Looking for any information re: my father,Nicholas Peter Duerr, From Newark NJ, discharged in Bremerton, Wash. Sept. 1945. He was a gunner's mate 3rd.

Brenda,

while I can find records of men named Robert Hunter and Robert E Hunter, none of them are associated with SS CAPE GEORGIA or SS TYPHOON. This is not to say your information is incorrect but more likely the information available to me is incomplete.

Assuming your father was in the Armed Guard, there is another avenue you can try. See this page on the Armed Guard website: http://armed-guard.com/searchmil.html, and in particular section IV.A. - "Records of U.S. Navy and Merchant Ships and Naval Units From the Modern Era." The U.S. National Archives facility in College Park, Maryland, has original records that may be of use to you, as outlined on the above web page. You would be particularly interested in "Armed Guard Logbooks and Reports," which were prepared by the Armed Guard commanding officer during and after each voyage of a vessel in which an Armed Guard contingent sailed. The reports vary in detail and completeness but very likely would list the names of the Armed Guard crew and any noteworthy events that occurred during the voyage. An accident that resulted in the loss of a sailor's fingers would certainly seem to be significant enough to enter into the commanding officer's report.

If you live close enough to College Park, you can do your own research without cost. If you live at a distance, which is likely, you can request Archives staff to research information for you and provide photocopies of any pertinent information. There will be a cost involved but the Archives will inform you of the cost before beginning work. All of this is explained on the web page noted above.

Good luck in your research.

Ron Carlson, Webmaster

What was your father's name?

Ron Carlson, Webmaster