Updated 20 February 2020
His PARENTS: His father, Charles Franklin "Frank" Simmons, the fifth child of William M.A. Simmons and Mary Permelia [Bowden] Simmons, was born 29 October 1884 in Sutter, California. He grew up in Butte County California. At age 15, Frank lived in the Chico home of his grandmother, Mary M Bowden (age 63), and with his sister, Jennie Simmons, age 16. Frank became a well known resident of Chico and at age 18, was elected a member of Western Hose Company in Chico. Frank married Ida Allwardt, of Chico on 17 Oct 1908 in San Jose. Bob's mother, Ida Caroline Allwardt, was born 9 December 1885 in Muscatine, Iowa. She was the third child, of seven, born to William and Lizzie (Sander) Allwardt. In 1890, Ida and her family of seven (her two youngest brothers hadn't been born yet) moved to California, settling in the town of Fort Bragg on the north coast of California. In 1899, when Ida was 14 years old, her family moved east from Fort Bragg, to Chico in the Sacramento Valley. Her father then secured a position on the Bidwell ranch. He soon became gardener about the Bidwell Mansion grounds in Chico. Ida continued her education in the Chico pubic schools and attended the old Chico Normal School (became California State University at Chico). Ida was 22 years old in Oct 1908 when she married Frank Simmons.
BOB's BIOGRAPHY:
Robert William "Bob" Simmons was born Aug 11, 1909 in Chico, the first of three children born to Charles Frank Simmons and Ida Caroline (Allwardt) Simmons.
The 1910 Census (11May1910) reflects the family home address at 310 Oak Street is "owned" with a "mortgage" and list Robert's father, CF Simmons' profession as Bottler and establishment, as Soda Works.
Robert was 13 months old when his younger brother, Wilton Lawrence "Bud", was born in Chico on 3 September 1910. Bob was 3 years old when his sister, Frances Elizabeth was born in Chico on 14 November 1912. Unfortunately, Baby Frances was in poor health. The family moved in April 1913 to Oakland, CA to see medical care. Bob's baby sister, Frances, died in Oakland on 20 April 1913. She was buried shortly thereafter in Chico Cemetery in the Allwardt family plot.
Following Frances' death, the Simmons family moved to San Francisco, where they lived at 42 Lloyd Street in San Francisco. Still a nice diverse neighborhood. Lloyd Street is a narrow, steep, one-way up hill street off of Divisadero Street, near Alamo Square. The town house is still there (as of 2018).
On 22 May 1915, Bob was a few months short of his sixth birthday, and may have seen volcanic ash floating down from the explosive eruption at Lassen Peak; 193 miles northeast of San Francisco as the crow flies. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. The eruption devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a 1914-17 series of eruptions that were the most recent to occur in the Cascades prior to the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
After 3 ½ years in San Francisco, the Simmons family moved north approx. 140 miles up U.S. Hwy 101 to the small town of Ukiah in early 1917. Ukiah is on the east side of the Coast Range, opposite Fort Bragg which is on the west side of the Coast Range and on the Pacific Ocean. The family settled in a home on Clara Ave. Frank Simmons, became the proprietor of the Ukiah ice works, the Grace Bros Ice and Brewing Company.
On 24 September 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the city's first known case of Spanish influenza. On 18 October, San Francisco announced all amusement and public gathering places and schools were shut down. In October 1918 alone, 1076 deaths in San Francisco were reported due to flu complicated with pneumonia. On 1 November, San Francisco mandated all people appearing on the public streets, in any public place must wear a mask or covering, except when partaking of meals, over the nose and mouth.
Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming at least 30 million lives, including a half-million Americans. It was approximately the 2-week period of 21 September - 5 October 1918 that the flu epidemic had swept over the entirety of the state of California, with the exception of the extreme northeast corner of California - it came later.
[Reference book, America's Forgotten Pandemic - The Influenza of 1918, by Alfred W. Crosby]
Bob's father, Frank Simmons, contracted the Spanish flu while on a business trip to San Francisco in mid-November 1918. He died a week later at his home in Ukiah on Tuesday, 19 November 1918, at 11 am. Bob, his brother and mother were not able to attend the funeral in Chico on 23 November owing to his mother and one of the boys, Bob or Bud, also being confined with the Spanish Flu.
Mrs Simmons and her two sons moved back to Chico; initially into her parents home on Maple Ave. The 1920 US Federal Census reflects Mrs Ida C. Simmons, a widow, along with her two sons, is living with William J. Allwardt and Lizzie A. Allwardt in the Allwardt home at 1920 Maple Ave in Chico. In time Mrs Simmons and her sons would move back into the house at 310 Oak Street.
Bob attended Chico High School. The 1925 Chico High School Yearbook – Caduceus (pg 126) includes an entry for Robert Simmons among the Roll Call, 2-A Boys. In the 1927 Caduceus, Bob is in the front row, far left, in the picture of the Editorial and Business Staffs on pg 49. As stated, Bob contributed to the preparation and publication of his school's year book as the Assistant Business Manager during First Semester and the Business Manager during Second Semester.
The annual Chico City Directories for the years 1934, 1937 and 1939 reflect the following for the two Simmons brothers:
1934, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1934, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 1090 East 8th Street, Chico, Oroville; Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 514 Ivy Street, Chico, Oroville, Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
Robert and Marion divorced in the late 1930s.
Robert W. Simmons at age 31 registered for the draft on 16 October 1940. His registration reflects that he listed his Wt: 155 lbs, Ht 5'11", Eyes: blue, hair: brown, Complexion: light; Employer: Paul B. Blake, and Residence: Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
(Ref: Ancestry.com World War II Draft Registration Cards Young Men, 1940-1947)
In April 1941, Robert's address was 959 Waverly Way, Palo Alto, CA.
In 1942, Robert's address was Apt 31, 795 Pine St in San Francisco.
Robert enlisted in the Navy at age 32, on 28 January 1942, less than seven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He then served in the U.S. Navy as an enlisted seaman with the occupation rating of Yeoman for the duration of WWII. Much of his initial time in the Navy was spent at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Later in the war, he went to sea, serving in the Pacific aboard USS Winged Arrow (AR170). USS Winged Arrow was a La Salle class transport with a crew of 276 and displacement of almost 14,000 tons and was designed to ferry troops and supplies to and from the Pacific Theater of War. The ship was built by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland CA, and was commissioned 21 April 1944.
Every member of the crew had a designated battle station which they were to man when the ship came under attack. Most likely Bob's was as a member of the 3-5 man crew of one of the seventeen crew-served weapons intended to engage enemy aircraft threatening the ship. The armament of Winged Arrow was a 5" gun, four .50 caliber heavy machine guns and twelve 20mm anti-aircraft guns.
In May & June 1944, Winged Arrow transported Soldiers of the Army's 27th Infantry Division to the island of Saipan. Then transported Marines of the 2nd & 8th Marine Regiments, 2nd Marine Division to Tinian. Winged Arrow's next mission was to transport 458 Japanese prisoners of war to Hawaii. Winged arrow then sailed east arriving at San Diego in mid-September where she picked up a Marine Corps aviation group and transported them the Marshall Islands with a few stops in route, arriving Roi islet at Kwajalein Atoll of in mid-October. Winged Arrow embarked more passengers there and got underway again on 22 October, bound ultimately for Hollandia on the northern coast of New Guinea. After a stop at Majuro in the Marshall Islands, she continued south toward the Equator and on to another interim stop at Manus in the Admiralty Islands (south of the Equator).
It was on 2 November 1944 that USS Winged Arrow arrived at Latitude 00000 (the Equator) and Longitude 153degrees26minutes East (approx. 300 miles due north of the eastern-most shore of the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Sea; or 600 miles northeast of Papua New Guinea). This was the first crossing of the Equator for Bob and likely several other members of the crew. As such, Bob was formally recognized in accordance with U.S. Navy tradition with a 15"x20"certificate, which reads:
IMPERIVM NEPTUNI REGIS
TO ALL SAILORS WHEREVER YE MAY BE: and to all Mermaids, Whales, Sea Serpents, Porpoises, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Skates, Suckers, Crabs, Lobsters and all other Living Things of the Sea
GREETING: Know ye That on this Second day of November 1944, in the Latitude 00000 and Longitude 153 degress26minutes East there appeared within Our Royal Domain the U.S.S. Winged Arrow bound South for the Equator and for A Mission Of War.
