USS Welborn C. Wood (DD-195)
The USS Welborn C. Wood (DD-195) was a Clemson-class destroyer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. She was named in honor of Welborn C. Wood, who was an officer in the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War.
Construction
Welborn C. Wood was laid down by Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on September 24, 1918. Launched on March 6, 1920, she was sponsored by Miss Virginia Mary Tate. Lieutenant Leon W. Mills took temporary command of William C. Wood on January 14, 1921. Lieutenant Brady J. Dayton took permanent command 11 days later.
Naval History
Following commissioning, William C. Wood joined the Atlantic Fleet and began operations off the eastern seaboard. After performing routine exercises and she was decommissioned on August 8, 1922 in Philadelphia. Eight years later, Welborn C. Wood was transferred to the Coast Guard to assist with Rum Patrol. After being renumbered CG-19, she sailed to her permanent station in New London, Connecticut. Following the repeal of Prohibition, Welbourn C. Wood was again decommissioned on May 21, 1934 in Philadelphia.
On September 4, 1939, Lieutenant Commander Robert E. Cronin took command of Welborn C. Wood as she reported for duty with the Neutrality Patrol. She continued to serve in this capacity until she was transferred to the UK as part of the destroyers for bases agreement. Welborn C. Wood arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 6, 1940. Three days later, she was commissioned with the British Royal Navy, though she wasn’t officially struck from the Navy list until January 8, 1941.
Following her commissioning with the British Royal Navy, Welborn C. Wood was renamed HMS Chesterfield. As part of her first “Town” flotilla, the ship formerly known as Welborn C. Wood sailed to Belfast, Northern Ireland. She underwent a refit at Chatham before she joined the 11th Escort Group, Western Approaches Command in Greenock. The ship formerly known as Welborn C. Wood was later modified for trade convoy escort service.
From 1941 through 1943, the ship formerly known as Welborn C. Wood conducted escort duties in the North Atlantic. She was assigned to Escort Group B-7 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force during this period. While screening Convoy HX-222 on January 17, 1943, the ship formerly known as Welborn C. Wood attacked German submarine U-268. After suffering damage from her own depth charges, the ship formerly known as Welborne C. Wood went to Plymouth to undergo repairs. She remained in Plymouth until November 1943, at which time she was allocated to the 5th Western Approaches Command to serve as a target vessel. She was later placed in reserve on January 17, 1945 until she was broken up for scrap two years later.
Asbestos Risk on the USS Welborn C. Wood (DD-195)
Asbestos fireproofing has been employed on board naval ships like Welborn C. Wood ever since the early 20th century. Most of the crew sailing or working on Welborn C. Wood were probably exposed to asbestos-containing materials to one degree or another, whether in the engine room (where asbestos was used to insulate the engines and boilers) or elsewhere in the ship. In addition, a great deal of asbestos fiber could be found in repair facilities and sailors and deckhands were exposed to it there, as were pipefitters and shipfitters. When inhaled into the lungs, asbestos material damages the thin membrane known as the mesothelium and can result in pleural mesothelioma.
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Sources
Welborn C. Wood. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Department of the Navy – Naval Historical Center.
http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/w5/welborn_c_wood.htm
