Commanding Officer – Lt. Comdr. Ralph A. Jack
Left Port Hueneme – 23 April 1943
Locations: Port Hueneme, CA – Noumea, New Caledonia – Townsville, Australia – Woodlark Island
Campaigns: Operation Chronicle
Known Officers:
Jack, R.A. LtComdr – Metcalf, C.W. Lt – Burton, L.L. Lt – Clemons, L.D. Lt – Freeman, K.A. Lt – Tucker, B.E. Lt – Walker, T.J. Lt – Wilcox, E.D. Lt – Adams, J.T. Lt – Binning, C.D. Lt (jg) – Byrnes, M.A. Lt(jg) – Carmean, C.A. Lt(jg) – Doernberg, J.S. Lt(jg) – Dulevich, N.C. Lt – Fonnessy, J.F. Lt(jg) – Cambrell, M.E. Lt(jg) – Hammell, R. Lt – Johnson, R.E. Lt – McBroom, J.T. Lt(jg) – Peiffer, D.S. Lt(jg) – Peters, H.A. Lt(jg) – Torian, R.B. Lt – Raha, F.R. Ens – Miller, P.G. Ens – Runyon, R.V. Ens – Brand, G.E. Lt(jg) – Knight, C.M. Lt – Shoop, F.W. Lt
Known Enlisted:
Note: Rating/Rank as of date of Unit commissioning
Adkins, Estil S2c – Allen, James W. S2c – Anderson, Russell K. S2c – Arena, Rocco D. S2c – Aschenbrenner, Donald F. S2c – Atherton, Dwight L. S2c – Austin, Wilbur E. S1c – Bachelder, Ora L. S2c – Baldwin, Wayne F. S2c – Barkely, George A. Jr S2c – Barrow, Bertram A. S1c – Beaman, Allen A. S2c – Beekman, Gene E. S2c – Bender, George A. RM3c – Best, Charles R. S2c – Bezold, John A. S2c – Birba, Clarence S2 -, Bishara, Charles S. RM3c – Blanchard, Edmund S2c – Blanton, Benjamin J. CRM – Boever, Maurice J. S2c – Bolt, Marvin J. S2c – Bone, Alfred E. S2c – Boylan, John P. S2c – Bridges, John R. S2c – Brown, Charles A. GM3c – Brunnick, Richard CRM3c – Burke, Robert S2c – Butler, Robert H. S2c – Cabral, Warren A. S1c – Campbell, Joseph E. S2c – Campe, Francis G. S2c – Carberry, Hobert N. S2c – Carpenter, Wilbur R. RM3c – Cassidy, Fred F. RT2c – Castle, John P. S2c – Ceasario, Sam P. S2c – Chaput, Warren R. S2c – Chidsey, John J. S2c – Chivas, Stanley J. S2c – Cofojohn, Herbert S2c – Colburn, Rolland A. S2c – Coleman, Carl E. S2c – Copeland, Frank S2c – Cordrey, Donald E. S2c – Cottongim, John E. S2c – Coulter, James M. S2c – Counts, Howard S. S2c – Cox, Chauncey J. S2c – Cox, Marion S. EM3c – Crandell, Frederick L. S2c – Damick, James J. S2c – Danis, Michael S2c – Demasi, James W. S2c – Derrick, Robert V. RM3c – Desnoyers, Robert S. unk – DiThomas, Louis T. RM3c – Doty, Charles W. RT2c – Drake, John F. EM3c – DuBois, Frank F. S2c – Fazio, Edward R. RM3c – Fischer, Raymond W. RT1c – Foley, Gerald RM3c – Foss, Edwin G. Y3c – Funk, John Jr. EM3c – Graef, Miles I. EM3c – Graham, Charles E. S2c – Griest, Harold M. S2c – Guether, Lyle R. EM3c – Haddad, Edward J. F1c – Hall, Graydon RM3c – Keck, Donald L. EM1c – Kelley, Bert E. RM3c – King, James L. RM1c – Langum, Glen J. Y2c – Lecoeuvre, Earl F. AS – Lee, Percy E. RM3c – Morgan, George D. AS – Newman, James B. S2c – Nickson, Walter ARM3c – Pinkston, Don E. RT2c – Poston, Bennie L. RM3c – Powell, Herbert B. RT2c – Price, Robert E. CM3c – Procopio, Emil H. S2c – Riedell, George D. S2c – Risdon, Stetson M. RM3c – Rooney, Paul R. RT2c – Scallorn, Cecil D. CRM – Schultz, James W. RM3c – Silva, Edward J. RM3c – Skipper, Merl C. RT2c – Swartzlander, Frank K. RM1c – Syms, Hugh F. S2c – Tynen, Edward F. CRM – Weiss, Harry J. RM3c – Wessel, Walter A. ARM2c – Williams, Elbert C. CM3c – Wright, John H. RT2c
Additional Known Enlisted: Date Assigned to Unit 1:
Rating/Rank as of date assigned
Amos, Melbourne R. S2c 12-31-1943
Barnes, Mason G. S2c 11-1-1943
Beaman, Allen A. Jr. S2c 11-1-1943
Bennett, Lacy R. S2c 12-1-1943
Bercman, Francis C. Jr. S2c 12-1-1943
Beverly, Donald F. S1c 11-1-1943
Bickers, Lemuel J. S2c 11-1-1943
Black, Harold E. S2c 11-15-1943
Bradshaw, Lee C. S2c 12-1-1943
Britton, Charles W. S2c 12-1-1943
Bryant, Walter R. RM3c 1-15-1944
Bullard, Douglas J. S2c 12-1-1943
Burchfield, Leslie T. S1c 10-1-1943
Burt, Charles E. SC2c 12-30-1943
Cortor, Francis E. S1c 11-1-1943
DeFreest, Donald F. S2c 12-1-1943
Elliott, Willard C. SC1c 12-1-1943
Forrester, James E. RT1c 12-1-1943
Gallagher, Francis J. Jr. EM3c 12-1-1943
Gullickson, Jack G. SC2c 11-1-1943
Kendrick, Joe W. S1c 12-1-1943