BE IT REMEMBERED
That the said Vessel and Officers and Crew thereof have been inspected and passed on by Ourself and Our Royal Staff. And Be It Known: By all ye Sailors, Marines, Land Lubbers and others who may be honored by his presence that
Robert W. Simmons, Yeoman 1st Class,
having been found worthy to be numbered as one of our Trusty Shellbacks he has been duly initiated into the
SOLEMN MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP
Be It Further Understood: That by virtue of the power invested in me [Neptune] I do hereby command all my subjects to show due honor and respect to him wherever he may be"
Disobey this order under penalty of Our Royal Displeasure
Given under our hand and seal this November 2nd 1944
F.A. Chadwell
Davey Jones
His Majesty's Scribe
W.H. Rigney
Neptunus Rex
Ruler of the Raging Main
Affixed at the lower right on the certificate is a 1 ¾" gold seal which reads arching across the top half: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, and across the bottom: USS WINGED ARROW
Winged Arrow having crossed the Equator and made a stop at Manus, arrived at Hollandia on 21 November. At the New Guinea base, the ship began preparations for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines. Early in January 1945, Winged Arrow embarked Soldiers of the Army's I Corps, 158th Regimental Combat Team, and sailed for Lingayen Gulf on the northwestern coast of Luzon as a part Task Group 77.9 arriving off Lingayen on 11 January, two days after the initial assault. Her troops eventually landed near Mabilao about 15 miles east of the town of Lingayen itself and moved up to support other I Corps troops already engaged with the Japanese. During her stay at Lingayen Gulf, Winged Arrow was straddled by bombs and near-misses by a kamikaze who crashed close aboard her bow, but she performed her part in the operation without suffering casualties or damage.
Winged Arrow departed Lingayen in mid-January joining a convoy of fast transports in route to Leyte Gulf. En route, the convoy suffered another kamikaze attack. The Japanese plane crashed into one of the transports, but Winged Arrow again escaped damage. After about a week at Leyte, the transport carried more reinforcements to Luzon, landing them just north of Subic Bay at La Paz, and then returned to Leyte. Continuing her voyage, she stopped at recently invaded Iwo Jima where she embarked units of the 5th Marine Division for transportation to Hawaii. After disembarking the Marines at Hilo she resumed her voyage to the west coast of the United States and entered San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1945.Winged Arrow spent almost a month undergoing repairs at San Francisco.
Winged Arrow departed San Francisco 16 May and went to Seattle where she embarked Army replacement troops for the Okinawa campaign; arriving in the Ryukyus in June. She remained at Okinawa until 8 July when she headed back to Pearl Harbor with 1,056 Japanese POWs embarked; reaching Oahu on 22 July. After unloading the prisoners of war, she took on a mixed group of passengers, which included members of the armed forces and civilians, for transportation back to the United States. The transport stood out of Pearl Harbor on 24 July and arrived in San Francisco six days later.
The ship underwent a round of voyage repairs at San Francisco before returning to sea on 11 August. En route to the western Pacific, she received word of the Japanese capitulation on 14 August. She made brief calls at Eniwetok and Ulithi before arriving at her destination, Leyte, on the day of the actual surrender ceremony, 2 September 1945. Arrow departed the Philippines in early September with 1,500 returning Americans embarked and arrived in San Francisco once again prior to returning to the Far East. She arrived at Saipan in the Marianas in mid-October and picked up more returning troops there and at Guam and Tinian before getting underway on the 27th to transport them back to the United States. The ship entered San Francisco once again on 10 November but departed again for the Orient two weeks later. This time, her destination was Jinsen, Korea, where she arrived on 13 December and disembarked occupation troops before heading back to the United States on the 15th. She arrived in Seattle early in January 1946. It's here that Bob's service as a member of the crew of Winged Arrow and service in the US Navy likely came to an end.
Winged Arrow earned four battle stars during World War II.
By war's end Robert Simmons had achieved the rank of Chief Yeoman. His decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Asia – Pacific Campaign Medal with at least three stars, but more likely four (one for each campaign Winged Arrow participated in while Bob was aboard), and WW II Victory Medal. Bob was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy on 4 January 1946.
NATIONAL WWII MEMORIAL [On-line] REGISTRY. Find an entry for Robert William Simmons of Chico, CA. The names in the Registry are forever linked to the Memorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrifice and achievement.
Sometime after 1940 he married his second wife, Evelyn. The marriage did not last long.
On 2 June 1950, Robert, age 40, married Alice D. (Beckwith) Kohler, age 36. They remained married for 27 plus years, until Robert's death. Alice had a daughter, Lorelei.
As early as 1951, Bob and Alice lived in San Lorenzo (south of Oakland) at 15425 Wagner Street. He was the floor supervisor and later the owner and operator of Bankers Printing Company.
Bob maintained a good relationship with his brother, Bud, who Bob always addressed as "Sim". Bob was very generous to his niece and nephews, the children of his brother Wilton Simmons, always sending very nice Christmas presents. One Christmas, about 1960, while they lived in Arlington, VA, nephews, Skip and Dick, each received a .22 calibre rifle from their Uncle Bob. And they even got to keep them.
In 1961, following Colonel Bud Simmons retirement from the US Army, the family moved from their home in Arlington, VA back to Chico, CA. Prior to departing Arlington, VA, they had flown their dog, a Dachshund, named Blitz, to Bob & Alice so that they would take care of the dog during the Simmons family long drive across the country. After driving across the country, the family arrived in the Bay Area and stayed with Bob, Alice and Lori at their nice home on Wagner Street.
During the years the Simmons family lived in Chico beginning in 1961 they made periodic visits to Bob and Alice.
Robert liked to fish.
Bob's nephew, Robert G. Simmons, last saw his Uncle Bob in July 1977. Soon after Robert G. had graduated from West Point, and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant of Infantry, he spent time at home in Chico, and then began a drive east to report to Fort Benning, GA; first driving to the Bay Area and spending the night with his Uncle Bob and Aunt Alice. It was a nice, memorable visit as the three of them spent all evening sitting on the couch talking. Bob asked his nephew a lot of questions about West Point and about what he was going to be doing as an officer in the Army.
Bob died in San Lorenzo, CA, enroute to the hospital at 3:30am on 20 December 1977.
In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral. Aunt Alice had him cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay.
Alice later remarried one of the men who worked with Bob at Bankers Printing Co.
As best as could be determine from contacting the funeral home, as well as the newspapers and multiple cemeteries in the Eat Bay Area, there is no headstone in a cemetery for Robert W. Simmons. Therefore his nephew has affixed a scroll to the base of the headstone of Bob's father, Charles Franklin Simmons, in Chico cemetery. The scroll reads,
His son,
Robert William Simmons
Aug 11, 1909 – Dec 20, 1977
U.S. Navy WWII
DIRECTIONS: Per Robert's wishes, at the time of his death, he was cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay. However, a scroll has been placed on the base of his father's grave in the Chico Cemetery. To find the scroll, located in Section 8, Block B, Lot 73 of the Chico Cemetery, enter the cemetery on its east side off of Mangrove Ave, then around the garden and turn right; proceed approximately 100 yards on the cemetery road and turn left (south). Continue south past the cemetery office and shops, past three right turns to Section 8B "Masonic Pioneer Cemetery." William's grave is off on the west side of the cemetery road, in the northwest corner of the Bowden Plot, distinctive by the 8'tall white marble memorial in the center of the plot.
