Where to find WWII Navy records?

Does anyone have any pointers in finding WWII naval records to track down sailor?

Someone suggested looking into Naval centers, but I was also told the FIA should have this information.

Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

The website Fold3 (a pay site) has some useful Navy records like Muster Rolls. If you have a name I'll see what I can find. It's also helpful to have a year of birth & home town/state as duplicate names are common.

 

Tommy,
Yes, I'm looking for my grandfather, William Everett Frederick's records.
I know he was a MMS3.
He was born in 1924 in East Liverpool, Ohio. BUT, when I tried looking for enlistment records or draft records I couldn't find him being placed there. My dad said he may have gone to Pittsburgh to sign up.

It would mean a lot if you could find anything on him, my dad never knew anything about his WWII activities because my poppop never talked about it. So, for Christmas I'm trying to build a whole profile about him if I can do it in time.


Opana,
That's great! I didn't know the Archives had the Navy records - do I need a service number... or however the Navy recorded their men?

 

Well, I struck out on Fold3. The closest I got was a William Etheridge Frederick who enlisted in Cincinnati. You may want to try contacting the local VA office. It may require a NOK (i.e. spouse, child) to obtain his records. The key is his service number. If you have that, you can request his OMPF (Official Military Personnel File).

 

Shoot. Thank you for looking!

I know my poppop still had his dog tags - however, my father's brother, a very dissolute man, sold my grandparents house out from everyone and we only had 24 hours to clean it out. I searched high and low for anything WWII related... the closest I got was his "Shop Theory" book from the "Henry Ford Trade School"
Inside he wrote "William E. Frederick F 3/4 - Barracks 301 US". I don't know if that even means anything.

He's buried at a veteran's cemetery, do you think they may have anything on him? That's how I learned he was an MMS3, it was on his grave.

 

I'm sure it means something. Presumably he attended HFTS for shop training [MMS3 = Machinist's Mate (Shop Machinist) 3rd Class]. Barracks 301 may be where he was quartered at the time. Just guesses.

I agree that contacting the cemetery may be helpful. You can find their phone number and address at: Washington Crossing Natl Cemetery

 

Ok! I gave them a call.

They were able to give me his service number. 8570447.
This should be enough to request records, right?

 

If he was discharged from all military service obligations more than 62 years ago, anybody can request a service record.

Request Military Service Records

Nothing in the federal government moves fast and the complete file, if more than 6 pages, costs $70. As has been noted here many times, WWII vets were encouraged to record a copy of their discharge with the county clerk in their home county. Many (but not all) did.You might get a quick response by calling the clerks office and asking them to check (assuming you know where he returned to). This single sheet would at least give you some basic service info, including unit at time of discharge.

Good luck.

 

What a difference having a service number makes! I found him on some records on Fold3 that are of interest. Keep in mind, you should still see about getting his OMPF (Official Military Personnel File) to get a more complete picture of his service. These are essentially snapshots.

Going chronologically, he shows up on the 2 Dec 1943 Report of Change for the USS LEONIS (AK-128). If I am reading the ROC correctly, he was transferred from the Naval Station in San Francisco to the USS LEONIS on 2 Dec 1943 for transport to "Navy No. 129 for duty". I believe that "Navy No. 129" refers to Tutulia, Samoa Islands. If that is not correct, I'm sure someone will let us know.

Note that his rank/rating is F3c (MM), or Fireman 3rd Class Machinist's Mate.

 

The next record I found of him was on the 28 Nov 1944 Report of Change for the LST 757. The ROC page below does not have a date, but I determined it from the date on adjacent pages. It does not indicate when or where he boarded LST 757. However, it does state, "FFT NOUMEA OR ESPIRITU SANTO". FFT means "for further transfer to". Noumea is the capital city of New Caledonia, an archipelago in the South Pacific. Espiritu Santo is the largest island of Vanuatu, another archipelago in the South Pacific. Both are located East of Queensland, Australia.



Note that his rank/rating is listed as MM3c(T). He as a Machinist's Mate 3rd Class. The "T" indicates it was a temporary rating.

 

He shows up on the 7 Dec 1945 Report of Changes for the USS BERGEN (APA-150). He was received aboard the USS BERGEN from the Naval Receiving Station at Shoemaker, California (scroll about half-way down). There are a number of reasons he may have been there. Shoemaker had a training center, a disciplinary barracks, and a hospital. Since the War had been over for a few months, he may also be returning from leave.



On this report, his rank/rating is MM3c. The "T" has been dropped.

 

He appears on the 1 Jan 1946 Muster Roll of the Crew of the USS BERGEN. His tenure on the USS BERGEN was brief, as he appears on the 1 Apr 1946 Report of Changes as being transferred to the Naval Receiving Station in Norfolk, Virginia for leave and reassignment.



That was all I was able to find. Obviously, there are some major gaps in between these records. His OMPF should tell you on which ships he served and when. From that you can research the history of the ships during the time he was on board.