SS CHARLES GOODNIGHT was a Liberty ship built by Todd Houston Shipbuilding Corporation in Houston, Texas. Her keel was laid 19 November 1943, she was launched 5 January 1944, and was completed 19 January 1944, 61 days after keel-laying. See http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergency/wwtwo/toddhouston.htm and scroll to hull #107. The Charles Goodnight after whom the ship was named was a Texas cattleman (1836-1929), said to be the best-known rancher in Texas during his lifetime, who once owned a ranch of 1,335,000 acres and 100,000 head of cattle.
After her launching CHARLES GOODNIGHT was operated by Grace Line Inc. of New York City for the U.S. War Shipping Administration. In 1947 she was sold to a French shipping company and renamed BACCARAT. In 1954 she was renamed MARGALITIS and sailed under the Liberian flag, then renamed again in 1964 to WINONA, still under the Liberian flag. She was scrapped in Aioi, Japan, in 1968. See http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsC.html and scroll down.
A list of her voyages between January 1944 and September 1945 can be seen at http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=CHARLES%20GOODNIGHT~armain.
An undated photograph of some members of the crew of the CHARLES GOODNIGHT appears at http://www.armed-guard.com/09peo.html.
A search of the Armed Guard website finds at least two men who may have served on the ship in November 1945 when your grandfather was lost. Ernest J. Heinze served on the ship between July and November 1945 (http://www.armed-guard.com/hhhh.html), and Harvey M. Seago (or Seaco) served between July 1945 and January 1946 (http://www.armed-guard.com/ssss.html). I have no additional information on these two men.
I have found a page that locates the grave of seaman 1st class Edgar G. Henneman in the American Cemetery and Memorial in Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Philippines, with a date of death of 14 November 1945; see http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=&GRid=10102030&. Perhaps you are aware of this page.
Interestingly, a search of the subscription website Ancestry.com finds seaman 1st class Edgar G. Henneman, service number 962-56-54, arriving in New York City on 2 May 1945, as part of the Armed Guard crew aboard the Liberty ship SS EDWARD E SPAFFORD. The SPAFFORD had sailed from Falmouth, England, on 18 April 1945. Edgar Henneman was assigned to the Armed Guard Center in New Orleans and, like most of the rest of the Armed Guard detail, had reported aboard the ship on 31 July 1944. His crew mates were as follows:
Barnes, Charles A. LT(jg), in command
Bauer, Benjamin F.
Bauer, James F.
Bickford, Elmer A.
Bordis, Richard A.
Casey, Thomas C.
Chapman, Warren L.
Church, William B.
Cramer, Howard D.
Dahlquist, Roland M.
Dunn, Monroe
Eades, Edward N.
Flanigan, William J.
Heaton, George W.
Holland, William C.
Kuik, Charles C.
Lynch, Arthur M.
Nagle, Matthew C.
O'Brien, Joseph T.
Rayle, Oscar E.
Savoie, Maurice M.
Trezza, Joseph A.
White, Raymond C.
Youngblood, Charles E.
I have no knowledge whether any of these men are still living, nor do I have contact information for any of them.
The voyages of the EDWARD E SPAFFORD are listed at http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/ports/index.html?search.php?vessel=EDWARD%20E%20SPAFFORD~armain.
I hope this information is useful.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster
Armed Guard website
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