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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25)
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Namesake
Arthur Middleton was born on 26 June 1742 on his family's estate, Middleton Place, near Charleston, S.C. He was educated in England and, upon returning to South Carolina, became active in local politics. Middleton was elected to the colonial House of Assembly in 1764; served until 1768; and, after a four-year absence, was reelected to the House in 1772. He sat in the first provincial congress and served on the secret committee of five people that arranged and directed the seizure of powder and weapons from the public storehouses in Charleston on the night of 21 April 1776. On 14 June, he became a member of the first Council of Safety, which assumed the executive power of the colony.
On 11 February 1776, Middleton was appointed to a committee of 11 to draft a constitution for South Carolina. A few days later, he was elected to the Continental Congress and, still later, signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of South Carolina. He continued serving in the Congress until October 1777. While he was reelected three more times between 1778 and 1780, Middleton did not actually serve in Congress during these years. During the siege of Charleston in 1780, Middleton was a member of the militia. He was taken prisoner when the British captured the city and was sent to St. Augustine, Fla., as a prisoner of war. He was exchanged in July 1781 and sat in the session of Congress of 1782. After the war ended, Middleton devoted himself to managing his plantation. He died at Goose Creek, S.C., on 1 January 1787.
Photo: junior.britannica.com |
Bill Gonyo |
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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) undergoing conversion from a Maritime Commission Passenger and Cargo liner to an Attack Transport in drydock at San Francisco Navy Yard, Hunters Point, circa 1943. Photographs show how much had to be added to a cargo liner to convert her into an attack transport. She needed heavier booms to handle landing craft (note the boat chocks atop the hatch in the photo of the ship's after end). Note also the catwalk to assist in handling personnel boats launched from the new triple welin davits, and the boat chocks positioned under the davits. The small lattice mast ultimately carried a radar antenna.
Mare Island Navy Yard photos from "U.S. Amphibious Ships and Craft: An Illustrated Design History" by Norman Friedman. |
Robert Hurst |
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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) underway, date and location unknown.
USNI photo |
Russ Padden |
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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) overhead view, date and location unknown.
USNI photo |
Dan Carey |
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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) returning veterans to San Francisco from the Pacific after the war during "Operation Magic Carpet," circa 1946. |
Dan Carey |
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LT. Robert E. Burke USCGR on board USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25)during World War II. |
Dan Carey |
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LT. Robert E. Burke USCGR and two fellow USS Middleton officers with Jack Dempsey. |
Dan Carey |
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USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) underway, 30 August 1945, location unknown.
US Navy photo # USN 339869 from the collections of the Office of the US Coast Guard Historian. |
Mike Green |
Commercial Service
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Ex-USS Arthur Middleton (APA-25) in service with American South African Lines, Inc, as SS African Comet |
Dan Carey |
