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Captain Broughton Serving at Base in New Guinea

Somewhere in New Guinea – Army Captain Thomas Ashford Broughton Jr., a graduate of Alabama Military Academy, now commands a quartermaster refrigeration company at one of General MacArthur’s largest bases.

“Failing to keep things cool in the tropics can make things hot for himself,” notes Capt. Broughton. His duties have included being one to test and make recommendations upon certain experimental refrigeration units ordered by the Army.

Refrigeration is a valuable military function in this Southwest Pacific war which is being fought in tropical jungle areas. At fixed plants, ice is being manufactured for valuable hospital use and troop units.

All fresh foods must be transported forward and preserved as near the combat areas as possible. Without fresh foods, troops would soon incur diseases rendering entire Army units ineffective. At times, there has been evidence that lack of proper food supplies has impacted Japanese troops when emaciated, gaunt bodies were found after campaigns.

Captain Broughton was called to duty as a 2nd Lieutenant of Field Artillery during October 1941. Because of his civilian refrigeration experience with Consumers Ice and Cold Storage Company in Andalusia, he requested and received a transfer to the refrigeration branch of the Quartermaster Corps at Camp Lee, Va.

Captain Broughton was born June 27, 1915, in Andalusia, Al. After attending local schools, he transferred to Alabama Military Institute in Anniston, Al., where he graduated in 1932. He enrolled at Alabama Polytechnic Institute [now Auburn University] and earned a B.S degree in 1936. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon [SAE] social fraternity. Captain Broughton’s family resides at 620 Church St. in Andalusia.

Author’s note: Ashford Broughton was a friend of the authors for many years but never discussed his WW II service.

Covington and Geneva County Men tell of Experiences at Sea 

Joseph Johnson, Radioman Third Class, U.S. Navy, of Rt. 2, Red Level, and Luther Berry Parker, Seaman First Class, U.S. Navy, of Geneva, recently returned to the New Orleans Guard Center after nine months of sea duty as members of the Navy armed guard unit on a merchant ship. They told the Navy Public Relations Officers that they had been in action several times, narrowly escaping destruction in vicious attacks by Nazi submarines and aircraft in the Mediterranean last October.

Johnson said that the attack came at dusk, a favorite time for such raids and the armed guards were at general quarters when the Nazis struck. He said that the first warning came when two escorting Spitfires let loose with tracer fire. Seconds later, armed guard crews from other ships in the convoy commenced firing and planes were seen swooping towards them.

From their battle stations, Johnson and Parker watched the torpedo bombers drop their deadly cargoes as the embattled convoy threw up a ring of fire. Coming in two at a time, the German planes picked off several ships. One plane made a run at Johnson’s ship but was shot down by the armed guard crew. Six other enemy aircraft were seen to hurtle into the sea.

Subs attacked simultaneously but alert escorts dropped depth charges and kept them from shooting any torpedoes into the convoy.

Johnson said that his ship underwent another attack by enemy planes while they were in the harbor at Naples. He said that only a few bombs were dropped, with only one merchant ship taking a direct hit, while his ship was spared.

On the return trip to the States, Johnson and Parker witnessed the rescue at sea of two lifeboats full of survivors from a torpedoed ship from a convoy that had been running ahead of theirs.

Johnson is the son of Mrs. Dollie Johnson of Red Level. He was employed by the Andala Company before joining the service on Oct. 5, 1942. He attended Andalusia High School before training as an armed guard at the Sand Diego Naval Station, California.

Parker is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Parker of Geneva. He is a graduate of Geneva High School and was employed by Apex Service Co. before joining the Navy on May 26, 1942.

John Vick