Pelham Bay Naval Training Station

Pelham Bay Naval Training Station was a WWI era US Navy training facility located in Pelham Bay Park's Rodman's Neck in the Bronx. Located near City Island, and Westchester county, it was operational from 1917 to 1919.

History
Prior to the creation of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station, a national guard base was set up in the heart of Pelham Bay Park. The 280 acre site was designed by the architectural firm of Ewing & Allen and included a ninety acre hospital.

The camp also featured entertainment facilities provided by the Knights of Columbus, the Y.M.C.A., and other organizations including the American Red Cross and the American Library Association.

Curriculum
The camp offered a number of sequential training courses, with mastery of a given course being required to advance to the next one.


 * First: Innoculation period of 21 days in the Isolation Camp (also known as the "Probation Camp"). During this time, the trainee also learned about naval regulations and some basic seamanship topics.
 * Second: Month long seamanship course.
 * Third: If qualified - Three weeks of either Petty Officer's School, Radio school, Quartermaster School, Gunnery School, or Boatswain Mate schools.
 * Fourth: If qualified - Two months of Officers' Material School or the Naval Auxiliary School.

Influenza pandemic of 1918
The camp suffered from the Influenza pandemic of 1918 from late September 21 through late October 21, 1918, and again in December 1918. There were 2,399 cases of influenza, with a total of 145 deaths.

Commandants

 * Commander William B. Franklin until February 25, 1919
 * Captain Julian Lane Latimer, captain of USS Rhode Island, assumed command of the Pelham Bay Naval Training Station New York, February 25, 1919 - later Judge Advocate General of the Navy 1921 - 1925

Librarians
A number of Queens Borough Public Library staff members took a leave of absence, and were placed at the Naval station via the efforts of the American Library Association. The station's library staff included:
 * Blanche Galloway - Librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Librarian.
 * Wilhelmina Harper - Assistant librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Jamaica Branch Children's librarian.
 * Amy E. Doncourt - Hospital librarian. Queens Borough Public Library Flushing Branch assistant librarian.

Other personnel

 * Richard W. Dorgan - served at the naval station.
 * James F. Duffy - served at the naval station.
 * Humphrey Bogart - The actor was one of the trainees.
 * Edward G. Robinson - The actor was one of the trainees.