My father-in-law served on a troop transport briefly (Jan-Feb 1944) in a convoy to Europe, and his ship took a airplane launched torpedo in the bow. He received shrapnel in the knee and was transported back to the US. He was only on the ship that brief 2-3 week period, then assigned to the west coast and given survivors leave. He still has shrapnel in his knee, but the Navy has no record of that brief assignment. He says th ship was the former President's Line ship "President Tyler." I'm trying to fill in the blanks on this and getting nowhere. Any help would be appreciated.
The publication discusses troopship PRESIDENT TYLER in two places. On page 50 is information about a proposal to convert PRESIDENT TYLER to a hospital ship, plans for which were abandoned. On page 239 is information about PRESIDENT TYLER's service as a troopship. A careful reading of this page indicates that PRESIDENT TYLER operated exclusively in the Pacific theater from early 1942 into at least August 1944. This is at variance with your father-in-law's recollection of being on this ship in a convoy to Europe in January-February 1944.
Additionally, this page, listing merchant ships sunk or damaged in World War II, does not list PRESIDENT TYLER as being among the ships damaged during the war: http://www.usmm.org/sunkaz.html#anchor28979. And this page, from the same website, does not list a John Hemphill as having been injured as an Armed Guard sailor: http://www.usmm.org/ag/h.html#5007. (Of course, if the Navy doesn't have a record of his presence or injury aboard PRESIDENT TYLER, why would anyone else?)
With all respect, is it possible that your father-in-law has confused some of the details of his experience? There is not enough information provided to narrow down other possibilities. Does he remember the departure port of the convoy? The approximate departure date?
Your message indicates that your father-in-law must have at least some of his official military service record. But if not, he (or a next of kin such as your wife) could obtain his complete service record. See this page from the website I manage: http://armed-guard.com/searchmil.html, in particular section II.A.1. - Records of Individuals - U.S. Military. You will have to contact the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. Provide as much identifying information as possible. There may be a charge for research time, photocopying and mailing, but the Records Center staff will provide an estimate on the cost before beginning work. Whether his complete service record would shed any more light on this matter one cannot say but it may be worth a try.
For your information, PRESIDENT TYLER was constructed by New York Shipbuilding in Camden, New Jersey, completed in December 1920, with an original name of CREOLE STATE. She was renamed several times, becoming PRESIDENT TYLER in 1940. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1957. See http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/newyorkship.htm and scroll to hull number 245.
As an aside, your father-in-law may be interested in becoming a member of the USN Armed Guard World War II Veterans Association. The Association publishes an interesting newsletter/magazine several times a year and, best of all, it's all free! See http://www.armed-guard.com/association.html for information.
I regret not being able to provide more definitive information.
Good luck.
Ron Carlson, Webmaster Armed Guard / Merchant Marine website www.armed-guard.com
Ron Thanks for taking the time to research this. Unfortunately, You found what I also found-- I have the file of troopships and knew the Tyler was supposedly always in the Pacific in that time frame. The convoy ship John served on left from New York to join the convoy. It was sometime in January 1944. And yes, I knew that he was not on the list of Armed Guard injured in the war, even though relatives remember his injury, even though he was give survivor's leave after his return to the US from the Atlantic, and even though he still has the shrapnel in his knee. After his survivor's leave he served on freighters in the Pacific Theater for the remainder of the war, and none of his ships was ever attacked, and he sustained no injuries in the Pacific. So--the mystery remains. In any case, thank you for trying.