Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description		Contributed By
	21k	Welborn Cicero Wood was born in Georgia on 15 January 1876 and was appointed to the United States Naval Academy on 6 September 1895. He served as a midshipman in the battleship Texas during the war with Spain in 1898, before graduating with the class of 1899, and later joined Oregon (Battleship No. 3) on the Asiatic Station to serve part of the two years required by law before commissioning. Subsequently given command of the gunboat Urdaneta, then operating in the Philippines during the Insurrection. Naval Cadet Wood was killed in action on 17 September 1899, when his ship ran aground in the Orani River, near Manila, and was overwhelmed by insurgent troops who enfiladed the gunboat with a withering fire from the shoreline. Photo from the United States Naval Academy, dated 1899.		Robert M. Cieri/Bill Gony
	131k	Undated, location unknown. USS Welborn C. Wood (DD 195) with what appears to be USS Ballard (DD 267) in the background to the right. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
0519611	25k	The future USS George E. Badger (yard number 238) and Welborn C. Wood (yard number 237) under construction at Newport News, circa late 1919 - early 1920.		Dave Wright
	93k	Circa 1920, location unknown.		Jim Flynn
	147k	Undated, location unknown. On Coast Guard service during Prohibition. Photo from the collection of the Vallejo Naval Historical Museum.		Darryl Baker
On British Service
HMS Chesterfield (ex-USS Welborn C. Wood, DD-195) transferred on 9 September 1940 Chesterfield had a somewhat chequered start to her RN career, colliding with her sister HMS Churchill on 10 September 1940. After sailing for Britain, she arrived at St John's, NS, with defects that required her return to Halifax, NF. Setting forth once more, she arrived at St John's, NS, on 22 October 1940, only to be quarantined with a case of diptheria onboard, so that she did not arrive at Devonport until 22 November 1940. Unusually, Chesterfield's refit was at Chatham and lasted from 26 November 1940 to 25 January 1941, with trials at Devonport in the following days. Allocated to 11th Escort Group she was, finally able to enter operational service on 27 February 1931, despite a collision with the submarine HMS/s H32 on that date. In mid-April 1941 the Group moved base from Liverpool to Iceland, immediately followed by Chesterfield being shifted to 3rd Escort Group also based there. Duty with mid-Atlantic convoys and on the Denmark Strait patrol, took its toll of an old ship and repair on the Clyde throughout May 1941 was needed. By mid-June 1941 Chesterfield had transferred to 18th escort Group part of the Newfoundland Escort Force, again changing to 23rd Escort Group in July 1941. All these Groups were committed to North Atlantic escort work. On 6 September 1941 Chesterfield was in collision with HMS Burnham, fortunately without serious damage to either ship, and it was not unti 6 October 1941 that Chesterfield arrived at Portsmouth for a refit lasting until 17 January 1942. Following refit and work up, Chesterfield joined 26th Escort Group for two Atlantic convoys, but then needed further attention from Clydeside repairers between 29 March and 23 June 1942. She next became part of B7 Group, but only briefly as after only two return passages to Canada and a brief period with convoy WS22, Chesterfield arrived at Hull for a two month refit in October 1942. The ship completed with a comprehensive A/S outfit for North Atlantic work and it is unfortunate therefore that after only one return crossing shallow set depth charges damaged the ship whilst with convoy HX222. Chesterfield thereafter lay under repair from mid-February 1943 until November 1943, nominally part of western Approaches Command, until allocated to Rosyth Command for target duty. Even in the role of an Air Target Ship, Chesterfeld seems to have been dogged by misfortune for she was again laid up, this time at Dundee, for repairs from late March 1944 until November 1944. At this point, the decision was taken not to waste further resources and Chesterfield paid off on 15 January 1945 to lay up at Rosyth, remaining there until towed to Dunston on Tyne where she arrived on 1 December 1948 to be broken up by Clayton & Davis Ltd. (Foreign service history thanks to Robert Hurst.)
	73k	The "Town" class destroyer HMS Chesterfield (ex-USS Welborn C. Wood, DD-195) underway on the completion of her Stage 2 refit at Hull, 15 November 1942. Photo # FL 3213 from the collections of the Imperial War Museum.		Robert Hurst
	86k	Ship's badge.		Tommy Trampp

LTJG Leon William Mills    Jan 14 1921 - Jan 25 1921

LTJG James Brady Dayton    Jan 25 1921 - Dec 29 1921

LT John Summerfield Roberts    Dec 29 2921 - Aug 8 1922

(Decommissioned Aug 8 1922)

Under Coast Guard command (Oct 1 1930 - May 21 1934

CDR Eugene Auguste Coffin (USCG)    Apr 1931 - Jan 1933 (Later RADM)

LCDR Arthur Graham Hall (USCG)    Jan 1933 - May 21 1934 (Later RADM)

Under Navy command   

LCDR Robert Emmet Cronin    Sep 4 1939 - Sep 9 1940 (Later RADM)

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This page was created by Fred Willishaw (ex ARG-4, AS-11 & DD-692) and is maintained by David L. Wright

Last Updated 17 May 2021