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His PARENTS: His father, Charles Franklin "Frank" Simmons, the fifth child of William M.A. Simmons and Mary Permelia [Bowden] Simmons, was born 29 October 1884 in Sutter, California. He grew up in Butte County California. At age 15, Frank lived in the Chico home of his grandmother, Mary M Bowden (age 63), and with his sister, Jennie Simmons, age 16. Frank became a well known resident of Chico and at age 18, was elected a member of Western Hose Company in Chico. Frank married Ida Allwardt, of Chico on 17 Oct 1908 in San Jose. Bob's mother, Ida Caroline Allwardt, was born 9 December 1885 in Muscatine, Iowa. She was the third child, of seven, born to William and Lizzie (Sander) Allwardt. In 1890, Ida and her family of seven (her two youngest brothers hadn't been born yet) moved to California, settling in the town of Fort Bragg on the north coast of California. In 1899, when Ida was 14 years old, her family moved east from Fort Bragg, to Chico in the Sacramento Valley. Her father then secured a position on the Bidwell ranch. He soon became gardener about the Bidwell Mansion grounds in Chico. Ida continued her education in the Chico pubic schools and attended the old Chico Normal School (became California State University at Chico). Ida was 22 years old in Oct 1908 when she married Frank Simmons.
BOB's BIOGRAPHY:
Robert William "Bob" Simmons was born Aug 11, 1909 in Chico, the first of three children born to Charles Frank Simmons and Ida Caroline (Allwardt) Simmons.
The 1910 Census (11May1910) reflects the family home address at 310 Oak Street is "owned" with a "mortgage" and list Robert's father, CF Simmons' profession as Bottler and establishment, as Soda Works.
Robert was 13 months old when his younger brother, Wilton Lawrence "Bud", was born in Chico on 3 September 1910. Bob was 3 years old when his sister, Frances Elizabeth was born in Chico on 14 November 1912. Unfortunately, Baby Frances was in poor health. The family moved in April 1913 to Oakland, CA to see medical care. Bob's baby sister, Frances, died in Oakland on 20 April 1913. She was buried shortly thereafter in Chico Cemetery in the Allwardt family plot.
Following Frances' death, the Simmons family moved to San Francisco, where they lived at 42 Lloyd Street in San Francisco. Still a nice diverse neighborhood. Lloyd Street is a narrow, steep, one-way up hill street off of Divisadero Street, near Alamo Square. The town house is still there (as of 2018).
On 22 May 1915, Bob was a few months short of his sixth birthday, and may have seen volcanic ash floating down from the explosive eruption at Lassen Peak; 193 miles northeast of San Francisco as the crow flies. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. The eruption devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a 1914-17 series of eruptions that were the most recent to occur in the Cascades prior to the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
After 3 ½ years in San Francisco, the Simmons family moved north approx. 140 miles up U.S. Hwy 101 to the small town of Ukiah in early 1917. Ukiah is on the east side of the Coast Range, opposite Fort Bragg which is on the west side of the Coast Range and on the Pacific Ocean. The family settled in a home on Clara Ave. Frank Simmons, became the proprietor of the Ukiah ice works, the Grace Bros Ice and Brewing Company.
On 24 September 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the city's first known case of Spanish influenza. On 18 October, San Francisco announced all amusement and public gathering places and schools were shut down. In October 1918 alone, 1076 deaths in San Francisco were reported due to flu complicated with pneumonia. On 1 November, San Francisco mandated all people appearing on the public streets, in any public place must wear a mask or covering, except when partaking of meals, over the nose and mouth.
Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming at least 30 million lives, including a half-million Americans. It was approximately the 2-week period of 21 September - 5 October 1918 that the flu epidemic had swept over the entirety of the state of California, with the exception of the extreme northeast corner of California - it came later.
[Reference book, America's Forgotten Pandemic - The Influenza of 1918, by Alfred W. Crosby]
Bob's father, Frank Simmons, contracted the Spanish flu while on a business trip to San Francisco in mid-November 1918. He died a week later at his home in Ukiah on Tuesday, 19 November 1918, at 11 am. Bob, his brother and mother were not able to attend the funeral in Chico on 23 November owing to his mother and one of the boys, Bob or Bud, also being confined with the Spanish Flu.
Mrs Simmons and her two sons moved back to Chico; initially into her parents home on Maple Ave. The 1920 US Federal Census reflects Mrs Ida C. Simmons, a widow, along with her two sons, is living with William J. Allwardt and Lizzie A. Allwardt in the Allwardt home at 1920 Maple Ave in Chico. In time Mrs Simmons and her sons would move back into the house at 310 Oak Street.
Bob attended Chico High School. The 1925 Chico High School Yearbook – Caduceus (pg 126) includes an entry for Robert Simmons among the Roll Call, 2-A Boys. In the 1927 Caduceus, Bob is in the front row, far left, in the picture of the Editorial and Business Staffs on pg 49. As stated, Bob contributed to the preparation and publication of his school's year book as the Assistant Business Manager during First Semester and the Business Manager during Second Semester.
The annual Chico City Directories for the years 1934, 1937 and 1939 reflect the following for the two Simmons brothers:
1934, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1934, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 1090 East 8th Street, Chico, Oroville; Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 514 Ivy Street, Chico, Oroville, Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
Robert and Marion divorced in the late 1930s.
Robert W. Simmons at age 31 registered for the draft on 16 October 1940. His registration reflects that he listed his Wt: 155 lbs, Ht 5'11", Eyes: blue, hair: brown, Complexion: light; Employer: Paul B. Blake, and Residence: Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
(Ref: Ancestry.com World War II Draft Registration Cards Young Men, 1940-1947)
In April 1941, Robert's address was 959 Waverly Way, Palo Alto, CA.
In 1942, Robert's address was Apt 31, 795 Pine St in San Francisco.
Robert enlisted in the Navy at age 32, on 28 January 1942, less than seven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He then served in the U.S. Navy as an enlisted seaman with the occupation rating of Yeoman for the duration of WWII. Much of his initial time in the Navy was spent at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Later in the war, he went to sea, serving in the Pacific aboard USS Winged Arrow (AR170). USS Winged Arrow was a La Salle class transport with a crew of 276 and displacement of almost 14,000 tons and was designed to ferry troops and supplies to and from the Pacific Theater of War. The ship was built by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland CA, and was commissioned 21 April 1944.
Every member of the crew had a designated battle station which they were to man when the ship came under attack. Most likely Bob's was as a member of the 3-5 man crew of one of the seventeen crew-served weapons intended to engage enemy aircraft threatening the ship. The armament of Winged Arrow was a 5" gun, four .50 caliber heavy machine guns and twelve 20mm anti-aircraft guns.
In May & June 1944, Winged Arrow transported Soldiers of the Army's 27th Infantry Division to the island of Saipan. Then transported Marines of the 2nd & 8th Marine Regiments, 2nd Marine Division to Tinian. Winged Arrow's next mission was to transport 458 Japanese prisoners of war to Hawaii. Winged arrow then sailed east arriving at San Diego in mid-September where she picked up a Marine Corps aviation group and transported them the Marshall Islands with a few stops in route, arriving Roi islet at Kwajalein Atoll of in mid-October. Winged Arrow embarked more passengers there and got underway again on 22 October, bound ultimately for Hollandia on the northern coast of New Guinea. After a stop at Majuro in the Marshall Islands, she continued south toward the Equator and on to another interim stop at Manus in the Admiralty Islands (south of the Equator).
It was on 2 November 1944 that USS Winged Arrow arrived at Latitude 00000 (the Equator) and Longitude 153degrees26minutes East (approx. 300 miles due north of the eastern-most shore of the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Sea; or 600 miles northeast of Papua New Guinea). This was the first crossing of the Equator for Bob and likely several other members of the crew. As such, Bob was formally recognized in accordance with U.S. Navy tradition with a 15"x20"certificate, which reads:
IMPERIVM NEPTUNI REGIS
TO ALL SAILORS WHEREVER YE MAY BE: and to all Mermaids, Whales, Sea Serpents, Porpoises, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Skates, Suckers, Crabs, Lobsters and all other Living Things of the Sea
GREETING: Know ye That on this Second day of November 1944, in the Latitude 00000 and Longitude 153 degress26minutes East there appeared within Our Royal Domain the U.S.S. Winged Arrow bound South for the Equator and for A Mission Of War.
