Charles Foster Tillinghast Jr.

Charles Foster Tillinghast Jr. (November 11, 1913 – July 22, 1995)[1][2] was a yachtsman and naval officer. He was the son of Charles Foster Tillinghast Sr. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island and was the scion of a prominent family in Rhode Island history which traces its history to the early days of the colony.

For persons of a similar name, see Charles Tillinghast (disambiguation).

He was the 1936 winner of the Blue Water Medal for "the finest feat of seamanship accomplished by an amateur yachtsman".[3][4]

On June 8, 1935 the yacht Hamrah left Newport, Rhode Island heading for Bergen, Norway in a transatlantic crossing race. On board was a crew of six including Robert R. Ames (1883–1935) as the owner and yacht master; and his son Richard Ames (1912–1935).[5] Tillinghast attempted to save the three members of the crew that fell overboard in the North Atlantic.[4][6]

Tillinghast joined the Naval Reserve on June 18, 1936 and served active duty during World War II. He survived the sinking of the cruiser USS Vincennes in the Battle of Savo Island in 1942. He was promoted to lieutenant commander on July 1, 1943. He was the first commanding officer of the destroyer escort USS Weeden when she was commissioned on February 19, 1944 and commanded her in the latter stages of the war. The Weeden saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and participated in the Liberation of the Philippines. Tillinghast relinquished command of the Weeden on December 18, 1945.

Awards

References
  1. Obituary, Asheville Citizen-Times
  2. Social Security Death Index: Charles F. Tillinghast
  3. "The Blue Water Medal Awards 1923-2004". Cruising Club of America. Archived from the original on 2010-10-24. Retrieved 2010-11-04. For his seamanship in the effort to save three members of the crew of the Hamrah who were overboard in the North Atlantic, and in bringing the disabled and short-handed ketch safely into Sydney, N.S.
  4. Rendel, John (January 24, 1936). "Tillinghast Gets Yachting Award; Brought Disabled Ketch Into Port; Blue Water Medal of Cruising Club Presented to Acting Skipper of Hamrah, Who With Two Aides Survived Pounding Seas After Three Were Lost". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-11-04. When Charles F. Tillinghast Jr. of Providence brought the crippled ketch Hamrah safely into port with two young companions over 900 miles of storm-torn ocean last June after three of her company had drowned, he had performed the finest feat of seamanship accomplished by an amateur yachtsman during 1935.
  5. Critchell Rimington, ed. (1947). The sea chest: a yachtsman's reader. W.W. Norton. On one 8th of June the yacht Hamrah left Newport, RI, bound for Bergen, Norway, in a transatlantic race. She carried a crew of six — Robert Ames, 52, owner and master; Richard Ames, 23, ...
  6. "Tillinghast Describes Tragedy". The New York Times. July 2, 1935. Retrieved 2010-11-04. The following story of the drowning of Robert R. Ames and his sons was told to The Boston Herald over the telephone from Sydney, N.S.W, tonight by Charles F. Tillinghast Jr., who was at the helm when Mr. Ames was washed overboard and who manoeuvred the boat in the attempt to save the father and the sons who had gone to his rescue:
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