I have found a record of SS GEORGE W JULIAN departing San Francisco on or about April 25, 1944, and returning to San Francisco on September 21, 1944. Her destinations were all locations in the Pacific, including Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands; Noumea, New Caledonia; Hollandia, New Guinea; and Finschhafen, New Guinea, not necessarily in that order. There may have been other ports of call.
On a subsequent voyage, she departed Seattle on or about November 10, 1944, and returned to Honolulu on January 8, 1945 (and probably proceeded to the mainland USA thereafter). Her destination was Kwajalein, Marshall Islands. Again, there may have been other ports of call.
Logically, she must have been operating earlier in 1944, prior to her departure from San Francisco in April 1944, but I have not been able to locate other records. The records I have found only identify crew members aboard the ship for the voyages in question, not any passengers.
This web page, http://www.vmb613.com/deployment.htm, records the movement of Marine Bombing Squadron 613, from Arkansas through Texas and continuing to San Diego. Part of the squadron boarded GEORGE W JULIAN in San Diego on November 22, 1944, destination Honolulu and, eventually, Kwajalein. It is entirely possible and in fact likely that GEORGE W JULIAN called at San Diego on the voyage that began in Seattle on November 10, 1944, and continued to Kwajalein. Is this the bomber group in which you are interested?
I hope the above information is useful.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster
Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website
www.armed-guard.com
Responses
« Back to index | View thread »