Raymond “Sonny” Bobrowski Survived a Kamikaze Attack
A brief military profile of the husband of my grandaunt who served in WWII
Raymond was born 17 September 1921 to Albert and Marie Bobrowski in St. Paul, Minnesota. When WW2 began, he was prime age for service and enlisted in the U.S. Navy on 31 March 1942.
Upon enlisting in the U.S. Navy, Sonny first sailed on the U.S.S. Cleveland and was ranked as an Apprentice Seaman (AS) and ended his time on the Cleveland as Fireman 1st Class (F1c). He transferred to the USS Kadashan Bay in January of 1944. His rank was WT1c (Water Tender 1st class).
The Kadashan Bay was attacked by a kamikaze pilot and despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, the plane did hit the ship, striking below the bridge at the waterline, tearing a 9 ft by 17.5 ft hole. The kamikaze sparked a brief gasoline fire, which was quickly put under control. A more pressing concern was flooding. Her gasoline system was inoperative, and her bow sank 7 ft below design specifications. Remarkably, no-one was killed and only three crewmen were wounded by the kamikaze.
He was eventually discharged 20 November 1946, having married my greataunt Eleanor Mary Corbo earlier that year. They had one child, Barbara Josephine.
Sonny died 23 July 1994.
Like most service men returning from the war, Sonny was reluctant to talk about his service time. However, he did relay the above story of the kamikaze to his nephew. He explained that his job entailed him working on the pumps in the boiler room for three-four days with sea water up to his waistline to keep the ship from sinking. The result was a life long affliction with painful and debilitating arthritis.
Sonny was a friendly guy whom we admired. We liked listening to his stories.
I am floored by the stories you uncover!