J. Welles Henderson Archives and Library World War II Collections Guide Prepared by Nicholas Woznyj and Peter Kesselring, 2011.
After years of nationalism, the mighty German and Japanese people began expanding their empires by conquering neighboring countries in the late 1930’s. Germany ended up conquering most of Europe by the summer of 1940 with only Britain left to stop Hitler’s armies advancing any further. Meanwhile, the Japanese launched a massive bloody invasion in China as well as attacking a number of European colonies in the Far East such as French Indo-China. Meanwhile, the United States remained neutral for much of the war as the horrors of the First World War were still fresh in their minds, but war eventually came t the United States as the Japanese attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. The United States’ entry into the war, as well as a massive error by the Hitler on deciding to attack the Soviet Union, turned the tide of the war as the German and Japanese militaries became progressively weaker and weaker till the point of surrender as the war dragged on.
While a large focus of World War II is on the military’s experience on faraway battlefields, the effort put out by people on the home front proved to be just as valuable in achieving victory. The United States was the world’s greatest industrial power at the time so the American military was well supplied throughout the war due to the efforts of hard working Americans back home. Since many men joined the military through the draft or volunteering, much of America’s industrial workforce were young women who were doing their part to help out with the war effort. As for Philadelphia, a large focus on the regions local economy focused on shipbuilding in numerous docks along the Delaware River.
The Independence Seaport Museum offers a wide range of historical documents and artifacts that reflect the World War II time period. The artifacts in this collection represent both the war effort overseas as well as life back at home. This collection includes manuscripts, photographs, logbooks, letters, prints, ship models, books, and artifacts.
Under the home front/civilians category, the museum offers a collection of various primary sources that show what life was like in Philadelphia or the United States in general during WWII. This collection in everything from family records, diaries, newspapers, photographs, drawings, and maps.
The military and diaries collection consists of primary sources that had a direct impact on the war effort. Items in this collection include ship logs, ship plans, military officials’ diaries, maps and much more
Archive Materials Home Front and Civilian Effort
Manuscript Records
Amethyst papers, 1939
Sketches and correspondence between Frederick C. Geiger at Yacht Sales & Service in Philadelphia and Mark S. Hough of Woonsocket, RI regarding modifications Hough desired to be made to his yacht, Amethyst. Letters discuss the feasibility of creating a shelter over the boat's forward cockpit.
Bethlehem Steel Corporation records, 1915-1959
This is a collection of approximately 600 black and white photographs from the early 20th century. Images are of ships under construction, ships underway, parts, and launchings. Some of the photos are from Harlan and Hollingsworth and Federal Shipbuilding. Also included in the collection are printed materials from Bethlehem Steel Corporation and its shipbuilding division. These materials include: brochures, newsletters, periodicals (1914-1976), biographical information on Charles Schwab, and memorials to Schwab. Newsletters include the Fore River Log (1915-1920) and the Bethlehem Booster (1918-1919).
Charles Detwiler papers, 1937
Invitations and tickets for the launching of USS Skipjack, October 23, 1937.
Edward Brownlee papers, 1930-1992
This collection is scheduled to be arranged and described. Please stay tuned for updated collection information. The collection consists of scrapbooks and papers assembled by Edward Brownlee. There are two scrapbooks on the Port of Philadelphia, which contain clippings, magazine and newspaper illustrations, photographs, notes and lists of ships by line, and several maps. Lines represented include White Star, Holland America, American Export, and Banana Sales Corporation. There is also a disbound scrapbook on schooners, which contains photographs and clippings from the early 1930s. Schooners represented include Edna Hoyt, George W. Elzey, Jr., Copperfield of Mobile, Nomis, Edward R. Smith, and others. Miscellaneous papers of Brownlee, 1933-1992, include: a mall batch of correspondence (1930s-1980s); notes on photographs of schooners; newspaper clippings about shipping in the Port of Philadelphia; Brownlee's research notes, including notes on Joseph Ogden (a ferryman in Philadelphia in the 18th century), and on tonnage measurements in marine archaeology; typescripts of articles by Brownlee, including "Reconstruction of oasting Schooners" and "Recollections of Several Depression-Era Voyages and Coasting Schooners"; annotated sketches of an oystering schooner; and a 1991 letter from Brownlee regarding his connection with Independence Seaport Museum's library. The collection also contains line plans, circa 1990s, by Edward G. Brownlee. These include plans for William E. Lee, Electa Bailey, New Ironsides, and General Banks.
Francis S. Cox, 1942-1944
Mscellaneous papers of Francis S. Cox related to his service in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
F.R. Young ephemera collection, 1942-1945
Collection information unavailable at this time. Please contact us for more information.
