Harry E. Gaulke

Harry Erich Gaulke was born on January 16, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Ernst and Emma (Fehrman) Gaulke. Before entering the service Harry Gaulke was a student at Bellport High School. Previous to that he attended the schoolhouse at Yaphank for two years.  He graduated his senior year and enlisted in the Navy in October 1944. At the time of his enlistment Gaulke was living at Yaphank, New York Gaulke was sent to the Sampson Naval Training School in Detroit, Michigan. On or about December 20, 1945 he was transferred for ship duty on board the USS Warrington, DD843. Gaulke was discharged from the service on January 29, 1947 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Alyssa Wunsch
Longwood JHS
June, 2005

The Warrington (DD-843) was laid down on 14 May 1945 at Bath, Maine, by the Bath Iron Works Corp.; launched on 27 September 1945, and commissioned at the Boston Naval Shipyard on 20 December 1945, Comdr. Don W. Wulzen in command.

Warrington conducted shakedown training and winter exercises in the West Indies during February and early March and then returned to Boston for duty in Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 82, Destroyer Squadron (DesRon) 8. During the next year, the destroyer cruised almost the length of the eastern seaboard plane guarding for carriers such as RanDer (CV-4). Late in the spring of 1946, she joined Little Rock (CL-91) in an extended cruise to Europe and visited ports in England, Scotland, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, and the Netherlands before entering the Mediterranean for her first tour of duty with the 6th Fleet. That assignment ended on 8 February 1947 when she passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on her way back home. Warrington arrived at New York on 19 February and entered the naval shipyard there for voyage repairs.