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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive
Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Banner (AGER-1)
ex
 USS Banner (AKL-25) (1952 - 1967)
 USNS T-AKL-25 (1950 - 1952)
 US Army Small Freighter Capt. William M. Galt (FS-345) (1944 - 1950)


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Sierra - Sierra - Zulu
NSSZ
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Korea)
Bottom Row - Korean Service Medal - United Nations Service Medal - Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)
Camano Class Light Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down in 1944 for the US Army as Captain William Galt (FS-345) at Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Corp., Kewaunee, WI.
  • Acquired by the US Navy, 1 July 1950 and placed in service by the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) as USNS T-AKL-25
  • Named Banner, 5 September 1952
  • Commissioned USS Banner (AKL-25), 24 November 1952, at Pearl Harbor, LT. Horace W. Atkisson in command
  • Converted to a Environmental Research Ship at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, August through October 1965
  • Redesignated (AGER-1), 1 June 1967
  • Decommissioned at Yokosuka, 14 November 1969
  • Struck from the Naval Register, 14 November 1969
  • Final Disposition, sold, 5 June 1970, for scrapping to Mitsui & Co., Tadotsu, Japan
    Specifications:
    Displacement 550 t.
    Length 177'
    Beam 33'
    Draft 10'
    Speed 12 kts.
    Complement (AKL) 42, (AGER) 83
    Armament
    (AGER) - four .50 cal machine guns two twin 20mm gun mounts
    Propulsion two 500hp GM Cleveland Division 6-278A 6-cyl V6 Diesel engines, twin screws
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    USNS T-AKL-25
    Banner 29k USNS T- AKL-25 in New York Harbor
    Note: "Astern of USNS AKL-25, can be seen a 'Brooklyn' ferry. This ferry is either the Tides, or the Narrows - there were two. They were built by Electric Boat Corp., and were diesel electric. They were painted olive drab, with white lettering. Sometimes the words: 'Brooklyn Ferry' was replaced by 'Electric Ferries'. These two ferries replaced the old 'Walking Beam' steam - side wheelers that ran the route to Staten Island from Brooklyn."
    Thanks to Carl R Friberg Jr.     		William Zarkas, Retired MSC Boatswain
    President, MSC Retiree Association
    USS Banner (AKL-25)
    Banner 77k USS Banner (AKL-25) underway, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1952    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.K
    Banner 53k USS Banner (AKL-25) at anchor in Hong Kong harbor, BCC, date unknown.
    US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, March 1960    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.K
    USS Banner (AGER-1)
    Banner 29k USS Banner (AGER-1) underway, date and location unknown. Dennis Clouse
    Additional Ships Patches
    Banner
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski    		 Banner
    Contributed by Mike Smolinski
    USS Banner (AKL-25 / AGER-1)
    DANFS history entry located at the US Naval History and Heritage Command
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Atkisson, Horace Wallace24 November 1952 - ? AKL-25
    02LT. Wells, Clarence V.July 1954 - ? AKL-25
    03LT. Lowry, George ClarkJuly 1960 - ? AKL-25
    04CDR. Clark, Charles R.September 1965 - ? AGER-1
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Fleet Reserve Association
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    US Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association
    Back To The Main Photo Index Back To The Service Ship Photo Index Back To The Light Cargo Ship (AKL) Photo Index Back To The Environmental Research Ship (AGER) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 27 November 2010