ENCORE BROADCAST: HMT ROHNA DISASTER & GREENWICH CONNECTION

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ENCORE BROADCAST: Joining Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead in the 1490 WGCH studios are Greenwich resident and author Catherine Ladnier and John Dolin and Joe Webber of West Haven, Connecticut.

I am willing to bet that many of you have never heard about the Rohna, the worst sea disaster in American history. 

Please take a few moments to visit Ladnier's web site, DearEva.org to learn about her plays and her upcoming appearance on the 31st of August at the Halls Veterans Museum, Tennessee. Also, learn more by visiting the web site of the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association.

When readers of the Rochester Times-Union received their Thursday evening, June 14, 1945 editions they and Americans across the nation read news of the greatest single transport disaster during World War II -and its details were kept classified for decades. 

It would be many years before family members and the public would learn details about the mysterious circumstances of the Rohna disaster. 

In the darkness of the night and in bad weather the British troops ship HMT Rohna sank after a 30 minute enemy air attack on November 26, 1943 off the coast of Algeria. 

Of the 1,981 U.S. Navy personnel aboard 1,015 were lost -including one who called Greenwich, Connecticut home. He grew up in Round Hill, a member of the Moore family. 

This is from the Greenwich News & Graphic, dated October 31, 1924: "One of the features of the day was the appearance of Master John Campbell Moore, the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Moore, attired in full Highland costume, carrying a miniature set of bagpipes. The little fellow marched about the grounds playing with the band and his performance was lost amusing and greatly enjoyed." 

Sadly, he died in the attack on the HMT Rohna during World War II. My guests believe that the family here in Greenwich never knew what happened to him -or why because it was classified.

You've heard of Mooreland Road, haven't you? Before it was subdivided and developed this estate played host to the original Round Hill Scottish Highland Games in Greenwich before going off to Yale Farms in North Greenwich, then Stamford and today in Norwalk every July.

Had young John Campbell Moore survived the Rohna disaster he would have been the uncle to actress Glenn Close. The Moore Family home still stands tall and dignified at 420 Round Hill Road. 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons will air Wednesday morning, April 22, 2020 on 1490 WGCH and WGCH.com right after the top of the hour news at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. If you cannot listen to the live broadcast fear not! We have you covered. We'll post links to the archived shows on Facebook and to your email box after the conclusion of the broadcast at 9:30 a.m. 

A Tribute to the Late H. Allen Larsen of the Legendary Flying Tigers of WWII (SHOW #41, Wed., April 8, 2020)

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I extend my sincerest thanks to the following for making the April 8  2020 broadcast possible: Catherine Ladnier and John Mickey Robinson; Kevin M. J. O'Connor of The Jeffrey Matthews Group; Sue Hill McClenachan and listeners to the Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show on Radio 1490 WGCH, FM105.5 Stamford, and WGCH.com anywhere.

After the conclusion of World War II, H. Allen Larsen and his family came to Greenwich. They rented a home at 14 Mead Avenue owned by John Cullen Murphy. Larsen walked to the Cos Cob Station for the daily commute to New York City.

H. Allen Larsen of America's Greatest Generation recently died. We pause today to pay a special tribute to a true American hero. 

On the Wednesday, April 8, 2020 broadcast of the Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons Show, Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead featured a conversation with Larsen recorded in February, 2016. 

Host Jeffrey Bingham Mead and H. Allen Larsen met by coincidence in Beijing on September 3, 2015. He'll reminisce about his service in China with the Flying Tigers and comment about living in the Cos Cob area of Greenwich -an experience he and his family fondly remembered. 

Courtesy: Greenwich Historical Society.

We'll also mark the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. We portrayed Grace Gallatin Seton (see above). 

Greenwich, A Town For All Seasons airs on Radio 1490 WGCH Greenwich, Connecticut USA, FM 105.5 Stamford and WGCH.com anywhere via live audio streaming. The show is hosted by Jeffrey Bingham Mead, a direct descendant of the 17th century founders of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is the first show ever focused on the stories of Greenwich history as well as that of area communities. Tune-in every-other Wednesday morning after the top-of-the-hour 9:00 a.m. news.  

You can contact Jeffrey Bingham Mead, the host, at GreenwichATownForAllSeasons@gmail.com.

Corvid-19 Pandemic: This is Living History

This is an unprecedented period of hardship and loss for so many here. 

Longtime and newer Greenwich-area businesses are shutting their doors, community events have been canceled, and our leaders have been called to action as never before. 

We bear witness to remarkable instances of connection and creativity as we strive to emerge triumphant through this crisis. 

This is living history. Do your part to preserve it for future generations. Documenting that history provides wellsprings of hope and healing. 

Keep a journal, write poetry, pen a script, draw or paint, start a video or audio blog or take photographs and videos of community life and more. Keep records of how you, your family and business responded to the crisis.

The way that future generations respond to similar crises will be informed by what we all collect now.