The USS President Coolidge sank at the Espiritu Santo harbor one month prior to the 25th Evacuation Hospital arrival at the same location.  

The USS Coolidge had left California full of troops and equipment in Oct42.   The Coolidge stopped at New Caledonia, then departed 20Oct42  (same day the 25th E.H. left California)  for a planned short stop at Espiritu Santo New Hebrides before they would travel on to war at Guadalcanal. They zigzagged and were on alert the entire trip, hopeful to avoid Japanese radar, submarines, bombers, and fighter planes.

Upon arrival at Santo 26Oct42, the Coolidge struck friendly mines at the edge of the new forward Navy base bay frontage.  It sunk in under 80 minutes, with all of the equipment for the Guadalcanal battle and for the Navy Base on Santo. The story of the USS Coolidge is nicely told in the warfarehistorynetwork.com  “The sinking of SS President Coolidge” by Patrick J Chaisson August 2022:  Among the ample coverage of the event the article notes “for months the US Army suppressed all press coverage of the SS President Coolidge last journey”…….“when the word of its passing finally reached the public in Dec 1942, Americans reacted with shock and anger….”.] 

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One month after the sinking,  the 25th E.H. followed the same general path as the Coolidge, and arrived at the same Espiritu Santo Luganville Bay on 29Nov42.   There was a strong need for the hospital due to the raging battle at Guadalcanal which is why they were at the Navy base at an early stage of the offensive.    They arrived with only basic gear which they had with them on the USS Boschfontein – tents, cots, mosquito  netting, medical materials.  There had been no materials delivered on site for constructing their hospital.  The lack of essentially all building materials and supplies has been well recognized. Building materials had to be “procured by various possible means” (HEH journal).  During Dec42 and Jan43 the 25th E.H. medical staff initially cut jungle wood and coconut trees to frame and support tents for housing, wards, and furniture.   The hospital set up was very difficult due to lack of materials and lack of high command. The hospital’s doctor staff assumed much of the initial construction duty (HEH journal, “First 3 Months of 25th Evacuation Hospital” and many others). 

The reason for lack of supplies is not now known. The initial and persistent circulating theory for the absence of materials for the hospital was that it was due to Japanese bombings and submarines. There is apparent lacking mention of a specific ship of materials destined to be on site or being bombed or torpedoed. It is noted that this story was promoted at the same time the U.S command created false scenarios and suppressed news of the cause and manner of the loss of the USS Coolidge.  It appears this was for strategic reasons, as well as to suppress an embarrassing mistake. 

Travel was certainly hazardous especially initially, and submarines were a potential hazard. Japanese bombing raids such as those described in HEH journal at New Hebrides were typical isolated full moon nighttime targeted land based sites.   

There is consideration that materials for the 25th may have sunk with the USS Coolidge along with much equipment and supplies for the base and Guadalcanal campaign.   Security and defenses improved, threats reduced, and there were still sparce materials sent until those which arrived from New Zealand and Australia (see photos in HEH 25th E.H. Album)

Here’s a  question in this regards: Were the building supplies initially planned to come late from NZ and Australia or were they destroyed somewhere unknown, or were they on the USS Coolidge?

Henry avoided specifics or descriptions (probably prohibited) and called this event the “COOLEDGE INCIDENT”  in his journal as he spoke in Jan43 to New Zealanders who were involved in the Coolidge disruption, and who traveled back to Santo on the Boschfontein  with Henry and the 25th.   The HEH 25th Journal describes comments from them: “1-21-43” “we will be a long time in winning this war if the American command doesn’t get organized” Henry responded “Boy that’s true…..”   The New Zealanders settled into the early E.S. Navy Base close to the 25th.   Early on, fusion of various allied elements took place at Santo, apparently augmented by the Coolidge sinking and marked reduction of equipment for everyone:  (Ben Major’s WW2 U.S. Medical Research Centre, med-dept.com, describes: “25th Evac Hosp. 19Oct42 New Zealand – Nov42 Esp Santo constituted with elements of 23rd Evac Hosp”.). [The 25th E.H. staff appear at times to have made use of the New Zealand Royal Airforce officers quarters as evidenced in HEH commentary.] 

By Raymond M Hamilton 30Nov2024