In Portsmouth, 1946

By Wally Krupenevich,
U.S.S. Irex (482) Newsletter, Vol. 11-3, November 2005, p. 4

Here's a photo of a few IREX sailors, taken in Portsmouth, NH on a Sunday morning in 1946, sent to me by Bob McAnelly. My guess would be November or December—see the snow on the sidewalk? IREX probably had just arrived for the snorkel conversion. The sign over the head of the rightmost sailor may be for the Club Cafe, but I doubt if they were open on a Sunday morning because of the State's “Blue Laws.” At gunpoint, I would have to say the sailor in the middle was George Barney, TM1(SS). (Note the embroidered Dolphins on their right arms. This was before the Dolphins were moved to the left chest, and submariners began wearing the pins we know today.) [A confirmation that the middle sailer is George Barney, but the one on the left is probably not Ray Henkejn, for Ray was an EM, and would have been wearing is rating badge on the arm not shown, while the gent on the left has a right arm rate which looks like it's a QM.]