Independence Seaport Museum collection of Pennsylvania Nautical School material, 1795-2006
In 1940 the administration of the school was transferred to the United States Maritime Commission and renamed the Pennsylvania Maritime Academy, but this administration was discontinued in March 1942 and the cadets and officers were transferred to the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y. to complete their training. The schoolship Annapolis was replaced in 1941 by the 33 year-old steam powered former Coast Guard cutter Senaca.
The state of Pennsylvania resumed administration of the school in September 1942 when the schoolship Seneca was returned to the state and renamed Keystone State. A shore base was established at Morrisville, Pennsylvania in 1945 to augment the shipboard training facilities. The schoolship Keystone State was replaced in 1946 by USS Selinur and renamed Keystone State II. With newer facilities there were plans for increasing the training program to a three-year course, with two practice cruises and a minimum of five hundred hours per year of classroom time . However, charges of poor management and newspaper allegations of "mutinous" behavior by cadets coupled with dwindling support in the State government, and a decline in applicants, resulted in the closing of the Pennsylvania Maritime Academy, on June 20, 1947.
The Independence Seaport Collection of Pennsylvania Nautical School material documents the School and its alumni association the Pennsylvania Nautical Schoolship Association largely through photographs, class yearbooks, alumni newsletters, course materials, postcards, programs, and other ephemera. The collection spans the entire existence of the school, but the bulk of the materials are from the 1920’s to the 1940’s.
Independence Seaport Museum collection of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard oral histories, 1993-1999
The Philadephia Naval Shipyard Oral History Project consists of a series of fifteen interviews exploring the history of work and community at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (PNSY) from the World War II era to the present. Most of the interviewees were former PNSY employees who worked as apprentices, journeymen, superintendents, clerks, and labor organizers in the yard's core divisions. The project was conducted by the Philadelphia Maritime Museum (now the Independence Seaport Museum) and directed by Thomas Heinrich.
Collection of interviews and papers from the Philadephia Naval Shipyard Oral History Project. Items in the collection include: CDs, audiocassettes, and DAT tapes of interviews; files on the project, including transcripts, release forms, correspondence, and questionnaires; and background materials on the Naval Shipyard and photocopies of
newspaper articles.
Independent Pier Company, 1909-1980
This is a collection of records of the Independent Pier Company. There are maintenance logs for various tugs, 1967-1980; and towing/lighterage logs (1942-1946, 1949-1951, 1961). Records for the tug Neptune include certificates of inspection, capital stock reports, receipts and bills of sale for shares.. Other records include: account books of Independent Pier Co., 1932-1939 and 1944-1951; The collection also contains records related to the Independent Pier Company's involvement with the War Shipping Administration (1941-1947), including contracts, correspondence and memoranda, financial statements, records related to contractors, stevedores, and overtime expense recovery following the war.
Irwin T. Massey papers, 1941-1966
This is a collection of the papers of Irwin T. Massey. Materials include: reports; articles; printed catalogs on marine power plant engineering and dredge engineering; ships data and work schedules for the construction of Hopper dredges; photographs; ships plans; and several maps.
J.H. Perrine Boat Shop records, 1903-1963
This is a collection of records of the J. H. Perrine boat shop. Materials include: order and account books, listing customers, boats purchased, and payment information (sometimes including rough sketches of vessels) (1903-1963); ledgers of expenses, including wages paid, electricity and telephone, sail cloth, paint, oil, hardware, and so on; and daybook of sales of marine supplies. Other materials in the collection include: a small amount of correspondence to J.H. Perrine from customers and suppliers; product brochures; bills; price lists; newspaper clippings; cloth samples; and a 1952 list of "Diamond class" hulls (#110-129) built by Perrine, including customer name and cost. The collection also includes black and white photographs of sneakboxes designed and built by Perrine, including the 15 ft. Barnegat sneak and one tinted photo of yacht races in Beachwood, New Jersey
John E. Hand & Sons Co. records, 1865-2002
The collection documents the business activities of the John E. Hand & Sons Company from its institution in 1873 to 1997, when the company was sold. The collection boasts a wide breadth of material that includes legal documents, financial records, patents, correspondence, contracts, reports, catalogs and other ephemera, photographs, and engineering plans. Together, the records provide a thorough account of the firm’s operations.
John Orner papers, 1896-1978
The Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company were incorporated in May 23, 1916, as a tanker-building subsidiary of the Sun Oil Company. Soon after its founding it began building ships for other companies. During World War II, the National Defense Program helped make the Sun shipyard one of the world's biggest producers of oil tankers. The company launched its final ship in 1980. John Orner, Sr. (1905-1983), was a Sun Ship machinist. Orner worked for Sun from around 1931 to 1970.
