Posted by Herbert Freedenberg on December 17, 2010, 3:23 pm
I would like any Information about the SS James Turner. My Father Marcus M was a AG on it in 1943-44. Thanks in advance.
Re: AG Service
Posted by Ron Carlson on March 17, 2011, 3:37 pm, in reply to "AG Service"
Dear Herbert,
I have finally gotten around to researching your inquiry.
SS JAMES TURNER was a Liberty ship built by the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, Wilmington, NC, in 1942. Her keel was laid 26 July, she was launched 29 September, and she was completed and delivered for service on 10 October 1942, 76 days after keel-laying. She was scrapped in Kearney, NJ, in 1970. See http://shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/4emergencylarge/wwtwo/northcarolina.htm (scroll to hull number 22) and http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/LibShipsJ-Ji.html#JamesJ (scroll to the name of the ship). Liberty ships were primarily cargo ships that carried war materiel to all theatres of war during World War II, of which more than 2,700 were built before and during the war, but JAMES TURNER was apparently one of a relatively small number that was converted to carry troops as well as cargo. She could carry as many as 550 soldiers, in conditions of great discomfort. She was named after James Milton Turner (1840-1915), an African-American educator who was active in Missouri politics and served as U.S. consul to Liberia 1871-1877. See this page for sources of photographs of World War II-era merchant ships: http://www.usmm.org/photosource.html. Within the list, note that Mr. Hultgren specializes in Liberty ships. He is quite elderly but at last report he is actively managing his collection.
I found specific information about your father and his shipmates aboard JAMES TURNER, through a search of the subscription website Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com). This website is more commonly used for genealogical research, but I have learned that it has information on the names of crew members of merchant ships that arrived in certain U.S. ports of entry following a voyage from a foreign destination. There is extensive information on some ports, such as New York, with lesser information available for other ports.
I found JAMES TURNER arriving in New York on 25 April 1945, having sailed from Cherbourg, France, from which she had departed on 5 April. She had originally left Baltimore about 21 February with additional stops in Philadelphia and New York before commencing the eastbound voyage across the Atlantic. She left New York on 9 March 1945 in Convoy HX-342, which contained 73 merchant ships and 29 warship escorts. See http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/hx/index.html. For the westbound return voyage JAMES TURNER was a part of Convoy ON-295 (93 merchant ships and 19 escorts). On this voyage she carried about 500 prisoners of war, presumably German. See http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/on/index.html.
Subsequently JAMES TURNER arrived in New York on 30 June 1945 from LeHavre, France, from which she had sailed on 17 June. Her eastbound voyage (9 May – 3 June) was in Convoy HX-357, the next-to-last convoy from New York to Europe since the war ended while she was in transit. She was likely not part of a convoy on the westbound return trip.
Your father was identified by his serial number (military ID number) of 908 80 37, he was a seaman first class (S 1/c), and he had reported aboard JAMES TURNER on 9 December 1944.
Following are the names of his Armed Guard ship mates for at least one of these two voyages. With one possible exception, I do not know whether any of these men are still living, nor do I have contact information for any of them.
James Edward Allison Leo Frank Archer Don Balsley Robert Charles Bauman George Franklin Blanchard Wilbur L Buchanan Calvin McQuillan Clark Edward J Cleary Gilbert Wesley Collins, LT(jg) (Armed Guard officer) Edward Sherman Crockett, Jr., LT (Armed Guard commanding officer) Harry Arthur Egelhoff Allen Alexander Evans Marcus Milton Freedenberg Cyril Joseph Hamel Henry Samuel Harrison Robert Kenneth Hegna Robert Wayne Hoffman Jerome Joseph Jaskowiak Jesse Morgan Kicklighter Donald I Knab Edward J Kolenda John Roosevelt Lee Jr Earl Leroy Lowe Charles W Lowman James Franklin Lucas William Henry Matthews Ernest Mautino Francis Joseph McCullough Gordon Willis Ottman Roswell Jacob Ortt Frank P Priore Kenneth J Raper Edward Theodore Riechmann Donald Clair Rough Gabriel William Steinberg Charles Alfred Stoffel Charles Otis Sutton Jr Nicholas Michael Szkodzinsky Floyd Taylor Raymond Todd Stanley Francis Wasnieski Clifford Wheeler Marion Wilson Jr.
I have possible contact information for a Roswell Ortt, which I will send in a separate e-mail, should you wish to contact him.
Best wishes.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website www.armed-guard.com
Re: AG Service
Posted by Herbert Freedenberg on March 18, 2011, 9:42 am, in reply to "Re: AG Service"
Thanks so much for the Info.
Re: AG Service
Posted by Bridgette Walsh on December 20, 2016, 3:44 pm, in reply to "Re: AG Service"
Roswell Ortt is still living today, and will celebrate his 99th birthday on December 21st, 2016. I am his granddaughter.