HISTORY OF THE USS/USCGC BURTON ISLAND
Burton Island (AG-88) was Authorized on 17 December, 1943 and the Keel was laid on 15 March, 1945. The ship was launched on 30 April, 1946 by Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Pedro, California, and Commissioned 28 December 1946, Commander G. Ketchum in command. She was named after an island near the coast of the State of Delaware.
After receiving supplies Burton Island departed San Diego 17 January 1947 and steamed to the Ross Sea, Antarctica, where she arrived 8 February for rendezvous with units of TF 68 on the first (1947) Antarctic Development Project. She made her way through the ice packs to the Bay of Whales and unloaded supplies and received passengers for the return voyage. She arrived at San Pedro 31 March 1947 after steaming via Port Chalmers and Wellington, New Zealand; and Pago Pago, Samoa. 
After undergoing a yard overhaul she picked up supplies at San Francisco and Seattle and departed 25 July for the 1947 Point Barrow Expedition. At Point Barrow, Alaska, Burton Island's helicopters participated in ice reconnaissance and surveys. She returned to San Diego 24 August. Burton Island underwent overhaul and repairs at San Pedro and then joined the second 1947 Antarctic Development Project. She arrived 1 January 1948 at Shackleton Ice Shelf and conducted hydrographic and geological surveys, ice reconnaissance, and demolition experiments in the area. She returned to San Pedro 31 March and underwent ice damage repairs at Long Beach.
During March 1949 while undergoing repairs at Long Beach, Burton Island was designated AGB-1. Between April 1948 and December 1956 Burton Island participated in 19 different type cruises in Arctic and Alaskan waters. Each time she returned to the west coast she received overhauls of repairs at Long Beach, Mare Island or Bremerton Naval Shipyards, then resumed her duties on the expeditions. 
Duties performed included: supply activities, helicopter reconnaissance of ice flows and packs; ice surveys and photographs; oceanographic, hydrographic, geological, coast and geodetic, and hydrophone surveys; electronic interference surveyed underwater demolition team explosions in ice packs; and arctic convoy exercises. Expeditions in which Burton Island took part were Point Barrow Resupply Expeditions (1948-1951), MICOWES-50 A; Beaufort Sea Oceanographic Expeditions; Bearing Sea Explorations; MSTS Project 572; and several expeditions into the Bering and Beaufort Seas as far north as the Arctic circle and the Canadian Northwest Territories near the Mackenzie River.
On December 15, 1966, she was transferred from the U.S. Navy to the U.S. Coast Guard and renumbered WAGB-283. The USCGC Burton Island WAGB-283 was decommissioned on May 9, 1978.
Scrapping of the Burton Island... (excerpt from Maritime Administration letter dtd November 21, 1995 as sent by Linda C. Somerville, Chief, Division of Vessel Transfer & Disposal) .."The Maritime Administration sold the vessel by auction under PD-X-1033 dtd August 17, 1980. The vessel was awarded to Levin Metals Corporation, 1800 Monterey Highway, San Jose, California 95112 on October 7, 1980, under contract No. MA-9868 for $261,000. The Burton Island was scrapped as of April 28, 1982." Submitted by: Captain Lewis O. Smith USN-Ret |