This is a collection of records of the Sun Shipbuilding Company. Materials include: files on hulls 451-628 (not complete), with records related to trial trips, trial materials, and work lists; records of repairs made to SS Antonietta, SS E.J. Henry, MS Bidwell and others, 1941-1965; technical drawings and Sunship technical information; instruction and service manuals for engine, hydraulic, propulsion, and refrigeration equipment; and books related to marine engineering and equipment. John Orner's personal employment files include: work schedules; weekly and monthly time books (1937-1947); premium cards (1931-1941); yearly wage cards (1931-1941); union dues receipts and records (1933-1935); union booklets and pamphlets (1941-1953); other work forms and records; memos from Sun and from the union to employees (1936-1958); employee handbooks; and clippings about Sun Shipbuilding and Glomar Exporer. The collection also includes drawings from Chester Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (later named Merchant Shipbuilding Corp.), Chester, Pennsylvania, including ship fittings and engine and fire room details; and an Engineer's Outfit and Spare Part List for contract 387 (Philadelphia Fire Boat J. Hampton Moore). Oversize materials include separation notices, shop newsletters, notice on working hours, and flyers.
Lavino Shipping Co. records, 1943
Lavino Shipping Company log of port movements and work performed in 1943. The records are organized by vessel and list name of captain and owner, port of origin, dates and times of arrival, docking location, duration of loading or discharging of cargo, any other operations taking place while vessel was docked, draft of the vessel prior to departure, and the amount of fuel on arrival and departure. The materials being loaded and unloaded include chrome ore, magnesite ore, iron ore, molasses, sugar, crude oil, gasoline, steel, lumber, slag ballast, cement, scrap iron, and explosives. The set of records includes an overall index of arrivals in chronological order and separate indexes for each letter of the alphabet.
Leslie M. Keating papers, 1943-1944
The collection documents the business activities of the John E. Hand & Sons Company from its institution in 1873 to 1997, when the company was sold. The collection boasts a wide breadth of material that includes legal documents, financial records, patents, correspondence, contracts, reports, catalogs and other ephemera, photographs, and engineering plans. Together, the records provide a thorough account of the firm’s operations.
O.P. Merril papers, 1926-1981
This is a collection of the personal and professional papers of O.P. Merrill. Materials include: photographs and slides of sailboats (many of Comet class boats) with Merrill sails and photos of sailing races (specific vessels include Brilliant, Dorade, Tradescantia, Edlu, and Barfly); Plans in the collection include: folded plans for subchasers (designed by Luder's Marine Construction Co. and Sparkman & Stephens), 1941-1942; rolled boat plans by Merrill and others; these include sloops, dinghies, Penguins, Dusters, Comets; plans by Merrill for various types of sails for small craft. Records related to Merril’s business include: business correspondence, including letters from vendors and customers; files on materials and equipment; financial records, including tax forms, check stubs; Merrill Sails agreement of partnership (between Merrill and Charles W. Lyon, Jr.); dissolution agreement between Merrill and Lyon; a looseleaf binder of sail specifications for Merrill Sails; and several sailcloth sample books and some loose sail cloth samples. Additional materials in the collection include: personal correspondence, 1941-1943, primarily from Merrill's parents (Mr. and Mrs. Edward K. Merrill); personal financial papers, including health records, financial investments, tax returns; address books; and ephemera. Printed materials include yearbooks for various classes of sailboats and several bound volumes of Transactions of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard collection, 1862-1996
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, formerly Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The site's role as a U.S. Navy facility ended on 30 September 1995. Soon after, the West end of the site became a commercial shipyard, currently called the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. The Navy still maintains a presence at the location, especially via Naval Surface Warfare Center Ship Systems Engineering Station, and the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NIMSF), which continues to store decommissioned and mothballed ships.
This collection is scheduled to be arranged and described. Please stay tuned for updated collection information. A collection of papers, personnel records and memorabilia related to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Personnel materials include: employee/telephone directories; employee manuals; instruction manuals for shipriggers, shipfitters, machinists, and welders; trade skills description; glossary of shipbuilding terms; photographs of workers (portraits and candids of people at work and social gatherings); ID badges, stickers, and other ephemera; receipts and notes; and schedules of wages. Other papers and records include: roll of Sparmakers and Boatbuilders, 1873-1881; Foreman's muster book of boatbuilders, coopers, and blockmakers, 1900-1905; List of vessels ordered, 1918-1920; time study for U.S. Navy shipbuilding, 1900-1910; plans on mylar of Naval Shipyard facilities and shops, 1974; booklet of general plans for USS Cimarron, 1939; an 1862 pamphlet "Navy Yard on the Delaware"; several Navy Day programs between 1914 and 1952; Appreciation Week program, 1983; invitations for launchings; visitors' register from the office of the Shipyard Commander, 1964-1996; and PNSY letterhead. Apprentice school materials include: timesheets and schedules; commencement programs and certificates; graduation photographs of apprentices; and yearbooks. Printed materials in the collection include: manuals and journals on equipment and trade skills, many published by the Naval Training and Training Support Command; and printed labor agreements between Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and the Metal Trades Council and the Planners, Estimators & Progressmen Association. Photographs in the collection include: images of the shipyard, a number related to the construction of USS Dobbin, circa 1920; other photographs of ship construction from the era of the 1920s; snapshots around the Navy Yard from the 1940s; shots of the drydocks and USS Valley Forge; photographs of the USMC Depot of Supplies, ca. 1940s; a 1981 photograph of the construction of I-95; approximately 150-200 glass lantern slides, circa 1919 and 1940s; and slides of "72 shop" ships, machine shops, workers. Closing Ceremony materials include: 4 copies of a video "Historical Journey of Excellence"; "Philadelphia Quality Process" video; "Meritorious Commendation Award Ceremony" video; the last ship deck log kept at the PNSY, 1996; 1991 photo of shipyard employees; statements on the yard's closing by members of the "17 Shop"; a program and other materials for the 1996 closing ceremony. Additional items include: strategic planning reports; a 1993 Historic Preservation planning report; and a 1989 microfiche card index of Navy publications and forms.
