.A. showed them to the I Division compartment while another good shipmate helped them locate themselves on the damage control diagrams in No. 2 messing compartment. Awaiting on the forecastle, they sat forward of turret l until OlOO when they went below to the wardroom, seized Esther, and succeeded in leaving the ship via the after brow. But alas, the AMPERE too was doomed to failure in keeping Esther's aFfections, and in the wake of typhoon Emma she moved on to be fought over by a group of minesweepers. ..and receive the proper recognition when