BE IT REMEMBERED
That the said Vessel and Officers and Crew thereof have been inspected and passed on by Ourself and Our Royal Staff. And Be It Known: By all ye Sailors, Marines, Land Lubbers and others who may be honored by his presence that
Robert W. Simmons, Yeoman 1st Class,
having been found worthy to be numbered as one of our Trusty Shellbacks he has been duly initiated into the
SOLEMN MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP
Be It Further Understood: That by virtue of the power invested in me [Neptune] I do hereby command all my subjects to show due honor and respect to him wherever he may be"
Disobey this order under penalty of Our Royal Displeasure
Given under our hand and seal this November 2nd 1944
F.A. Chadwell
Davey Jones
His Majesty's Scribe
W.H. Rigney
Neptunus Rex
Ruler of the Raging Main
Affixed at the lower right on the certificate is a 1 ¾" gold seal which reads arching across the top half: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, and across the bottom: USS WINGED ARROW
Winged Arrow having crossed the Equator and made a stop at Manus, arrived at Hollandia on 21 November. At the New Guinea base, the ship began preparations for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines. Early in January 1945, Winged Arrow embarked Soldiers of the Army's I Corps, 158th Regimental Combat Team, and sailed for Lingayen Gulf on the northwestern coast of Luzon as a part Task Group 77.9 arriving off Lingayen on 11 January, two days after the initial assault. Her troops eventually landed near Mabilao about 15 miles east of the town of Lingayen itself and moved up to support other I Corps troops already engaged with the Japanese. During her stay at Lingayen Gulf, Winged Arrow was straddled by bombs and near-misses by a kamikaze who crashed close aboard her bow, but she performed her part in the operation without suffering casualties or damage.
Winged Arrow departed Lingayen in mid-January joining a convoy of fast transports in route to Leyte Gulf. En route, the convoy suffered another kamikaze attack. The Japanese plane crashed into one of the transports, but Winged Arrow again escaped damage. After about a week at Leyte, the transport carried more reinforcements to Luzon, landing them just north of Subic Bay at La Paz, and then returned to Leyte. Continuing her voyage, she stopped at recently invaded Iwo Jima where she embarked units of the 5th Marine Division for transportation to Hawaii. After disembarking the Marines at Hilo she resumed her voyage to the west coast of the United States and entered San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1945.Winged Arrow spent almost a month undergoing repairs at San Francisco.
Winged Arrow departed San Francisco 16 May and went to Seattle where she embarked Army replacement troops for the Okinawa campaign; arriving in the Ryukyus in June. She remained at Okinawa until 8 July when she headed back to Pearl Harbor with 1,056 Japanese POWs embarked; reaching Oahu on 22 July. After unloading the prisoners of war, she took on a mixed group of passengers, which included members of the armed forces and civilians, for transportation back to the United States. The transport stood out of Pearl Harbor on 24 July and arrived in San Francisco six days later.
The ship underwent a round of voyage repairs at San Francisco before returning to sea on 11 August. En route to the western Pacific, she received word of the Japanese capitulation on 14 August. She made brief calls at Eniwetok and Ulithi before arriving at her destination, Leyte, on the day of the actual surrender ceremony, 2 September 1945. Arrow departed the Philippines in early September with 1,500 returning Americans embarked and arrived in San Francisco once again prior to returning to the Far East. She arrived at Saipan in the Marianas in mid-October and picked up more returning troops there and at Guam and Tinian before getting underway on the 27th to transport them back to the United States. The ship entered San Francisco once again on 10 November but departed again for the Orient two weeks later. This time, her destination was Jinsen, Korea, where she arrived on 13 December and disembarked occupation troops before heading back to the United States on the 15th. She arrived in Seattle early in January 1946. It's here that Bob's service as a member of the crew of Winged Arrow and service in the US Navy likely came to an end.
Winged Arrow earned four battle stars during World War II.
By war's end Robert Simmons had achieved the rank of Chief Yeoman. His decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Asia – Pacific Campaign Medal with at least three stars, but more likely four (one for each campaign Winged Arrow participated in while Bob was aboard), and WW II Victory Medal. Bob was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy on 4 January 1946.
NATIONAL WWII MEMORIAL [On-line] REGISTRY. Find an entry for Robert William Simmons of Chico, CA. The names in the Registry are forever linked to the Memorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrifice and achievement.
Sometime after 1940 he married his second wife, Evelyn. The marriage did not last long.
On 2 June 1950, Robert, age 40, married Alice D. (Beckwith) Kohler, age 36. They remained married for 27 plus years, until Robert's death. Alice had a daughter, Lorelei.
As early as 1951, Bob and Alice lived in San Lorenzo (south of Oakland) at 15425 Wagner Street. He was the floor supervisor and later the owner and operator of Bankers Printing Company.
Bob maintained a good relationship with his brother, Bud, who Bob always addressed as "Sim". Bob was very generous to his niece and nephews, the children of his brother Wilton Simmons, always sending very nice Christmas presents. One Christmas, about 1960, while they lived in Arlington, VA, nephews, Skip and Dick, each received a .22 calibre rifle from their Uncle Bob. And they even got to keep them.
In 1961, following Colonel Bud Simmons retirement from the US Army, the family moved from their home in Arlington, VA back to Chico, CA. Prior to departing Arlington, VA, they had flown their dog, a Dachshund, named Blitz, to Bob & Alice so that they would take care of the dog during the Simmons family long drive across the country. After driving across the country, the family arrived in the Bay Area and stayed with Bob, Alice and Lori at their nice home on Wagner Street.
During the years the Simmons family lived in Chico beginning in 1961 they made periodic visits to Bob and Alice.
Robert liked to fish.
Bob's nephew, Robert G. Simmons, last saw his Uncle Bob in July 1977. Soon after Robert G. had graduated from West Point, and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant of Infantry, he spent time at home in Chico, and then began a drive east to report to Fort Benning, GA; first driving to the Bay Area and spending the night with his Uncle Bob and Aunt Alice. It was a nice, memorable visit as the three of them spent all evening sitting on the couch talking. Bob asked his nephew a lot of questions about West Point and about what he was going to be doing as an officer in the Army.
Bob died in San Lorenzo, CA, enroute to the hospital at 3:30am on 20 December 1977.
In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral. Aunt Alice had him cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay.
Alice later remarried one of the men who worked with Bob at Bankers Printing Co.
As best as could be determine from contacting the funeral home, as well as the newspapers and multiple cemeteries in the Eat Bay Area, there is no headstone in a cemetery for Robert W. Simmons. Therefore his nephew has affixed a scroll to the base of the headstone of Bob's father, Charles Franklin Simmons, in Chico cemetery. The scroll reads,
His son,
Robert William Simmons
Aug 11, 1909 – Dec 20, 1977
U.S. Navy WWII
DIRECTIONS: Per Robert's wishes, at the time of his death, he was cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay. However, a scroll has been placed on the base of his father's grave in the Chico Cemetery. To find the scroll, located in Section 8, Block B, Lot 73 of the Chico Cemetery, enter the cemetery on its east side off of Mangrove Ave, then around the garden and turn right; proceed approximately 100 yards on the cemetery road and turn left (south). Continue south past the cemetery office and shops, past three right turns to Section 8B "Masonic Pioneer Cemetery." William's grave is off on the west side of the cemetery road, in the northwest corner of the Bowden Plot, distinctive by the 8'tall white marble memorial in the center of the plot.
PICTURES:
- To see the caption with a specific picture, place cursor on the picture and double click left.
- To see all of the pictures saved with this biography, click on the link "Click here to view all images," which is just below the three (3) pictures and the "Add a Photo for this person" box.
- To save one of the pictures to your computer, double click right on the picture you want to save.
