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Merchant Ships and Merchant Mariners during World War II: Research Sources

Related Resource: Naval Armed Guard

The main records relating to the Merchant Marine during World War II are located at the at the Modern Military Records, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001, phone (301) 837-3510 .

•  The Tenth Fleet Records contain:

1. The movement report cards for the merchant ships list the ports of call for the ships, the dates of the visit, and the convoy designation, if the ship sailed in a convoy. The cards will tell the port where each voyage ended. The logs of the merchant ships are held at the nearest records center to the U. S. port where each voyage ended.
   
2. Loss and damage reports for the merchant ships.
3. Folders for the each convoy usually containing a list of merchant ships in the convoy and the escort ships, a report by the convoy commodore, a map of the route, and message traffic concerned with the voyage, such as route changes and U-boat warnings.

Records related to the Naval Armed Guard that served on the Merchant Ships can be found in the following records collections which are also held by the Modern Military Records Branch of the National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740.

1.  Armed Guard Reports - commander of Naval Armed Guard unit wrote a report of each voyage
2.  Bureau of Naval Personnel Casualty Files - contain folder on Armed Guard casualties for each merchant ship that was sunk or damaged during World War II.

Veterans Status for World War II Merhant Mariners, write to:

• Director, National Maritime Center
  U.S. Coast Guard
  4200 Wilson Boulevard
  Suite 510
  Arlington, VA 22203
  

Merchant Marine Awards and Decoration Program for World War II Merchant Seaman - For information on merchant seamen who received medals and decorations during World War II, write to:

• U.S. Department of Transportation
  Maritime Administration-MAR 630
  Room 7304
  400 Seventh Street, SW
  Washington, DC 20590
  Attn: Seaman Awards

9 February 2004