ON THIS DAY,26 JUNE 1944, COMMANDER F.D. POWERS, USNR., OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NJ., ASSUMED OFFICE AS THE EXECUTIVE OFFICER. HIS PREVIOUS SERVICE WAS AS COMMANDER OF A SUB-CHASER IN WORLD WAR 1, AND AS SUCH EARNED THE COVETED NAVY CROSS FOR SKILL AND DARING IN HANDLING AND PROTECTING SHIPPING LANES. COMMANDER POWERS REMAINED IN THE ACTIVE FLEET RESERVE, AND WAS RECALLED TO DUTY AS A COMMANDER IN JANUARY 1941. HE REMAINED ABOARD THE CURRITUCK FROM THE TIME OF HER COMMISSIONING IN JUNE UNTIL OCTOBER 1944, WHEN HE RECEIVED COMMAND OF THE USS WRIGHT IN THE MANUS ISLANDS AND WAS PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF CAPTAIN.

WHILE THE SHIP WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED THE OFFICERS AND CREW WERE QUITE GREEN AS TO THEIR DUTIES ABOARD. THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR DRILLS OR TRAINING ABOARD SHIP BUT THIS WAS A PROBLEM WHICH WAS MET AND SOLVED DURING THE TIME OF SHAKEDOWN CRUISE.

UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF ENSIGN B.M. THROCKMORTON OF SAN FRANCISCO, CA., WHO CAME UP FROM THE RANKS TO ASSUME DUTIES AS THE FIRST LIEUTENANT OF THE SHIP WITH THE RANK OF FULL LIEUTENANT, THE DAMAGE CONTROL ORGANIZATION WAS SOON WHIPPED INTO SHAPE.

AIDING LIEUTENANT THROCKMORTON IN SETTING UP THE DAMAGE CONTROL ORGANIZATION WAS CHIEF WARRANT CARPENTER THOMAS H. ERNST, OF DAYTON, 0H.

IMMEDIATELY THE CREW UNDERWENT INTENSIVE INSTRUCTION AND DRILL IN ALL SHIPBOARD OPERATIONS, ROUTINE AND EMERGENCY. THE GUNNERY DEPARTMENT BECAME A CONCISE AND COORDINATED GROUP, WORKING AS ONE UNIT AND PLAYED THEIR PART SO WELL LATER ON THAT THE SHIP RETURNED STATE-SIDE WITH NO MATERIAL BATTLE CASUALTIES.

ON THE LAST DAY OF AUGUST 1944, THE SHIP LEFT FOR ITS OVERSEAS DESTINATION, WHICH WAS TO BE FINSCHAVEN, NEW GUINEA, TO SERVE AS THE FLAGSHIP FOR THE COMMANDER AIRCRAFT, SEVENTH FLEET. AT BALBOA, CANAL ZONE, SHE EMBARKED PASSENGERS FOR TRANSPORTATION TO MANUS ISLAND IN THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS ON SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 1944. CURRITUCK CROSSED THE EQUATOR ON SUNDAY 17 SEPTEMBER AND THE INTERNATIONAL DATELINE ON TUESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER 1944. PERSONNEL ABOARD TOOK THE CROSSING TIME OF 23 DAYS IN GOOD SPIRITS, FINDING TIME FROM THEIR ROUTINE DUTIES TO HOLD THE "SHELLBACK" CEREMONIES WHEN THEY CROSSED THE EQUATOR. ARRIVING IN NEW GUINEA, THE 3RD OF OCTOBER 1944, THE SHIP WAS IMMEDIATELY ORDERED TO PROCEED TO MANUS ISLAND OF THE ADMIRALTY GROUP WHERE THE COMMANDER AIRCRAFT, SEVENTH FLEET, REAR ADMIRAL FRANK Be WAGNER, USN1, CAME ABOARD WITH HIS STAFF AND RAISED HIS FLAG ON 5 OCTOBER 1944.

DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER THERE WAS A QUICK SUCCESSION OF SHUTTLE TRIPS BETWEEN WOENDI, MANUS, MOROTAI, AND KOSSEL PASSAGE AND THE PALAUS. THE SHIP SERVED NOT ONLY AS AN AIRCRAFT TENDER, BUT OPERATED AS A TRANSPORT AS WELL, CARRYING CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS AND LARGE AMOUNTS OF CARGOES TO THE ISLANDS NEEDING MEN AND SUPPLIES.

IN THE MONTHS OF NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER AT TACLOBAN, IN THE LEYTE AREA, THE SHIPS FORCE WAS KEPT BUSY WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK OPERATING AND TENDING SEAPLANES, BECOMING ACCUSTOMED TO BEING CALLED REGULARLY TO GENERAL QUARTERS AND ACTING AS A SUPPLY AND EMERGENCY BASE FOR NUMEROUS NON-AVIATION UNITS WHICH HAD NOT CONTEMPLATED RECEIVING SUCH SERVICES. DURING THIS CRITICAL AND HAZARDOUS PERIOD THEY WERE MORE THAN A SEAPLANE TENDER, ACTING AS A DISPATCH AND COMMUNICATION SHIP, THEY SERVED EVERY MILITARY EFFORT IN THE TACLOBAN-JINAMOC AREA. COOPERATING WITH THE ARMY, THE SHIP PROVIDED A WELL BALANCED DIET OF FOOD TO ITS CREW AND GUESTS OF WHICH THERE WERE OVER 1700 WHO CAME ABOARD FOR A DRY PLACE TO SLEEP AND A CHANCE FOR A REAL MEAL, THEREBY GETTING THE REPUTATION OF BEING A "FLOATING HOTEL".

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