Updated 20 February 2020
His PARENTS: His father, Charles Franklin "Frank" Simmons, the fifth child of William M.A. Simmons and Mary Permelia [Bowden] Simmons, was born 29 October 1884 in Sutter, California. He grew up in Butte County California. At age 15, Frank lived in the Chico home of his grandmother, Mary M Bowden (age 63), and with his sister, Jennie Simmons, age 16. Frank became a well known resident of Chico and at age 18, was elected a member of Western Hose Company in Chico. Frank married Ida Allwardt, of Chico on 17 Oct 1908 in San Jose. Bob's mother, Ida Caroline Allwardt, was born 9 December 1885 in Muscatine, Iowa. She was the third child, of seven, born to William and Lizzie (Sander) Allwardt. In 1890, Ida and her family of seven (her two youngest brothers hadn't been born yet) moved to California, settling in the town of Fort Bragg on the north coast of California. In 1899, when Ida was 14 years old, her family moved east from Fort Bragg, to Chico in the Sacramento Valley. Her father then secured a position on the Bidwell ranch. He soon became gardener about the Bidwell Mansion grounds in Chico. Ida continued her education in the Chico pubic schools and attended the old Chico Normal School (became California State University at Chico). Ida was 22 years old in Oct 1908 when she married Frank Simmons.
BOB's BIOGRAPHY:
Robert William "Bob" Simmons was born Aug 11, 1909 in Chico, the first of three children born to Charles Frank Simmons and Ida Caroline (Allwardt) Simmons.
The 1910 Census (11May1910) reflects the family home address at 310 Oak Street is "owned" with a "mortgage" and list Robert's father, CF Simmons' profession as Bottler and establishment, as Soda Works.
Robert was 13 months old when his younger brother, Wilton Lawrence "Bud", was born in Chico on 3 September 1910. Bob was 3 years old when his sister, Frances Elizabeth was born in Chico on 14 November 1912. Unfortunately, Baby Frances was in poor health. The family moved in April 1913 to Oakland, CA to see medical care. Bob's baby sister, Frances, died in Oakland on 20 April 1913. She was buried shortly thereafter in Chico Cemetery in the Allwardt family plot.
Following Frances' death, the Simmons family moved to San Francisco, where they lived at 42 Lloyd Street in San Francisco. Still a nice diverse neighborhood. Lloyd Street is a narrow, steep, one-way up hill street off of Divisadero Street, near Alamo Square. The town house is still there (as of 2018).
On 22 May 1915, Bob was a few months short of his sixth birthday, and may have seen volcanic ash floating down from the explosive eruption at Lassen Peak; 193 miles northeast of San Francisco as the crow flies. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. The eruption devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a 1914-17 series of eruptions that were the most recent to occur in the Cascades prior to the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
After 3 ½ years in San Francisco, the Simmons family moved north approx. 140 miles up U.S. Hwy 101 to the small town of Ukiah in early 1917. Ukiah is on the east side of the Coast Range, opposite Fort Bragg which is on the west side of the Coast Range and on the Pacific Ocean. The family settled in a home on Clara Ave. Frank Simmons, became the proprietor of the Ukiah ice works, the Grace Bros Ice and Brewing Company.
On 24 September 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the city's first known case of Spanish influenza. On 18 October, San Francisco announced all amusement and public gathering places and schools were shut down. In October 1918 alone, 1076 deaths in San Francisco were reported due to flu complicated with pneumonia. On 1 November, San Francisco mandated all people appearing on the public streets, in any public place must wear a mask or covering, except when partaking of meals, over the nose and mouth.
Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming at least 30 million lives, including a half-million Americans. It was approximately the 2-week period of 21 September - 5 October 1918 that the flu epidemic had swept over the entirety of the state of California, with the exception of the extreme northeast corner of California - it came later.
[Reference book, America's Forgotten Pandemic - The Influenza of 1918, by Alfred W. Crosby]
Bob's father, Frank Simmons, contracted the Spanish flu while on a business trip to San Francisco in mid-November 1918. He died a week later at his home in Ukiah on Tuesday, 19 November 1918, at 11 am. Bob, his brother and mother were not able to attend the funeral in Chico on 23 November owing to his mother and one of the boys, Bob or Bud, also being confined with the Spanish Flu.
Mrs Simmons and her two sons moved back to Chico; initially into her parents home on Maple Ave. The 1920 US Federal Census reflects Mrs Ida C. Simmons, a widow, along with her two sons, is living with William J. Allwardt and Lizzie A. Allwardt in the Allwardt home at 1920 Maple Ave in Chico. In time Mrs Simmons and her sons would move back into the house at 310 Oak Street.
Bob attended Chico High School. The 1925 Chico High School Yearbook – Caduceus (pg 126) includes an entry for Robert Simmons among the Roll Call, 2-A Boys. In the 1927 Caduceus, Bob is in the front row, far left, in the picture of the Editorial and Business Staffs on pg 49. As stated, Bob contributed to the preparation and publication of his school's year book as the Assistant Business Manager during First Semester and the Business Manager during Second Semester.
The annual Chico City Directories for the years 1934, 1937 and 1939 reflect the following for the two Simmons brothers:
1934, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1934, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 1090 East 8th Street, Chico, Oroville; Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 514 Ivy Street, Chico, Oroville, Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
Robert and Marion divorced in the late 1930s.
Robert W. Simmons at age 31 registered for the draft on 16 October 1940. His registration reflects that he listed his Wt: 155 lbs, Ht 5'11", Eyes: blue, hair: brown, Complexion: light; Employer: Paul B. Blake, and Residence: Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
(Ref: Ancestry.com World War II Draft Registration Cards Young Men, 1940-1947)
In April 1941, Robert's address was 959 Waverly Way, Palo Alto, CA.
In 1942, Robert's address was Apt 31, 795 Pine St in San Francisco.
Robert enlisted in the Navy at age 32, on 28 January 1942, less than seven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He then served in the U.S. Navy as an enlisted seaman with the occupation rating of Yeoman for the duration of WWII. Much of his initial time in the Navy was spent at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Later in the war, he went to sea, serving in the Pacific aboard USS Winged Arrow (AR170). USS Winged Arrow was a La Salle class transport with a crew of 276 and displacement of almost 14,000 tons and was designed to ferry troops and supplies to and from the Pacific Theater of War. The ship was built by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland CA, and was commissioned 21 April 1944.
Every member of the crew had a designated battle station which they were to man when the ship came under attack. Most likely Bob's was as a member of the 3-5 man crew of one of the seventeen crew-served weapons intended to engage enemy aircraft threatening the ship. The armament of Winged Arrow was a 5" gun, four .50 caliber heavy machine guns and twelve 20mm anti-aircraft guns.
In May & June 1944, Winged Arrow transported Soldiers of the Army's 27th Infantry Division to the island of Saipan. Then transported Marines of the 2nd & 8th Marine Regiments, 2nd Marine Division to Tinian. Winged Arrow's next mission was to transport 458 Japanese prisoners of war to Hawaii. Winged arrow then sailed east arriving at San Diego in mid-September where she picked up a Marine Corps aviation group and transported them the Marshall Islands with a few stops in route, arriving Roi islet at Kwajalein Atoll of in mid-October. Winged Arrow embarked more passengers there and got underway again on 22 October, bound ultimately for Hollandia on the northern coast of New Guinea. After a stop at Majuro in the Marshall Islands, she continued south toward the Equator and on to another interim stop at Manus in the Admiralty Islands (south of the Equator).
It was on 2 November 1944 that USS Winged Arrow arrived at Latitude 00000 (the Equator) and Longitude 153degrees26minutes East (approx. 300 miles due north of the eastern-most shore of the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Sea; or 600 miles northeast of Papua New Guinea). This was the first crossing of the Equator for Bob and likely several other members of the crew. As such, Bob was formally recognized in accordance with U.S. Navy tradition with a 15"x20"certificate, which reads:
IMPERIVM NEPTUNI REGIS
TO ALL SAILORS WHEREVER YE MAY BE: and to all Mermaids, Whales, Sea Serpents, Porpoises, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Skates, Suckers, Crabs, Lobsters and all other Living Things of the Sea
GREETING: Know ye That on this Second day of November 1944, in the Latitude 00000 and Longitude 153 degress26minutes East there appeared within Our Royal Domain the U.S.S. Winged Arrow bound South for the Equator and for A Mission Of War.