Port of Philadelphia Collector of Customs, 1910-1966
This collection consists of ten volumes of Master Carpenter's certificates (also referred to as Builder's certificates) for vessels registered in the Port of Philadelphia, 1910-1966; one volume of title abstracts and builder's certificates for Gulf Oil vessels registered in Port Arthur, Texas, 1937; files from the collector of customs, bulk 1942-1958, related to vessel titles, including records of sales, title transfers, mortgage endorsements; and marine circulars from the Treasury Department Bureau of Customs, 1941-1960 and customs regulation documents.
Port of Wilmington Collector of Customs records, 1916-1960
This is a collection of vessel licenses issued by the Collector of Customs, Port of Wilmington, Delaware, 1916-1960. Licenses are bound into volumes in chronological order. Licenses for vessels under 20 tons are maintained in separate volumes.
RTC Shipbuilding Co. records, 1934-1965
In 1940, Leroy M. Robinson (president), George R. Taylor (Vice-president), and John P. Carson (secretary and treasurer) formed RTC Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey. All three men were former executives at J.H. Mathis Company. After the death of Robinson and the retirement of Taylor in 1946, Carson became the firm's president and assumed sole ownership. Prior to World War II, the yard produced two oil barges, one tugboat, and six oil tankers. During World War II, 28 self-propelled oil tankers were built for the U.S. Navy. For excellence in workmanship and its high rate of production, the company received two Army-Navy "E" awards, each with four stars. After the war, the yard returned to commercial work and developed the largest trade in repair of medium size work boats and naval vessels in the Delaware Valley area.
This collection is scheduled to be arranged and described. Please stay tuned for updated collection information. This is a collection of records of the RTC Shipbuilding Company. Materials include: plans and specifications for vessels built, repaired, and repowered by RTC (#134-243, not complete); a variety of calculations including hold and tank capacities, displacement, rudder torque, and power and weight; cost estimates for materials and labor; proposals; a small amount of correspondence with parts and equipment suppliers, customers, and the American Bureau of Shipping; materials orders and receipts; product brochures for RTC vessels; trial trip notes; newspaper clippings; and a listing of hulls built by RTC (#131-211). Vessels represented include tugs, barges, yachts, fishing vessels, cruisers, tankers, seine boats, and fire boats. The collection also includes photographs and negatives, 1930s and 1940s, for hulls 131-237 (not complete). Photos document launchings, vessels during construction, vessels on the river, the shipyard, group portraits of staff, launching party guests, and the awarding of the "Army/Navy 'E'" banner to RTC. Subject files in the collection include shipbuilder product brochures, plans, magazine articles, and general design information on yachting, yacht machinery, design, hull data, spar sails, rigging, and ice skimming boats (mid-1930s to mid-1940s). The collection also includes glass plate negatives of ship prints (Jean-Jerome Baugean engravings, and others).
Sun Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company records, 1916-1986
The Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company was incorporated in May 23, 1916 as a tanker-building subsidiary of the Sun Oil Company. Soon after its founding it began building ships for other companies. During World War II, the National Defense Program helped make the Sun shipyard one of the world's biggest producers of oil tankers. The company launched its final ship in 1980.
Shipbuilding include: lists and registers of ships; rolled charts of hulls built by Sun from 1931 to 1981 (listing ship name, construction and delivery dates, measurements, owner, engine type, cargo capacity, and other information). Also include a copy of the 1986 Centennial Celebration: The Story of Sun Company, brochures, booklets, and reports of the United Seaman's Service and the U.S. Maritime Service (1940s); various other printed materials on shipfitting, rigging, pumps, and engines; and brochures of other shipbuilding and transportation companies.
