aka “Spoke,” DOD (Dear Old Dad)
I probably should have written this for Veteran's Day, but Tom Hank's new movie, Greyhound, is what brought this post about. The movie is about a Navy ship in a convoy protecting Merchant Marine supply ships. Charlie's youngest daughter, Lin, asked for information about Dad's Merchant Marine career, especially during WWII, and so here we have it.
Charlie was an 18 year old working in a factory and living with his parents in Irvington, New Jersey in 1940. When we were growing up, he spoke often of his (and his father's) hatred of war, so apparently he resolved to contribute to the United States defense in a non-combatant role. He enlisted in the Merchant Marines in the Spring of 1943. This was not an act of cowardice; in fact, just the opposite.
The Merchant Marines were responsible for getting war supplies to the forces fighting in Europe and Asia. I have visited the WWII museum in New Orleans twice (do NOT miss it), and learned that the Merchant Marine suffered the largest percentage of casualties by number of enlistees by far than any other military branch (one in 26 mariners died). In 1942, the year before Charlie joined, the Allies as a whole were losing an average of 33 ships per WEEK, most in the North Atlantic to German U-boats. In March, 1943, the Merchant Marines alone lost 22 ships from two convoys bound for Europe.
The United States Merchant Marine organization (www.usmm.org) talks about weeks of training, and I assume Charlie probably did his basic training at Hoffman Island, New York (in New York Harbor) where he learned rules and regulations, sea customs and traditions, water safety, physical training, marching, resuscitation, first aid, fire equipment, lifeboat equipment, compass, gas masks, life preserver, natuical terminology, knots, and gunnery. This photo is from a January 1944 ID card – quite the handsome guy.
His first voyage was April 27, 1943 aboard the USS Typhoon where he served as an “oiler,” the essential sailors who are part of the engineering group charged with maintaining the engines. The USS Typhoon was launched in February of 1943 in Oakland, California, so Charlie served on a brand new troop transport and supply ship. For pictures and the history of the ship eventually renamed the Grand Ranger, visit this link: http://www.montezumabeach.com/grand-ranger-shipwreck/
Dad had many stories of San Francisco, most involving a district in San Francisco where the bars all had sawdust floors that provided a trail through the neighborhood streets for the sailors to follow and find an adult beverage. I assume that his first voyage left from here that took him to New Caledonia – a French island 1,000 miles from Australia. This would have taken him past the International Date Line as well as south of the Equator – two events that were celebrated by Seafarers. Dad mentioned King Neptune's Court, but never gave specifics. Wikipedia says it was basically a hazing ritual and sometimes became violent. He returned two and a half months later to San Francisco, apparently incident-free, on June 17, 1943.
SOUTH PACIFIC
The next month, July, he was aboard the USS John Bartram, a Liberty Ship, again sailing the South Pacific, not returning until November 1943. These trips made stops at multiple islands throughout the Pacific. Dad infrequently talked of his time as a seaman, but when he did talk about his travels, it usually involved the islands.
CARIBBEAN AND GULF OF MEXICO
On December 15 he boarded the USS Finley Peter Dunne in New Orleans, returning December 29, 1943. On February 28th, he set sail to Cuba on the USS Pan Orleans, probably from New Orleans, and returned on March 10 to New Orleans.
NORTH ATLANTIC
His next two voyages were in the North Atlantic, April 22 to May 29th and June 14 to July 20th aboard the USS Robin Locksley. The first was New York to Liverpool as part of Convoy CU.22, consisting of 33 merchant marine ships and 7 Navy escorts. The return was in Convoy UC.23 with 40 Merchant ships and 13 escorts. The same ship and similar route to Glasgow, Scotland in June through July was in Convoys CU.28 and UC.29. Back to Scotland and then Leningrad, Russia, aboard the USS Eloy Alfaro from September 21st to November 2nd, 1944 in Convoys HX.311, JW.61, RA.62, and ON.274.
1945, Charlie found himself aboard the USS Thomas J. Lyons, for March and April, again heading to Liverpool with a stop in Antwerp, Belgium part of Convoys HX.344, ATM.116 and ON.295. The HX.344 convoy was huge with 83 merchant vessels and 21 escorts. Although his service record does not include it, immigration records show Charlie was aboard the USS Negley D. Cochran from Jacksonville, Florida to New York in May. The last wartime voyage was on the USS Fitzhughlee from June 11th to August 5th to Antwerp and return to New York, not accompanied by a convoy.
Now let's look at the convoys, two of which sustained U-boat attacks. Charlie's CU.22 convoy to England was attacked by a U-boat and the USS Donnell Navy Destroyer escort was sunk. Twenty-nine died with 202 survivors. The second convoy attack blew the bow section off a British Destroyer escort killing 62 with 124 survivors.
I can't even imagine being in a ship below decks, and in the engine room no less, while under attack. Dad never mentioned that his convoys had been attacked, but occasionally did say he saw some terrible things, but didn't elaborate. I only found this information by tracing his ships' movements, identifying the convoys and searching for convoys that were attacked.
Although he was officially discharged by the United States Coast Guard on August 5, 1945, upon the cessation of hostilities, his tour of duty extended another three years during which time he continued to sail mostly the Atlantic, often to South America on oil tankers. He was discharged in January, 1948 and three months later, he and Mary Catherine Maas were married in Springfield, New Jersey.
During WWII, the Merchant Marine was not part of the military, but today it is part of the Coast Guard. Merchant mariners were not awarded Veteran benefits or status until 1988.
A great man from The Greatest Generation.
💓😊😢
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