BE IT REMEMBERED
That the said Vessel and Officers and Crew thereof have been inspected and passed on by Ourself and Our Royal Staff. And Be It Known: By all ye Sailors, Marines, Land Lubbers and others who may be honored by his presence that
Robert W. Simmons, Yeoman 1st Class,
having been found worthy to be numbered as one of our Trusty Shellbacks he has been duly initiated into the
SOLEMN MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP
Be It Further Understood: That by virtue of the power invested in me [Neptune] I do hereby command all my subjects to show due honor and respect to him wherever he may be"
Disobey this order under penalty of Our Royal Displeasure
Given under our hand and seal this November 2nd 1944
F.A. Chadwell
Davey Jones
His Majesty's Scribe
W.H. Rigney
Neptunus Rex
Ruler of the Raging Main
Affixed at the lower right on the certificate is a 1 ¾" gold seal which reads arching across the top half: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, and across the bottom: USS WINGED ARROW
Winged Arrow having crossed the Equator and made a stop at Manus, arrived at Hollandia on 21 November. At the New Guinea base, the ship began preparations for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines. Early in January 1945, Winged Arrow embarked Soldiers of the Army's I Corps, 158th Regimental Combat Team, and sailed for Lingayen Gulf on the northwestern coast of Luzon as a part Task Group 77.9 arriving off Lingayen on 11 January, two days after the initial assault. Her troops eventually landed near Mabilao about 15 miles east of the town of Lingayen itself and moved up to support other I Corps troops already engaged with the Japanese. During her stay at Lingayen Gulf, Winged Arrow was straddled by bombs and near-misses by a kamikaze who crashed close aboard her bow, but she performed her part in the operation without suffering casualties or damage.
Winged Arrow departed Lingayen in mid-January joining a convoy of fast transports in route to Leyte Gulf. En route, the convoy suffered another kamikaze attack. The Japanese plane crashed into one of the transports, but Winged Arrow again escaped damage. After about a week at Leyte, the transport carried more reinforcements to Luzon, landing them just north of Subic Bay at La Paz, and then returned to Leyte. Continuing her voyage, she stopped at recently invaded Iwo Jima where she embarked units of the 5th Marine Division for transportation to Hawaii. After disembarking the Marines at Hilo she resumed her voyage to the west coast of the United States and entered San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1945.Winged Arrow spent almost a month undergoing repairs at San Francisco.
Winged Arrow departed San Francisco 16 May and went to Seattle where she embarked Army replacement troops for the Okinawa campaign; arriving in the Ryukyus in June. She remained at Okinawa until 8 July when she headed back to Pearl Harbor with 1,056 Japanese POWs embarked; reaching Oahu on 22 July. After unloading the prisoners of war, she took on a mixed group of passengers, which included members of the armed forces and civilians, for transportation back to the United States. The transport stood out of Pearl Harbor on 24 July and arrived in San Francisco six days later.
The ship underwent a round of voyage repairs at San Francisco before returning to sea on 11 August. En route to the western Pacific, she received word of the Japanese capitulation on 14 August. She made brief calls at Eniwetok and Ulithi before arriving at her destination, Leyte, on the day of the actual surrender ceremony, 2 September 1945. Arrow departed the Philippines in early September with 1,500 returning Americans embarked and arrived in San Francisco once again prior to returning to the Far East. She arrived at Saipan in the Marianas in mid-October and picked up more returning troops there and at Guam and Tinian before getting underway on the 27th to transport them back to the United States. The ship entered San Francisco once again on 10 November but departed again for the Orient two weeks later. This time, her destination was Jinsen, Korea, where she arrived on 13 December and disembarked occupation troops before heading back to the United States on the 15th. She arrived in Seattle early in January 1946. It's here that Bob's service as a member of the crew of Winged Arrow and service in the US Navy likely came to an end.
Winged Arrow earned four battle stars during World War II.
By war's end Robert Simmons had achieved the rank of Chief Yeoman. His decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Asia – Pacific Campaign Medal with at least three stars, but more likely four (one for each campaign Winged Arrow participated in while Bob was aboard), and WW II Victory Medal. Bob was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy on 4 January 1946.
NATIONAL WWII MEMORIAL [On-line] REGISTRY. Find an entry for Robert William Simmons of Chico, CA. The names in the Registry are forever linked to the Memorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrifice and achievement.
Sometime after 1940 he married his second wife, Evelyn. The marriage did not last long.
On 2 June 1950, Robert, age 40, married Alice D. (Beckwith) Kohler, age 36. They remained married for 27 plus years, until Robert's death. Alice had a daughter, Lorelei.
As early as 1951, Bob and Alice lived in San Lorenzo (south of Oakland) at 15425 Wagner Street. He was the floor supervisor and later the owner and operator of Bankers Printing Company.
Bob maintained a good relationship with his brother, Bud, who Bob always addressed as "Sim". Bob was very generous to his niece and nephews, the children of his brother Wilton Simmons, always sending very nice Christmas presents. One Christmas, about 1960, while they lived in Arlington, VA, nephews, Skip and Dick, each received a .22 calibre rifle from their Uncle Bob. And they even got to keep them.
In 1961, following Colonel Bud Simmons retirement from the US Army, the family moved from their home in Arlington, VA back to Chico, CA. Prior to departing Arlington, VA, they had flown their dog, a Dachshund, named Blitz, to Bob & Alice so that they would take care of the dog during the Simmons family long drive across the country. After driving across the country, the family arrived in the Bay Area and stayed with Bob, Alice and Lori at their nice home on Wagner Street.
During the years the Simmons family lived in Chico beginning in 1961 they made periodic visits to Bob and Alice.
Robert liked to fish.
Bob's nephew, Robert G. Simmons, last saw his Uncle Bob in July 1977. Soon after Robert G. had graduated from West Point, and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant of Infantry, he spent time at home in Chico, and then began a drive east to report to Fort Benning, GA; first driving to the Bay Area and spending the night with his Uncle Bob and Aunt Alice. It was a nice, memorable visit as the three of them spent all evening sitting on the couch talking. Bob asked his nephew a lot of questions about West Point and about what he was going to be doing as an officer in the Army.
Bob died in San Lorenzo, CA, enroute to the hospital at 3:30am on 20 December 1977.
In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral. Aunt Alice had him cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay.
Alice later remarried one of the men who worked with Bob at Bankers Printing Co.
As best as could be determine from contacting the funeral home, as well as the newspapers and multiple cemeteries in the Eat Bay Area, there is no headstone in a cemetery for Robert W. Simmons. Therefore his nephew has affixed a scroll to the base of the headstone of Bob's father, Charles Franklin Simmons, in Chico cemetery. The scroll reads,
His son,
Robert William Simmons
Aug 11, 1909 – Dec 20, 1977
U.S. Navy WWII
DIRECTIONS: Per Robert's wishes, at the time of his death, he was cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay. However, a scroll has been placed on the base of his father's grave in the Chico Cemetery. To find the scroll, located in Section 8, Block B, Lot 73 of the Chico Cemetery, enter the cemetery on its east side off of Mangrove Ave, then around the garden and turn right; proceed approximately 100 yards on the cemetery road and turn left (south). Continue south past the cemetery office and shops, past three right turns to Section 8B "Masonic Pioneer Cemetery." William's grave is off on the west side of the cemetery road, in the northwest corner of the Bowden Plot, distinctive by the 8'tall white marble memorial in the center of the plot.
PICTURES:
- To see the caption with a specific picture, place cursor on the picture and double click left.
- To see all of the pictures saved with this biography, click on the link "Click here to view all images," which is just below the three (3) pictures and the "Add a Photo for this person" box.
- To save one of the pictures to your computer, double click right on the picture you want to save.
