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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
3/6/2010 2:35:03 PM | Information needed on the ships that returned our military back to the US at the end of the war.
I have recently been working on locating and organizing further documents that I found after my father passed away. Two of the recently located documents were:
1. His diploma from the Army Air Forces Technical School at Scott field. This certificate was for radio operator and I know my Dad had told us he was not only a Ball Turret gunner, but a radio operator as well. It was very nice to re-locate this document
2. The second document is even more interesting as it is a document given to him while aboard the ship ~~MS John Ericsson~~. The document states that he left France (after being freed as a POW, by Patton) on May 16th, 1945 and then left the United Kingdom May 19th, 1945.
Captain John TD Anderson Master Colonel T Dared Schrantz Transport Commandor was I asume the ships captain. The document is also hand signed by: JB Cambell Maj AC (not sure what the AC means...possibley acting commander).
Does anyone else have these documents or can you help with more information about the ship the MS John Ericsson or the signature at the bottom of the document. I am even wondering if there is a way to find out when they landed back on USA soil?
In case it is hard to tell...not only am I interested in Dad's history , but our family genealogy as well so any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
3/6/2010 3:22:32 PM | The Motor Ship John Ericsson would appear to have been the wartime name of the Swedish trans-atlantic liner Kungsholm, siezed by the US following Pearl Harbor for use as a troopship.
Her history, with photos, can be found HERE.
Hope that helps,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
3/6/2010 3:40:00 PM | Paul,
Thank you for that link...good information that I am printing out to save with Dad's military info as well as our family genealogy history. Do you know how I can find any information about the captain or the officer that signed the paper?
Jackie
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Paul Bellamy
3/6/2010 3:53:50 PM | Apologies Jackie, floaty things aren't in my usual sphere of research. 😉
It would appear that John W. Anderson was the Captain of the MS John Ericsson for much of her wartime service.
If I come across anything else I'll let you know.
All the best,
Paul
Paul Bellamy
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Jackie Sharp Sheflin
3/6/2010 4:05:14 PM | Paul,
Thanks Paul..I would appreciate that. I would also like to know who the officer was that signed this document as I have no idea what Maj AC is..never heard of that ..at first I thought it was May AC..the old hand written signatures are hard to read sometimes. Did all returning POW's enter through New York...does anyone know?
The more papers of Dad's I find the more questions I have. I just wish he was here to ask. I guess maybe if I had been a boy...he might have shared more. He probably figured a girl would not understand... 🙂
Jackie
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