Peterson, Thoral L. F2c 12-31-1943
Pierce, Benjamin M. S1c 12-31-1943
Toth, Stephen A. S1c 12-1-1943
Welch, Harold M. SC2c 12-30-1943
Narrative:
Argus Unit 1 was commissioned 9 March 1943
ARGUS UNIT ONE **
The first of its kind, Argus Unit, was formed utilizing navy men, with special qualifications, from all around the country. Argus Units, were designed to land along with the Marines for the purpose of setting up and operating portable and semi-portable radar sets. Each Argus Unit was self-sustaining and could be set up anywhere. The men were gathered together at the main Naval Construction Battalion Base of Port Hueneme, California where they were introduced to specialized radar training. Further training was acquired at Naval Auxiliary Air Station San Clemente under the auspices of the Combat Information Center Training Team. Argus Unit One would he the first of seven units trained at San Clemente. Aircraft for training on radar intercept was provided by VJ-7 with two PBY-5As and twelve SBDs. The unit also received arduous physical training provided by Marine drill instructors. At this point in the war, the total compliment of men was around 60; later Argus Units would number about 125 men with about 25 fighter Director Officers.
Argus Unit One was attached to Acorn 5 and came ashore on Woodlark Island after midnight on June 30, 1943 and struggled in the dark getting their primary portable radar unit unloaded, set up and operating. In fact it would take a few more days and nights before it was completely operational. The original Argus Unit had a SCR 602 lightweight portable radar unit with an antenna turned by hand crank. As the long. slow tension filled night progressed, the sailors were told to dig foxholes on the beach since the possibility of an enemy counterattack existed. The unit was ordered not to move around for fear of being shot by the enemy or trigger-happy sentries. Night finally passed into day for the men ashore. With more and more of the island being consolidated by the marines, the men of Argus Unit One gathered up their equipment and supplies and moved in-land to establish their permanent base of operations. Around their main camp they sited some Browning M-2 water·cooled .50cal anti-aircraft machine guns. These guns were to be used by the sailors in defense against low flying aircraft. In addition to the original SCR-602 radar, two additional SCR-270 radar units and one SCR-268 anti-aircraft radar unit, along with their mobile power and communications vans, were ferried in from Australia. These radars would be needed to complete the entire radar network. They would be hauled up to remote mountaintop sites for optimum performance.
Argus Unit 1 would spend a total of fourteen months overseas, approximately nine months on Woodlark alone. On the 23rd of April 1944 Argus Unit 1 was decommissioned. When the unit left Woodlark for Milne Bay, most of the equipment they had landed with was considered obsolete or in such a badly corroded condition that it was deemed unserviceable and just left behind on the island.
**this is an excerpt from “Sailor’s Story” by Todd Cabral
another excerpt from “Sailor’s Story” – a personal account of Warren Cabral’s time with Argus Unit #1
“Sailor’s Story” – a personal account (larger file – slower loading)
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Map of Operation Cartwheel – Operation Chronicle area – Woodlark Island is in the lower center of the map (click on image for a larger view)
map from “The War in the Pacific – CARTWHEEL: THE REDUCTION OF RABAUL” –US Army Center of Military History
Activity Report
*Activity Report from “Combat Information Center” magazine dated March 1944 courtesy of Paul Geoghagen
United States Navy Argus Unit Historical Group 
November 5, 2020
From Edward Chidsey on Operation Chronicle – Woodlark Island I am wondering if you served with John J Chidsey. He was my father.
***Received as a comment to Operation Chronicle – Woodlark Island. Posted here also for additional review.
Larry