Photographs
Aero Service Corporation photographs and negatives, 1925-1956
This is a collection of aerial photographs of Philadelphia, Camden, Atlantic City and the surrounding area. Includes many images of the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and images of area infrastructure, such as bridges, rail lines, marine and rail terminals, and highways. There are a number of industrial sites documented here, including Sun Shipbuilding, New York Shipbuilding, Federal Shipbuilding, Pennsylvania Railroad facilities, Allied Chemical, Armstrong Cork Co, and the Gulf Refining Company. Other images include ships, flooded areas, the Atlantic Fleet, boat races on the Schuylkill, and area beaches. Formats in the collection include negative and positive transparencies on film and glass plate negatives and photographic prints; there are also five rolls of film. Most of the images are taken at oblique angles, though some are taken from directly overhead. The bulk of the images were taken between 1925 and 1941, and there are a small number of images from 1951-1953.
Dorothy Ratajski photographs, 1942-1958
Collection information is currently unavailable. Please contact us for more information.
Harlan & Hollingsworth records, 1917-1947
This is a collection of records of the Harlan Plant of Bethlehem Shipbuilding. Materials include: tonnage statements (listing ships that have been delivered, with their hull numbers and dimensions); list of vessels with the Dahl oil burning system; news releases and telegrams related to Bethlehem Steel workers' purchase of war bonds, 1942; and a letter regarding improper loading of rail cars, 1947. Other materials in the collection include: aerial photos of the Harlan plant; photo of Bangor (later called Scourge) built by Harlan & Hollingsworth; and plans of the Wilmington Yard of Bethlehem Steel (Harlan yard), 1942.
Josef Liener collection of Philadelphia Naval Shipyard photographs and memoranda, 1916-1957
This is a collection of approximately 450 black and white photos from the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Images document modeling, construction, and testing of vessels at the yard. Ships represented in the photographs include 40-foot and 50-foot utility boats, personnel and rescue boats, minesweeping launches, a LCVP (landing craft vehicle, personnel), and area command cutters. The collection also includes some photographs of personnel. Memos from the Industrial Department of the Navy Yard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and from the Navy Department, dated 1921 and 1942-1943, relate to materials and procedures to be used in glue-laminated wood construction.
William Campbell photographs, 1935-1940
Photographs, negatives, and photographer's notes by William Campbell. Most of the images are waterfront scenes taken in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts in the mid to late 1930s. Includes images of workers and facilities of Sun Shipbuilding in Chester, Pennsylvania and scenes around Rockport, Massachusetts. The collection also includes a copy of the Challenger Sketchbook, which was designed by Campbell.
Maps
Independence Seaport Museum Chart Collection, 1811-1976
This is a collection of approximately 200 rolled charts, dating from the early 19th century to the mid 20th century, with the largest concentration dating from the mid to late 19th century. The charts cover a wide geographical range, including the Atlantic Ocean and North American coast, Florida and the Caribbean, the Delaware River, China and Japan, Great Britain, and other locations.
Military Documents and Diaries
Manuscript Records
Albert Family papers, 1859-1956
This is a collection of Albert family papers. Materials include correspondence, journals, scrapbooks of John Seaman Albert and his brother Sidney Albert during their naval careers. Albert, III, materials include: a photo album kept during his service aboard USS Naifeh and a log book from that time (1944-1945); scrapbook of clippings related to the attack on USS Kearny, 1941; personal papers related to his U.S. Navy service; and photos of Naifeh, its officers and crew, and photos of Kearney. The collection also includes photographs of Mary Albert, Sadie Albert (aunt), Sarah Albert (wife of John S.)
Albert T. Lang papers, 1899-1959
This is a collection of papers of Albert Lang. Materials include: correspondence and other documents of Albert Lang and Emilie Lang from the Navy Department related to retirement and veteran's benefits; service records including orders, appointments, changes of duty, and discharges, 1914-1947, including a certificate of appointment to USS Olympia as Oiler, 1909; correspondence between Albert Lang and his sister, 1899 and 1921; Albert and Emilie Lang's marriage certificate; correspondence from the Cruiser Olympia Association; and clippings related to Olympia, circa 1959. Photos in the collection include: portrait photographs, cabinet card photos, and photo postcards of Albert Lang and other sailors from the World War I period; reproduction photographs of Olympia's baseball team; photos of a war-damaged town (World War I period, unlabeled); a panoramic photo of Company 1328 Civilian Conservation Corps at Sunnamahoning, Pennsylvania, 1933; a panoramic photo of the crew of USS New Jersey, 1913; and commemorative photos of ships USS Indiana, USS New Hampshire, and others. Other materials in the collection include: programs, menus, and other ephemera from events on board various ships, including USS New Hampshire, USS Nebraska, and USS Pennsylvania; and miscellaneous printed volumes and souvenir booklets. The collection also includes a letter related to Albert's son, Charles, attempt to enroll in the U.S. Naval Academy and a copy of a report of physical examination.
