Edward Ellsberg
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NO.        Date Written      LOCATION                     CONTENT
1             2/26/1942          San Juan, PR         The trip begins, navigation, food
2             2/27/1942          San Juan, PR         Pay, refueling, next leg
3             4/10/1942          New York, GPO     The trip, food, surly crew, Neptune initiation, port
4             3/10/1942          Pernambuco          Arrival at Pernambuco, Brazil
5             3/17-3/20/42       unknown               Voyage from Pernambuco to Africa;
6             3/21/1942           unknown               On to Cairo by plane
7             3/22/1942           unknown               Fascinating detailed description of the trip; a spy
8             3/23/1942           unknown               Description of the desert; arrival in Cairo
9             3/24-3/26/42       Washington           In Cairo; pay; meeting General Maxwell
10           3/29/1942           unknown               Travel plans; visiting the Pyramids
11           4/2/1942             unknown               Arrival in Asmara; Massawa; houseboy; salvage man's paradise
12           4/16/1942           Massawa              Salt tablets; temperature; Star sloops
13           4/19/1942           Massawa              Hurricane; temperature; workmen - various nationalities
14           4/30/1942           Massawa              The arrival of air conditioning!
15           5/4/1942             Massawa              Request clothes; navy yard being put into shape; new air conditioner
16           5/12/1942            Massawa             His new book; drydock operational; divers arrive
17           5/20/1942            Massawa             Miracle of Massawa; Gen. Maxwell's visit; book award
18           5/30/1942            Massawa             Long detailed letter of what is happening; promotion requested
19           6/2/1942              Massawa             Like #18 above; feelings of personal achievement
20           6/2/1942              Massawa             Brief update
21           6/8/1942              Massawa             Rest camp; drinking water; 163 degree heat; Navy no help w/base
22           6/13/1942            Massawa             Heat; new quarters; rift w/managers; importance of his health
23           6/24/1942            Massawa             Promotion; blood pressure; tug Intent; his room; taxes
24           6/27/1942            Massawa             Pay; heat; new insignia; lost glasses; bomb; raising Liebenfels
25           7/9/1942              Massawa             Prickly heat; great salvage description; frustration w/Washington & London
26           7/15/42                Massawa             Mail problems; pay; photos
27           7/16/42                Massawa             Money; view of Merchant Marine; goats; no fruit; problems with workers; weight
28           7/17/42                Massawa             Gets shortwave radio; view of British salvage capabilities; smoking; frustration
29           7/18/42                Massawa             Prickly heat; finances; local paper
30                                      Massawa            
31                                      Massawa            
32                                      Massawa            
33                                      Massawa            
34           8/2/42                   Asmara               Letters arrived; finances; supply ship sunk
35           8/3/42                   En route to Cairo  Reason why no house for EE; gift of dishes; heat in Khartoum; love
36           8/4/42                   Khartoum to Cairo Frustration: no more men to repair ships; repair delays; love
37           8/10/42                 Cairo                   Looking for help; success! the British will help; smoking; Massawa base unknown
38           8/10/42                 Cairo                   Leaving tomorrow; interview in paper
39           8/11/42                 Cairo to Asmara  Great description of scenery; taxes, pay, finances; reputation; Commodore                                                                                       Harwood; helping British with cruiser repairs 
40           8/13/42                Massawa             Salvage ship arrives; trouble with the civilian contractor
41           8/13/42                Massawa             Contractor tries to oust Ellsberg; inefficiency; disillusioned
42           8/14/42                Massawa             Longing for home; weather
43           8/15/42                Massawa             EE received his first V-mail; making curtains
44           8/16/42                Massawa             Shortwave radio program from US; EE needs a razor part
 44A        8/16/42               Massawa             Letter to pres. of Dodd, Mead about what he had done to date; interesting letter
45           8/23/42                Massawa             1st ship repaired in floating drydock; it was too large, but EE got it done; temperature
46           8/25/42                Massawa             BBC broadcast; inner satisfaction; reasons for success; frustration; Cunningham                                                                               beats a steel plate; British work ethic
47           8/26/42                Massawa             Mail delivery; censorship; publicity about drydock salvage
48           8/31/42                Massawa             Letters arrive; no package yet; Mary's birthday
49           9/2/42                  Massawa             Letters & pacakge arrive; EE gets percolator & thermometer
50           9/4/42                  Massawa             Salvage crew arrives; loss of divers; diver quits for more pay in the US which                                                                                    frustrates EE