His PARENTS: His father, Charles Franklin "Frank" Simmons, the fifth child of William M.A. Simmons and Mary Permelia [Bowden] Simmons, was born 29 October 1884 in Sutter, California. He grew up in Butte County California. At age 15, Frank lived in the Chico home of his grandmother, Mary M Bowden (age 63), and with his sister, Jennie Simmons, age 16. Frank became a well known resident of Chico and at age 18, was elected a member of Western Hose Company in Chico. Frank married Ida Allwardt, of Chico on 17 Oct 1908 in San Jose. Bob's mother, Ida Caroline Allwardt, was born 9 December 1885 in Muscatine, Iowa. She was the third child, of seven, born to William and Lizzie (Sander) Allwardt. In 1890, Ida and her family of seven (her two youngest brothers hadn't been born yet) moved to California, settling in the town of Fort Bragg on the north coast of California. In 1899, when Ida was 14 years old, her family moved east from Fort Bragg, to Chico in the Sacramento Valley. Her father then secured a position on the Bidwell ranch. He soon became gardener about the Bidwell Mansion grounds in Chico. Ida continued her education in the Chico pubic schools and attended the old Chico Normal School (became California State University at Chico). Ida was 22 years old in Oct 1908 when she married Frank Simmons.
BOB's BIOGRAPHY:
Robert William "Bob" Simmons was born Aug 11, 1909 in Chico, the first of three children born to Charles Frank Simmons and Ida Caroline (Allwardt) Simmons.
The 1910 Census (11May1910) reflects the family home address at 310 Oak Street is "owned" with a "mortgage" and list Robert's father, CF Simmons' profession as Bottler and establishment, as Soda Works.
Robert was 13 months old when his younger brother, Wilton Lawrence "Bud", was born in Chico on 3 September 1910. Bob was 3 years old when his sister, Frances Elizabeth was born in Chico on 14 November 1912. Unfortunately, Baby Frances was in poor health. The family moved in April 1913 to Oakland, CA to see medical care. Bob's baby sister, Frances, died in Oakland on 20 April 1913. She was buried shortly thereafter in Chico Cemetery in the Allwardt family plot.
Following Frances' death, the Simmons family moved to San Francisco, where they lived at 42 Lloyd Street in San Francisco. Still a nice diverse neighborhood. Lloyd Street is a narrow, steep, one-way up hill street off of Divisadero Street, near Alamo Square. The town house is still there (as of 2018).
On 22 May 1915, Bob was a few months short of his sixth birthday, and may have seen volcanic ash floating down from the explosive eruption at Lassen Peak; 193 miles northeast of San Francisco as the crow flies. Lassen Peak is the southernmost active volcano in the Cascade Range. The eruption devastated nearby areas and rained volcanic ash as far away as 200 miles to the east. This explosion was the most powerful in a 1914-17 series of eruptions that were the most recent to occur in the Cascades prior to the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
After 3 ½ years in San Francisco, the Simmons family moved north approx. 140 miles up U.S. Hwy 101 to the small town of Ukiah in early 1917. Ukiah is on the east side of the Coast Range, opposite Fort Bragg which is on the west side of the Coast Range and on the Pacific Ocean. The family settled in a home on Clara Ave. Frank Simmons, became the proprietor of the Ukiah ice works, the Grace Bros Ice and Brewing Company.
On 24 September 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle reported the city's first known case of Spanish influenza. On 18 October, San Francisco announced all amusement and public gathering places and schools were shut down. In October 1918 alone, 1076 deaths in San Francisco were reported due to flu complicated with pneumonia. On 1 November, San Francisco mandated all people appearing on the public streets, in any public place must wear a mask or covering, except when partaking of meals, over the nose and mouth.
Between August 1918 and March 1919 the Spanish influenza spread worldwide, claiming at least 30 million lives, including a half-million Americans. It was approximately the 2-week period of 21 September - 5 October 1918 that the flu epidemic had swept over the entirety of the state of California, with the exception of the extreme northeast corner of California - it came later.
[Reference book, America's Forgotten Pandemic - The Influenza of 1918, by Alfred W. Crosby]
Bob's father, Frank Simmons, contracted the Spanish flu while on a business trip to San Francisco in mid-November 1918. He died a week later at his home in Ukiah on Tuesday, 19 November 1918, at 11 am. Bob, his brother and mother were not able to attend the funeral in Chico on 23 November owing to his mother and one of the boys, Bob or Bud, also being confined with the Spanish Flu.
Mrs Simmons and her two sons moved back to Chico; initially into her parents home on Maple Ave. The 1920 US Federal Census reflects Mrs Ida C. Simmons, a widow, along with her two sons, is living with William J. Allwardt and Lizzie A. Allwardt in the Allwardt home at 1920 Maple Ave in Chico. In time Mrs Simmons and her sons would move back into the house at 310 Oak Street.
Bob attended Chico High School. The 1925 Chico High School Yearbook – Caduceus (pg 126) includes an entry for Robert Simmons among the Roll Call, 2-A Boys. In the 1927 Caduceus, Bob is in the front row, far left, in the picture of the Editorial and Business Staffs on pg 49. As stated, Bob contributed to the preparation and publication of his school's year book as the Assistant Business Manager during First Semester and the Business Manager during Second Semester.
The annual Chico City Directories for the years 1934, 1937 and 1939 reflect the following for the two Simmons brothers:
1934, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1934, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 1090 East 8th Street, Chico, Oroville; Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1937, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Printer, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Robert W. Simmons, Residence: 514 Ivy Street, Chico, Oroville, Occupation: Printer, Spouse: Marion Simmons, Employer Hurst & Moore
1939, Wilton L. Simmons, Residence: 330 Oak, Chico; Occupation: Pressman, Employer Hurst & Moore
Robert and Marion divorced in the late 1930s.
Robert W. Simmons at age 31 registered for the draft on 16 October 1940. His registration reflects that he listed his Wt: 155 lbs, Ht 5'11", Eyes: blue, hair: brown, Complexion: light; Employer: Paul B. Blake, and Residence: Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
(Ref: Ancestry.com World War II Draft Registration Cards Young Men, 1940-1947)
In April 1941, Robert's address was 959 Waverly Way, Palo Alto, CA.
In 1942, Robert's address was Apt 31, 795 Pine St in San Francisco.
Robert enlisted in the Navy at age 32, on 28 January 1942, less than seven weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He then served in the U.S. Navy as an enlisted seaman with the occupation rating of Yeoman for the duration of WWII. Much of his initial time in the Navy was spent at Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay. Later in the war, he went to sea, serving in the Pacific aboard USS Winged Arrow (AR170). USS Winged Arrow was a La Salle class transport with a crew of 276 and displacement of almost 14,000 tons and was designed to ferry troops and supplies to and from the Pacific Theater of War. The ship was built by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland CA, and was commissioned 21 April 1944.
Every member of the crew had a designated battle station which they were to man when the ship came under attack. Most likely Bob's was as a member of the 3-5 man crew of one of the seventeen crew-served weapons intended to engage enemy aircraft threatening the ship. The armament of Winged Arrow was a 5" gun, four .50 caliber heavy machine guns and twelve 20mm anti-aircraft guns.
In May & June 1944, Winged Arrow transported Soldiers of the Army's 27th Infantry Division to the island of Saipan. Then transported Marines of the 2nd & 8th Marine Regiments, 2nd Marine Division to Tinian. Winged Arrow's next mission was to transport 458 Japanese prisoners of war to Hawaii. Winged arrow then sailed east arriving at San Diego in mid-September where she picked up a Marine Corps aviation group and transported them the Marshall Islands with a few stops in route, arriving Roi islet at Kwajalein Atoll of in mid-October. Winged Arrow embarked more passengers there and got underway again on 22 October, bound ultimately for Hollandia on the northern coast of New Guinea. After a stop at Majuro in the Marshall Islands, she continued south toward the Equator and on to another interim stop at Manus in the Admiralty Islands (south of the Equator).
It was on 2 November 1944 that USS Winged Arrow arrived at Latitude 00000 (the Equator) and Longitude 153degrees26minutes East (approx. 300 miles due north of the eastern-most shore of the island of New Ireland in the Bismarck Sea; or 600 miles northeast of Papua New Guinea). This was the first crossing of the Equator for Bob and likely several other members of the crew. As such, Bob was formally recognized in accordance with U.S. Navy tradition with a 15"x20"certificate, which reads:
IMPERIVM NEPTUNI REGIS
TO ALL SAILORS WHEREVER YE MAY BE: and to all Mermaids, Whales, Sea Serpents, Porpoises, Sharks, Dolphins, Eels, Skates, Suckers, Crabs, Lobsters and all other Living Things of the Sea
GREETING: Know ye That on this Second day of November 1944, in the Latitude 00000 and Longitude 153 degress26minutes East there appeared within Our Royal Domain the U.S.S. Winged Arrow bound South for the Equator and for A Mission Of War.