Becuna (Submarine) plans, 1943-1962
Launched in 1944, the Becuna (SS-319) completed five wartime patrols in the Pacific Ocean. During World War II, "Becky" prowled the Pacific Ocean for Japanese ships, and is credited with sinking 3.5 Japanese merchant ships
Charles H. Lang papers, 1941-1992
This is a collection of photographs and papers of Charles Lang. Photographs and photo postcards from Tinian, 1944, include: images of Charles Lang and his crew mates (candid shots of the men sleeping, working out, drinking, swimming, and goofing around); photographs of damaged Japanese planes and crashes; photographs of "plane art" and "truck art"; and USMC photos of the Marines' invasion of Tinian. Subjects of photographs taken on Okinawa include Lang and crew mates, planes, battle damage, and aerial shots. Other photos include: photographs from Hawaii, including several color prints; several group shots of crew and officers, possibly during training; and a framed photograph of Lang's class at Aviation Mechanics School. Other materials in the collection include: Lang's notebooks from engineering courses, and training course certificates; printed photographic record of VJ-7 Squadron activities; copies of Atlantic Fleet News (publication of SIU Atlantic Tanker Fleet Organizing Committee - AFL), 1953; a copy of Uncle Sam's Army, How It Fights, 1943; military issue currency; a document in Japanese; a U.S. Naval Reserve ID card, 1952; a photo album of 1992 VS 50 reunion; and several newspaper clippings.
Charles H. Meigs engineering notebooks, 1938-1945
2 engineer logs from the USS Enterprise. First one is an order book and the other is an engineer’s journal. 1 Engineer’s journal of the USS Tennesee. 1 Course notebook from the USS Ellet.
David S. Kloss papers, 1941-1993
Collection of papers documenting the career Davis S. Kloss III. Materials include: graduation, appointment, license, and discharge certificates from the Merchant Marine and the Naval Reserve; Coast Guard licenses, 1968 and 1969; USN identification card; Kloss's continuous discharge book (1942-1957); VFC certificate authorizing the establishment of the Cherry Hill post; news clippings related to the scuttling of USS Algol; and other certificates and several Merchant Marine and Pennsylvania Schoolship alumni publications. Also included in the collection are photos of David S. Kloss III, a photo of the Pennsylvania Nautical Schoolship, and a photo of USS Cavalier.
Donald E. Robinson papers, 1943-1948
Donald E. Robinson served in World War II on USS Bennington. His rank was mailman third class.
Papers of Donald E. Robinson related to his service in the U.S. Navy serving aboard USS Bennington. Materials include: letters to his parents; letters to Robinson from family, friends, and fellow church members; several issues of Bennington newsletters, including The Busy B; "Ben-Trav-Log" form letters; ID cards and travel passes; a plank owner certificate; maps of Bennington's movements; a printed pictorial history of Bennington; certificates; a "serviceman's address book"; pamphlets and menu from the commissioning of Bennington; church service programs; photographs taken on board Bennington, including photos of Robinson; and application materials for a veteran's bonus.
George Betts research materials on SS Muskogee, 1942-2002
The George Betts collection consists of letters, photographs, clippings, maps and other materials gathered in the course of his search for information about the fate of his father, William W. Betts and the tanker SS Muskogee. In 1942, Muskogee was lost at sea. She was en route from Trinidad to Halifax, and expected to arrive on March 25, 1942. After the ship failed to appear, she was presumed lost with her crew of 34, the result of enemy action. Little was known about the fate of the ship or her crew.
Henry Edward Frenzel, Jr. papers, 1944-1945
Identification certificate, identification card, service certificate, seaman passport, and travel order for Henry Frenzel, 1944-1945.
Inverso family papers, 1943-1945
The Lena Inverso Papers consist primarily of correspondence in the form of letters, postcards, and V-Mail received from her younger brothers Joe and Albert written while they served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, respectively, between 1943 and 1945.
John H. Mathis Company records, 1919-1965
This is a collection of plans and records for ships built by Mathis, including barges, tugs, tankers, patrol vessels, cargo vessels, trawlers, yachts, and fireboats. Rolled plans for hulls 93-216 include general arrangement plans (present for most hulls) and inboard and outboard profiles and plans of systems, machinery, infrastructure, ordnance, and other particulars (present for many hulls, with a large number of plans present for hulls 136, 147, 166). In addition there are plans for the minesweeper AM 57 USS Auk; 418, 1942 YO; W2 82/83 US Net Tenders; other ships for which Mathis did design or repair work; and plans of the yard. Folded plans and accompanying records for hulls 96-214 include: drawings and blueprints, notes on measurements; structural calculations; material orders and lists; labor and materials costs; hull and machinery plan lists; inventories of parts, machinery, appliances, and equipment; photographs and negatives; specification books; test notes; correspondence with the American Bureau of Shipping; a small amount of correspondence with suppliers, vendors, and customers; work schedules with estimated completion dates; a printed proposal for bid and specifications for a New York City fire boat, along with the typed Mathis bid; and a specification for bidders from the War Department for a cargo vessel (hull 147). The collection also features photographs and negatives of hulls 130-185, including images of ships during various stages of the construction and launches; photos of the yard; photos of yard workers; photos of the interior of Mathis Shipbuilding; photos of executive staff; and photos of piers 1, 2, and 4. Additional materials in the collection include: receipts for stocks bought and sold for W.W. Robinson; a small amount of financial information, circa 1945; product brochures; employee identification badges; a small number of newspaper clippings; and an index of plans (not complete).
