I am looking for anyone who served on Brown Victory on the voyage that received a kamikaze attack May 1945. I would also like to know if anyone has records of that voyage.
I have found a crew list for SS BROWN VICTORY upon her arrival in San Francisco on June 26, 1945. Since most of the crew had been aboard the ship since March 1945, these men must have been aboard during the kamikaze attack of May 27, 1945. One crewman is listed as deceased, which matches the information that I have that one merchant mariner died in the attack (along with three members of the Armed Guard crew). The crew list follows, showing name and position held aboard ship. Note that some of the names are difficult to read due to poor quality copying.
Johansen, T.A. Master (i.e., captain) Damitz, Earl D. Chief mate Costain, Robert E. 2nd mate Ramsey, Marvin A. 3rd mate Nurmi, George E. Junior 3rd mate Humphrey, John J., Jr. 1st radio operator Lee, James C. 2nd radio operator Willliams, Theophoulus G. 3rd radio operator Conner, David L. Purser/pharmacist mate Shepherd, Ivan O. Carpenter Lerman, Ephriam Boatswain Johnson, Terrell W. Maintenance man Doherty, Daniel C. Maintenance man Swanson, Erling R. Able-bodied seaman (A.B.) LaMont, Donald L. A.B. [deceased; buried at Honolulu National Cemetery] Bulla, Paul M. A.B. McCullin, William R. A.B. Bietschek, Edwin N. A.B. Mellem, Christian E. A.B. Browne, Robert E. Ordinary seaman (O.S.) Frank, Russell R. O.S. Hahn, Harry O.S. Lavin, Joseph Chief engineer Curry, Jack B. 1st assistant engineer Carlson, Olaf W. 2nd assistant engineer Nutt, Lee R. 3rd assistant engineer Anderson, Austin G. Junior 3rd assistant engineer Bystry, Jack J. Junior engineer Stalmaker, Charles E. Junior engineer Fowler, Harvey R. Junior engineer MacGregor, Donald G. Chief electrician Holmes, George H. Assistant electrician Drake, David F. Oiler Halfman, Donald F. Oiler [Last name illegible], William A. Oiler [injured, left in hospital in Ie Shima] Aubin, Darrell V. Fireman/water tender (FM/WT) Nash, Robert H. FM/WT [injured, left in hospital in Ie Shima] Guerard, Joseph J. FM/WT [last name difficult to read] [injured, left in hospital in Ie Shima] Sawtell, Wayne L. Wiper Nielsen, Clifton T. Wiper Stigall, Ervil G. Wiper Froneberger, John C. Cadet-midshipman, engine Wittendorfer, Joseph Steward Stratton, Cecil W. Chief cook McGreal, Dominic F. Night cook/baker Vance, William A. 2nd cook Bustry, Paul A. 3rd cook [last name difficult to read] Orey, Dick L. Messman Schwab, Andrew Messman Mollam, Earl V. Messman [last name difficult to read] [injured, left in hospital in Ie Shima] Tucker, William C. Messman Watson, Rexford L. Messman Smith, Earl V. Messman Garver, Virgil R. Messman
I do not know whether any of these men are still living, nor do I have contact information for any of them. If any are still living, you may possibly be able to find them, at least those with more unusual names, using an online telephone directory such as www.whitepages.com.
You may be able to obtain a more or less detailed report of the voyage by contacting the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). See this page from the website I manage: http://armed-guard.com/searchmil.html, in particular section IV. Researching Ship Records. You will have to contact the Modern Military Records Unit at the NARA facility in College Park, Maryland. You would be particularly interested in the Armed Guard Logbooks and Reports for this voyage of BROWN VICTORY. Additionally you may be able to obtain a photocopy of the "Official Logbook" from BROWN VICTORY. Official Logbooks from merchant ships are kept at the NARA facility closest to the port at which a voyage ended. Since BROWN VICTORY ended the voyage in question in San Francisco, you would have to contact the NARA Regional Archive in San Francisco. The staff at the College Park facility would be able to advise you about how to contact the San Francisco facility. You will be charged for any research assistance but the NARA staff will let you know what the charge will be before they begin research on your request.
Good luck.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website www.armed-guard.com
My dad is Edwin Bietschek and he was on the Brown Victory. He says the Brown Victory began and ended her voyage out of Portland, OR. He remembers she went to San Francisco, but proceeded back to Portland, OR where she was taken out of service.
Hi I just stumbled across these posting. My father is James C Lee, 2nd radio operator. He is very much alive. I take care of him here in Florence Oregon. I very much enjoy his sea stores like the one about the kamakazi attack in which he was injured.
My father is Edwin Bietschek and he is also alive and well in West Linn, Oregon. A friend of my dad's found this website and printed out the crew list for my dad, and he's been thinking about his time in the war alot lately. Does your dad still have all of his faculties?
Mine is now 86 and is getting along very well. Perhaps I can get your dad's address so my dad can write him? What do you think?
Hi; It might be easier to have him send an email to me at: gofar@earthlimk.net Dad does not email himself.
He does not remember to many names from the crew of the Brown Victory but still has a story or two from those days. He was the Radio Officer on the day of the Kamakazi attack. They called him 'sparke' as all radio men were in those days.
I found the crew list on the subscription website Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com), which is more commonly used for genealogical research. In addition, however, Ancestry.com includes databases of crew members of merchant ships arriving from foreign ports in certain U.S. ports of entry. Depending on the port of entry, these records begin as early as the early 1800s and end as late as 1957.