Black Company

Purdon, E: 2000 USA, softcover, 255 pages, illustrated. Eric Purdon recounts the groundbreaking World War II experience of the U.S. Navy's PC 1264, a subchaser manned by an all-African American enlisted crew of fifty as part of a social experiment to test their capabilities in a segregated military, under the command of white officers including Purdon himself. Through challenges like convoy duties in the Atlantic, escorting ships, and facing racial tensions, the crew proves their skill and resilience, highlighting themes of integration and perseverance amid wartime demands, ultimately contributing to naval history before the ship's decommissioning in 1946. ISBN 9781557506580 In very good condition