John MacDonald papers, 1936-2000
This is a collection of business records of the Luckenbach Steamship Co. Materials include: order books of SS J.L. Luckenbach, 1951-1954, including standing orders for Deck Officers and Night Orders; pilot's licenses, 1987-1990; copies of U.S. Customs Department regulations related to repairs in foreign ports and lading; charts for determining ballast requirements; blank inspection report forms; a blank checklist for official ship documents; a blank fire investigation report; and a sheet of Luckenbach letterhead. Materials related to John MacDonald include: discharge papers from the U.S. Coast Guard-Merchant Marine; two discharge books with records of MacDonald's service aboard ships, 1937-1955; a certificate for service in the U.S. Merchant Marine; a diploma from the Sperry Gyroscope Company, 1936; and a record of MacDonald's employment with the Luckenbach Steamship Co.
Lawrence Sargent papers, 1927-1975
Lawrence Guy Sargent, born in Maine in 1907, enlisted in the Merchant Marine circa 1925, and served until at least 1969. Sargent died in 1993.
Certificates of discharge, letters of reference, receipts, medical records and identification cards of Lawrence G. Sargent, relating to his service in the Merchant Marine.
Paul G. Schmidt papers, 1944-1989
Paul Gerhard Schmidt, was born in 1923 and moved to Philadelphia in 1932. Schmidt attended Overbrook High School and later Penn State University where he studied chemistry. He left college to go to work. In 1944 he entered the Merchant Marine Academy. He retired to Philadelphia in 1948, after which he worked for [Bethlehem Steel?] and then for SEPTA, where he worked for 36 years, retiring a year before his death in 1996. Companies for whom Schmidt worked included Luckenbach SS Co. and Enterprise SS Co. Ships on which he served on included the SS Pine Bluff Victory, SS Helen Hunt Jackson, SS Robert F. Broussard, and SS Leland Stanford.
Paul Gerhardt Schmidt's papers, photos, and negatives from his service with the Merchant Marine. Materials include: identification cards and passes; statements of earnings; certificates of graduation and appointment; correspondence related to appointments; a small number of personal letters; crew lists for SS Pine Bluff Victory; a hospital ledger book and loose notes about medical examinations. Materials related to Schmidt's time at the Maritime Service Training Station in Sheepshead Bay include a training manual; barrack regulations; stowage diagrams; sample pursar's forms; and copies of The Heaving Line newsletter. Photographs and negatives in the collection include images of vessels, crew members, and a group shot of Schmidt's United States Maritime Service graduating class. The collection also includes some copies of papers related to Schmidt's service, including information on vessels and copies of certificates, and a typed memoir by Ray Hagele about his time in the 28th Infantry Division.
This collection documents a naval engagement in the North Atlantic between a convoy of Allied ships and the German battleship Scharnhorst, in December of 1943. Included are radiograms, a narrative summary of the action written by Bellas, and a diagram of the engagement.
Squalus (USS) papers, 1939
Squalus was a diesel-powered submarine built in 1937 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. The submarine was commissioned in 1939, with Lieutenant O.F. Naquin in command. In 1939, during a series of test dives, the ship flooded and sank. 26 crew members were lost and 33 survived. The ship was refloated, repaired, and recommissioned under the name Sailfish in 1940.
Walter R. Goins identification card, 1943
Identification card for Walter Goins, a Rodman and Rigger, issued by the Captain of Port, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
William Bartling papers, 1941-1968
Collection consists of a letter admitting William A. Bartling to membership of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Coal Passers and Firemen on Coal-Burning Merchantmen of the Seven Seas, 1965; a certificate of membership to the order, 1970; and a related clipping from Power Magazine, 1968.
William L. Crothers papers, 1935-1972
This is a collection of personnel records of William Leech Crothers from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Documents in the collection date from 1935 to 1972 and include: letters regarding appointments, promotions, and pay increases; job description forms; travel requests; performance ratings; applications for positions; photocopies of draft cards; and an "honorary retired membership" card. Printed volumes include publications from Bethlehem Steel Company related to steel plates and structural shapes, circa 1930s; and column tables and mathematical tables.