51           9/7/42                  Massawa             Comparing mail services; EE gets press; 4 salvage jobs; frustration
52           9/15/42                Massawa             2nd dock up; EE hero in tragedy
53           9/20/42                In the air              Tragedy story again; watch is waterproof; on to Cairo for a conference; workmen                                                                              coming
54           9/23/42                Cairo & in the air  Conference successful; pay; description of the Red Sea; converting oil furnace to coal
55           9/27/42                Massawa             BBC tells world about EE's accomplishments; EE takes over  failed British salvage                                                                            job; Paradise propaganda
56           9/28/42                Massawa             Keel blocks crushed; another minor miracle; great description of the moonlit harbor;                                                                          storm
57           9/30/42                Massawa             Chit-chat; Times Herald photo; loss of Yorktown and a classmate; survived the heat
58           10/4/42                Massawa             Frauenfels salvaged; successful two weeks; feelings about JDP
59           10/6/42                Massawa             Another impossible task using pontoons; feelings about workmen
60           10/8/42                Massawa             Christmas cards & photo
61           10/12/42              Massawa             Feelings of pride for work at base; congratulatory letter from C-in-C
62           10/16/42              Massawa             Frustration: no promised men yet, American workmen & JDP; JDP appoints Brown to                                                                        EE's job!
63           10/18/42              Massawa              Very long letter! family chat; things he needs; value of a slide rule; gas vs. oil heat;                                                                          problems with JDP & frustration; food & water quality; evaporators
64           10/19/42              Massawa              Rehash; no sick days; photos sent; one more salvage ship coming
65           10/23/42              Massawa              Comparison to Steinbeck's "The Moon is Down;" most Italians there not fascist; Lucy's                                                           father not reelected; picture of EE used in a United Campaign ad
66           10/24/42              Massawa              Frustration over ship delay; worthless workers; loneliness & love
67           10/27/42              Massawa              Royalty reports; Army may be ready to whack JDP; job is like sitting on a volcano
68           10/30/42              Massawa              Made pontoons from gas tanks to raise a derrick; 1st salvaged ship ready to go! Lucy's                                                           health 
69           11/3/42                Massawa             Reasons for unhappiness; happy only with Lucy; completely undefeated by any                                                                                  obstacles;grim determination not to be licked
70           11/3/42                Massawa             Trouble with the pontoons; raising the derrick; wants to be relieved
71           11/4/42                Massawa             Progress with derrick; lost slide rule
72           11/5/42                Massawa             Rommel defeated;importance of drydock in war effort; sinking pontoon; elections &                                                                           voting
73           11/6/42                Massawa             Another ship floated; pontoon sunk on derrick
74           11/8/42                Massawa             Rout of Rommel; US lands in N. Africa; change in Italians; 1st set of pontoons down;                                                                         benefit of low blood pressure
75            11/9/42               Massawa             Royalties & taxes; Westfield War Chest poster; wartime car tires 
76           11/10/42              Massawa             Household chit-chat; workmen are coming; problems with JDP 
77            11/11/42             Massawa             Armistice Day; Germany & Japan should be smashed; weather; Rommel retreating;                                                                           salvage progress; needs a flag! 
78            11/13/42             Massawa             British mechanics arrive; Tobruk falls; importance of Tobruk; mines removed from                                                                           Brenta
79           11/15/1942         Massawa              4th pontoon sunk on derrick; will they be able to lift the derrick?; bells ringing in                                                                               England for the victory in Egypt
80            11/17/42             Massawa             Arrival of letters; derrick ready to be raised
81            11/20/42             Massawa             Raising of the derrick 
82            11/21/42             Massawa             Birthday; "I've had enough;"  wants to go somewhere else to help war effort; feels he's                                                                     completed his mission; talks about achievements; heating oil at home
83            11/23/42             Massawa             Supplies from home arrive; needs watch strap pins
84           11/24/42              Massawa             Orders to North Africa; glad to leave! Last letter.
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  • Biography
  • Annapolis Days
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  • Obituary
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