USS Gilmore (DE-18)

USS "Gilmore" (DE-18) was an "Evarts"-class short-hull
destroyer escort in the service of the United States Navy, named after Commander Walter William Gilmore, Supply Corp, killed 8 May 1942 while serving as the supply officer of the USS "Lexington" (CV-2) in the Battle of Coral Sea.

Originally launched as HMS "Halder"(BDE-18) on October 22, 1942 by Mare Island Ship Yard, California. She was reallocated back to the United States Navy and renamed USS "Gilmore" on 19 February 1943 and commissioned on 17 April 1943, with Lt. Cmdr. S. C. Small in command.

"Gilmore" conducted her initial training in San Diego, California. After this initial training period she escorted troopships from San Francisco, California to Pearl Harbor from 28 June to 8 July, 1943. Her next mission would be escorting the submarine tender USS "Beaver" (AS-5) to Attu Island on 20 September from San Francisco. Sailing as part of the 14 Destroyer Escort Division Pacific, she then served as the escort ship for the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey ship "Surveyor" from 18 October to 29 October. For the next three months, "Gilmore" would serve as an escort between various Alaskan ports, until 20 January, 1944. She then participated in air-sea rescue operations off the coast of Attu Island for the 4th Fleet Air Wing until 1 February.

Three days later, "Gilmore" left Attu for Adak escorting merchant ships, and then escorted USS "Tippecanoe" (AO-21) and SS "Henry Failing" to the Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard in Bremerton, Washington, arriving on 20 April.

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