Service in the Merchant Marine

(left, a Liberty Ship much like the ones dad "sailed" on before, during and after World War II)

In Dad's own words:

• Original enrollment June 15, 1942
• Regular enrollment as Quartermaster Third Class September 24, 1942
• Released from active duty November 24, 1942
  

First trip as a seaman in the merchant marine with the South Atlantic S.S. Company. Signed on as an Ordinary Seaman on December 18, 1942 for a coastwise trip from Wilmington North Carolina to Newport News Virginia. On the same vessel (S.S. Alexander Lillington) I signed on again for another coast wise trip but the Certificate of Discharge lists that voyage as "foreign." We called first in New York and after a few days we returned to the Chesepeake Bay and from there we joined a convoy to Casa Blanca Morrocco. That voyage ended in New York on April 19, 1943. I returned to Savannah Georgia and signed on as an Able Seaman with the same company. The ship was the S.S. Robert Toombs. She was a Liberty Ship like the Alexander Lillington and brand new. We took her from the Savannah shipyard to charleston, South Carolina and loaded five hundred pound bombs and torpedoes. The deck cargo was two air sea rescue boat much the same as torpedo boats.