MORRIS D. GILMORE, JR., LTJG, USN
Morris Gilmore, Jr. '39
Lucky Bag
From the 1939 Lucky Bag:
MORRIS DAVIES GILMORE, JR.
Annapolis, Maryland
Chick
Chick has known his way around in the Navy since he was a little shaver, having been born with Navy in his blood. He goes about a job in a way that shows determination and something of the spirit of Farragut and his "Damn the torpedoes———." Chick shows a preference for "Crabs," but stags as often as he drags, {[a redeeming feature]}. The radiator is too uncomfortable, so Chick can usually be found near a lacrosse stick, his favorite sports companion. He is quiet and cheerful, traits especially appreciated in that black five minutes after reveille. The happy faculty of separating his work from his play makes him a good roommate. Combine with this a sense of humor and orderliness and there is the material for a successful officer.
Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1, N.A.; Log 3, 2; Class Supper Committee; Hop Committee 1; Press Detail 1; M.P.O.
MORRIS DAVIES GILMORE, JR.
Annapolis, Maryland
Chick
Chick has known his way around in the Navy since he was a little shaver, having been born with Navy in his blood. He goes about a job in a way that shows determination and something of the spirit of Farragut and his "Damn the torpedoes———." Chick shows a preference for "Crabs," but stags as often as he drags, {[a redeeming feature]}. The radiator is too uncomfortable, so Chick can usually be found near a lacrosse stick, his favorite sports companion. He is quiet and cheerful, traits especially appreciated in that black five minutes after reveille. The happy faculty of separating his work from his play makes him a good roommate. Combine with this a sense of humor and orderliness and there is the material for a successful officer.
Lacrosse 4, 3, 2, 1, N.A.; Log 3, 2; Class Supper Committee; Hop Committee 1; Press Detail 1; M.P.O.
Loss
Morris was lost when USS Edsall (DD 219) was sunk on on March 1, 1942 by Japanese surface and air forces. He was the ship's communications officer.
Other Information
From Find A Grave:
Morris Davies Gilmore Jr., was the eldest child of Morris Davies Gilmore Sr and Mary "Molly" Isemann who married 26 Nov 1912 in Annapolis, Anne Arundel, MD. Morris Jr's siblings were Alia Elizabeth, Barbara Ann and Mary Margaret Gilmore. Morris Jr., took a civil service exam to determine his qualification for appointment to the Naval Academy. He ranked 11th in the examination that was taken by 250 men in the United States.
Chick, as he was known at the Naval Academy, received an at-large appointment to the US Naval Academy from President Roosevelt on 23 May 1935 and entered the Naval Academy on 14 Jun 1935. While at the Academy he was a stand-out Lacrosse player.
…
Chick received his diploma; executed the oath of office and accepted appointment as an Ensign of the Line on 01 Jun 1939. Ensign Gilmore finished his four years at Annapolis standing #274/526 midshipmen who were commissioned. The class that received Bachelor of Science degrees numbered 581, but 55 were physically disqualified for a commission. They were honorably discharged upon graduation. Two others did not graduate.
After several weeks of leave, Ensign Gilmore reported on board the battleship USS Maryland (BB-46) on 23 Jun 1939. Early in the spring of 1941, Ens. Gilmore detached from Maryland and transferred to the Asiatic-Fleet in Covite, Philippines for duty on board the old four-stack destroyer, USS Edsall (DD-219). He reported for duty on 13 Jun 1941. He was assigned primary duties as the ship's asst Engineering Officer.
His parents were listed as next of kin. His father, LCDR Morris Davies Gilmore, '11, was a recipient of the Navy Cross, the Mexican Service Medal, the Navy Expeditionary Medal, and the Victory Medal. Morris was also survived by a sister, Alia Elisabeth Gilmore, who served in the WAVES during the war. His uncle, CDR Walter William Gilmore, serving as supply officer at the time, was killed in action on USS Lexington.
From researcher Kathy Franz:
Morris’ grandparents John W. and Mary were born on farms, and he became a school teacher. All their children went to college. Morris Sr. ('11) and Howard Walter ('26) went to the Naval Academy. Morris Sr. retired and was connected with the Athletic Association at the Naval Academy from 1931 to 1948. Brothers Arthur, Charles, Ralph, Lehman and Dale went to Lehigh University; Irvin went to Jefferson Medical College; and daughter Alie graduated from Albright College.
Photographs
From the Lucky Bag
The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.
The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.
The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.
Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.
October 1939
June 1940
April 1941
Memorial Hall Error
All references to Morris list him as a Jr., except on the Class of 1939 plaque in Memorial Hall. (Killed in action scroll in front of Memorial Hall is correct.)
The "category" links below lead to lists of related Honorees; use them to explore further the service and sacrifice of alumni in Memorial Hall.