BE IT REMEMBERED
That the said Vessel and Officers and Crew thereof have been inspected and passed on by Ourself and Our Royal Staff. And Be It Known: By all ye Sailors, Marines, Land Lubbers and others who may be honored by his presence that
Robert W. Simmons, Yeoman 1st Class,
having been found worthy to be numbered as one of our Trusty Shellbacks he has been duly initiated into the
SOLEMN MYSTERIES OF THE ANCIENT ORDER OF THE DEEP
Be It Further Understood: That by virtue of the power invested in me [Neptune] I do hereby command all my subjects to show due honor and respect to him wherever he may be"
Disobey this order under penalty of Our Royal Displeasure
Given under our hand and seal this November 2nd 1944
F.A. Chadwell
Davey Jones
His Majesty's Scribe
W.H. Rigney
Neptunus Rex
Ruler of the Raging Main
Affixed at the lower right on the certificate is a 1 ¾" gold seal which reads arching across the top half: DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY, and across the bottom: USS WINGED ARROW
Winged Arrow having crossed the Equator and made a stop at Manus, arrived at Hollandia on 21 November. At the New Guinea base, the ship began preparations for the invasion of Luzon in the Philippines. Early in January 1945, Winged Arrow embarked Soldiers of the Army's I Corps, 158th Regimental Combat Team, and sailed for Lingayen Gulf on the northwestern coast of Luzon as a part Task Group 77.9 arriving off Lingayen on 11 January, two days after the initial assault. Her troops eventually landed near Mabilao about 15 miles east of the town of Lingayen itself and moved up to support other I Corps troops already engaged with the Japanese. During her stay at Lingayen Gulf, Winged Arrow was straddled by bombs and near-misses by a kamikaze who crashed close aboard her bow, but she performed her part in the operation without suffering casualties or damage.
Winged Arrow departed Lingayen in mid-January joining a convoy of fast transports in route to Leyte Gulf. En route, the convoy suffered another kamikaze attack. The Japanese plane crashed into one of the transports, but Winged Arrow again escaped damage. After about a week at Leyte, the transport carried more reinforcements to Luzon, landing them just north of Subic Bay at La Paz, and then returned to Leyte. Continuing her voyage, she stopped at recently invaded Iwo Jima where she embarked units of the 5th Marine Division for transportation to Hawaii. After disembarking the Marines at Hilo she resumed her voyage to the west coast of the United States and entered San Francisco Bay on 23 April 1945.Winged Arrow spent almost a month undergoing repairs at San Francisco.
Winged Arrow departed San Francisco 16 May and went to Seattle where she embarked Army replacement troops for the Okinawa campaign; arriving in the Ryukyus in June. She remained at Okinawa until 8 July when she headed back to Pearl Harbor with 1,056 Japanese POWs embarked; reaching Oahu on 22 July. After unloading the prisoners of war, she took on a mixed group of passengers, which included members of the armed forces and civilians, for transportation back to the United States. The transport stood out of Pearl Harbor on 24 July and arrived in San Francisco six days later.
The ship underwent a round of voyage repairs at San Francisco before returning to sea on 11 August. En route to the western Pacific, she received word of the Japanese capitulation on 14 August. She made brief calls at Eniwetok and Ulithi before arriving at her destination, Leyte, on the day of the actual surrender ceremony, 2 September 1945. Arrow departed the Philippines in early September with 1,500 returning Americans embarked and arrived in San Francisco once again prior to returning to the Far East. She arrived at Saipan in the Marianas in mid-October and picked up more returning troops there and at Guam and Tinian before getting underway on the 27th to transport them back to the United States. The ship entered San Francisco once again on 10 November but departed again for the Orient two weeks later. This time, her destination was Jinsen, Korea, where she arrived on 13 December and disembarked occupation troops before heading back to the United States on the 15th. She arrived in Seattle early in January 1946. It's here that Bob's service as a member of the crew of Winged Arrow and service in the US Navy likely came to an end.
Winged Arrow earned four battle stars during World War II.
By war's end Robert Simmons had achieved the rank of Chief Yeoman. His decorations included the Good Conduct Medal, Asia – Pacific Campaign Medal with at least three stars, but more likely four (one for each campaign Winged Arrow participated in while Bob was aboard), and WW II Victory Medal. Bob was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy on 4 January 1946.
NATIONAL WWII MEMORIAL [On-line] REGISTRY. Find an entry for Robert William Simmons of Chico, CA. The names in the Registry are forever linked to the Memorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrifice and achievement.
Sometime after 1940 he married his second wife, Evelyn. The marriage did not last long.
On 2 June 1950, Robert, age 40, married Alice D. (Beckwith) Kohler, age 36. They remained married for 27 plus years, until Robert's death. Alice had a daughter, Lorelei.
As early as 1951, Bob and Alice lived in San Lorenzo (south of Oakland) at 15425 Wagner Street. He was the floor supervisor and later the owner and operator of Bankers Printing Company.
Bob maintained a good relationship with his brother, Bud, who Bob always addressed as "Sim". Bob was very generous to his niece and nephews, the children of his brother Wilton Simmons, always sending very nice Christmas presents. One Christmas, about 1960, while they lived in Arlington, VA, nephews, Skip and Dick, each received a .22 calibre rifle from their Uncle Bob. And they even got to keep them.
In 1961, following Colonel Bud Simmons retirement from the US Army, the family moved from their home in Arlington, VA back to Chico, CA. Prior to departing Arlington, VA, they had flown their dog, a Dachshund, named Blitz, to Bob & Alice so that they would take care of the dog during the Simmons family long drive across the country. After driving across the country, the family arrived in the Bay Area and stayed with Bob, Alice and Lori at their nice home on Wagner Street.
During the years the Simmons family lived in Chico beginning in 1961 they made periodic visits to Bob and Alice.
Robert liked to fish.
Bob's nephew, Robert G. Simmons, last saw his Uncle Bob in July 1977. Soon after Robert G. had graduated from West Point, and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant of Infantry, he spent time at home in Chico, and then began a drive east to report to Fort Benning, GA; first driving to the Bay Area and spending the night with his Uncle Bob and Aunt Alice. It was a nice, memorable visit as the three of them spent all evening sitting on the couch talking. Bob asked his nephew a lot of questions about West Point and about what he was going to be doing as an officer in the Army.
Bob died in San Lorenzo, CA, enroute to the hospital at 3:30am on 20 December 1977.
In accordance with his wishes, there was no funeral. Aunt Alice had him cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay.
Alice later remarried one of the men who worked with Bob at Bankers Printing Co.
As best as could be determine from contacting the funeral home, as well as the newspapers and multiple cemeteries in the Eat Bay Area, there is no headstone in a cemetery for Robert W. Simmons. Therefore his nephew has affixed a scroll to the base of the headstone of Bob's father, Charles Franklin Simmons, in Chico cemetery. The scroll reads,
His son,
Robert William Simmons
Aug 11, 1909 – Dec 20, 1977
U.S. Navy WWII
DIRECTIONS: Per Robert's wishes, at the time of his death, he was cremated and his ashes scattered over San Francisco Bay. However, a scroll has been placed on the base of his father's grave in the Chico Cemetery. To find the scroll, located in Section 8, Block B, Lot 73 of the Chico Cemetery, enter the cemetery on its east side off of Mangrove Ave, then around the garden and turn right; proceed approximately 100 yards on the cemetery road and turn left (south). Continue south past the cemetery office and shops, past three right turns to Section 8B "Masonic Pioneer Cemetery." William's grave is off on the west side of the cemetery road, in the northwest corner of the Bowden Plot, distinctive by the 8'tall white marble memorial in the center of the plot.
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