Posted by Donna Mitchell on April 9, 2017, 3:25 pm
My Father, James P. Mitchell, was a Seaman 1/C in the Armed Guard from 1943-2/47. He served on the SS Ben T. Osbourne, SS Frances Parkman & a seagoing tug SS Mosopelia, ATF 158, an auxillary fleet tug (?).
I have a partial account of some of his ports that has huge gaps. Basic training was in Bainbridge, MD and gunnery school in Norfolk, VA (4/43). He lists Cuba & Panama Canal (12/43), Honolulu & Pearl Harbor (1/44), Marshall Islands, Seattle, WA, San Pedro, Perth, AU, Ceylon & Calcutta (6/44), Sydney & New Castle, AU (7/44), New Ireland to Subic (?) Bay, Philippines (2/45), 30 day leave (4/45),France, Morocco (mid'45), Italy, Panama Canal (12/45), Guadalcanal (2/46),Tokyo Bay (10/46), assigned SS Dauntless, PG 61, Norfolk, VA. Somewhere in there he served on patrol, search & rescue and on a YO (yard oiler) out of Reykjavik, Iceland.
Is it possible to get copies of the ship's log books? A thorough service record? If so, how?
Please contact me @ dededonna53@att.net. Thanks ahead of time for any help you can give!
Thanks for responding! I'm looking forward to any help you can supply, no matter how lengthy.
Since I've posted, I have contacted Vetrecs, National Personnell Record Center, St. Louis, MO via email and US mail as per their request. A reply is due within 30 days.
Also contacted the Navy Yard, Washington, DC requesting ship's logs and such.
Any further information will be greatly appreciated.