William McCoy papers, 1893-1986
The collection consists primarily of three scrapbooks about Bill and Ben McCoy. The scrapbooks contain photographs of the McCoy brothers, their mother, father, and sister Violet; photographs of Arethusa, Blue Lagoon, and other vessels; photographs of USS Saratoga and its crew; photographs from the Bahamas and Florida; photographs of models and paintings of ships by Bill McCoy; magazine articles and newspaper clippings on rum running, on Bill McCoy, on the Stetson mansion in Florida (owned by the McCoy family), and other topics; letters to Bill McCoy, Ben McCoy, and Rosemary Clarke from various correspondents, including Gertrude "Cleo" Lythgoe; brochures and photographs from the McCoy Brothers Everglades Steamer Line; Ben McCoy's passport; cartoons; whiskey labels; sketches of ships; membership cards; and maps, postcards, and stamps. There are also several published volumes: The Real McCoy by Frederic Van de Water; The Bahama Queen by Gertrude "Cleo" Lythgoe; and Home is the Sailor, by Commodore Herbert Hartley. The volumes include photographs, letters, and clippings.
Photographs
William Berlinger, Jr. collection of World War II photographs and publications, 1941-1945
This is a collection of World War II publications, photographs, and military vessel recognition guides. The collection includes manuals on the identification of military vessels of the US, USSR, and Britain; Office of Naval Intelligence photo reproductions of U.S. and British vessels; photographs of U.S. military vessels; manuals on U.S. military uniforms and insignia; a U.S. Navy manual on uniform regulations; a manual on German uniforms and insignia; manuals on military aircraft of Japan and other countries; a copy of Janes Fighting Ships, 1941; and several publications on Japan, China, and the USSR. The collection also includes a stereoscopic viewmaster and 54 aircraft recognition slide reels.
Library Materials
Bekker, Cajus. Hitler's Naval War. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1974. D771
Belote, James H., and William M. Belote. Titans of the Seas: The Development and Operations of Japanese and American Carrier Task Forces During World War II. New York: Harper & Row, 1975. D767
Boyd, Carl, and Akihiko Yoshida. The Japanese Submarine Force and World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2002. D783.6
Brown, David. Warship Losses of World War Two. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1995. D770
Dorwart, Jeffery M., and Jean K. Wolf. The Philadelphia Navy Yard: From the Birth of the U.S. Navy to the Nuclear Age. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001. VA70.P5
Fuchida, Mitsuo, Masatake Okumiya, Clarke H. Kawakami, and Roger Pineau. Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan: the Japanese Navy's Story. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1992. D774.M5
Gruhzit-Hoyt, Olga. They Also Served: American Women in World War II. Secaucus, N.J.: Carol Pub. Group, 1995. D810.W7
Holland, W. J. The Navy. Washington, D.C.: Naval Historical Foundation, 2000. VA55
Keegan, John. The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Viking, 1989. V53
Macintyre, Donald G. F. W. The Naval War against Hitler. London: Batsford, 1971. D771
Maclean, Anne, Suzanne Poole, and John H. Batchelor. Fighting Ships of World Wars One and Two. New York: Crescent Books, 1976. D580
McCormick, Harold J. Two Years Behind the Mast: An American Landlubber at Sea in World War II. Manhattan, Kan: Sunflower University Press, 1991. D770
Miller, Nathan. War at Sea: A Naval History of World War II. New York: Scribner, 1995. D770
Monsarrat, Nicholas. H.M. Corvette. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1943. D811
Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Boston: Little, Brown, 1947. D773
Morison, Samuel Eliot. The Two Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War. Boston: Little, Brown, 1963. D773
Mulligan, Timothy. Lone Wolf: The Life and Death of U-Boat Ace Werner Henke. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1995. D781.H46
Natkiel, Richard, and Robin L. Sommer. Atlas of World War II. London: Bison Books, 1985. G1038
Prange, Gordon W., Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon. Miracle at Midway. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1982. D774.M5
Prange, Gordon W., Donald M. Goldstein, and Katherine V. Dillon. Pearl Harbor: The Verdict of History. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co, 1986. D767.92
Raven, Alan, and John Arthur Roberts. British Cruisers of World War Two. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1980. V820.5.G7
Raven, Alan, and John Roberts. British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleships and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1976. V800
Rosenbaum, Robert A., and Kiyoaki Komoda. Best Book of True Sea Stories. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1966. PZ5.R63
United States, Edward Steichen, and Tom Maloney. U.S. Navy War Photographs: Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. New York: Crown Publishers, 1980. D767.9
Walkowiak, Thomas F. Fleet Submarines of World War Two. Missoula, Mont: Pictorial Histories Pub. Co, 1988. V858
Wingo, Josette Dermody. Mother Was a Gunner's Mate: World War II in the Waves. Annapolis, Md: Naval Institute Press, 1994. D769.597
. Welles Henderson Archives and Library