ROY J. KROGH, LT, USN

Roy Krogh '36

Date of birth: April 22, 1914

Date of death: November 26, 1942

Age: 28

Lucky Bag

From the 1936 Lucky Bag:

Roy John Krogh

Duluth, Minnesota

"Kroghie"

Some do and some don't—Kroghie did—and has never slowed up. Drawn by the adventure and conquest offered by the sea, he set his pace with the leaders. He reveled in the fight for class standing; but discarded all, when athletics and fun called. Never showed a scale; but, by the end of youngster year, he knew his way through Crabtown better than the town-crier. Master of that renowned indoor sport of Acey-Ducey. By looking at him, you can see that he knows "F-ma" but who can tell whether he thinks of "F" as in "force" or "fun" or both. Kroghie has never been known to refuse a lovely lady. He is a a great lover of batting the ball around; always contented to draw up a chair, light a skag, and add a power factor to any bull-fest.

Basketball 3, 2, 1. N; Baseball 3, 2, 1; N Club; Reef Points; Stars 3, 2, 1; Four Stripes

Roy John Krogh

Duluth, Minnesota

"Kroghie"

Some do and some don't—Kroghie did—and has never slowed up. Drawn by the adventure and conquest offered by the sea, he set his pace with the leaders. He reveled in the fight for class standing; but discarded all, when athletics and fun called. Never showed a scale; but, by the end of youngster year, he knew his way through Crabtown better than the town-crier. Master of that renowned indoor sport of Acey-Ducey. By looking at him, you can see that he knows "F-ma" but who can tell whether he thinks of "F" as in "force" or "fun" or both. Kroghie has never been known to refuse a lovely lady. He is a a great lover of batting the ball around; always contented to draw up a chair, light a skag, and add a power factor to any bull-fest.

Basketball 3, 2, 1. N; Baseball 3, 2, 1; N Club; Reef Points; Stars 3, 2, 1; Four Stripes

Loss

Roy was lost on November 26, 1942 when he was struck by a propeller while exiting from his crashed aircraft in Western Australia.

Other Information

From Oz At War:

On 26 November 1942, US Navy PBY-5A Catalina, 4-P-101, BUNO #2407 from VP-101 made an extremely rough take-off from Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia and because of loss of oil pressure and high oil temperature on the port engine, it returned to Exmouth Gulf. A normal full stall landing was made, but near the end of the landing run, the aircraft hit a large wave, causing it to bounce into the air and on the subsequent landing large quantities of water entered the aircraft through the bombing window position in the bow. The aircraft sank in three fathoms of water in the surf just offshore shortly thereafter.
Damage: Plane completely submerged in salt water for nine days. Port wing tip float and port wing three feet from wing splice sheared off. Major overhaul recommended.
All of the crew made it out safely except for the pilot, Lt. Roy John Krogh, who was found in the water dead, having been struck by the still rotating propeller while exiting.
The War Diary of the Commander Fleet Air Wing Ten for 26 November 1942 says:
"#6 Catalina, pilot Lieutenant Roy J. Krogh, U.S. Navy, crash-landed alongside U.S.S. William B. Preston. Bombing window smashed flooding plane which sank. Lieutenant Krogh died as a result of head wounds and drowning. No other injuries to personnel."
Lt Krogh's body was flown to Perth on 27 November 1942 by Catalina #9. USS Heron carried out salvage operations on #6 Catalina during 3 - 4 December 1942.

Roy was a member of Patrol Squadron (VP) 101.

From researcher Kathy Franz:

In 1930 he was working as a delivery man for a general store. His father Bernhard was a machinist in a steel mill, mother Anna, sisters Margaret and Bernice were stenographers, and brothers were Arnold and Lloyd. His parents were born in Norway.

His wife was listed as next of kin.

Roy is buried in Wisconsin.

Photographs

Lt. Roy John Krogh at home in Chicago just after his son Bob was born, about 1 month after Pearl Harbor attack.

Remembrance

Roy was remembered by classmate Porter Bedell in the July, 1946 issue of Shipmate:

I knew Roy quite well, as we were in the same squadron for almost a year. I considered him about as good as they come, both professionally and personally. In those days we were all a little jittery, but I never once saw Roy lose his temper or get excited, nor did I ever hear anything but complimentary remarks connected with his name from the officers and also from the enlisted men. And that's pretty good! He was buried in the military cemetery in Perth, Western Australia.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

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.