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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

The Navy Department Library

Related Content
Topic
  • Awards and Medals
  • Ceremonies. Celebrations, Commemorations
Document Type
  • Monograph-Research Report
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
Location of Archival Materials
Merchant Marines

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 
  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

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Published: Mon Nov 13 08:35:02 EST 2017