Help Needed with Researching a Liberty Ship

Hi all...

I need help finding information on a particular liberty ship-- the Thomas R. Marshall (EC2-S-C1 Type, hull number 0933).

I am basically interested in finding out if this ship made a voyage leaving or around Dec 10 from Antwerp and arriving in Boston on or around Dec 23, 1945. I don't have a clue as to where to begin to look for this information, so I naturally came here... ;o)

Can anyone point me in the right direction? I don't need manifests or anything, just evidence of a voyage around those dates. A picture would be great too, if someone could tell me where to get one.

Thanks!

 

I haven't checked this out thoroughly, but here are a couple of links I found that may help (or not):

Troopships of World War II: Liberty Ships

Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II

I'll let your fingers to the walking...

 

You're not going to have an easy job with this - is there a Port of Boston Museum or archive ?

For instance, if one were researching a shipping movement into London a starting point would be the Port Of London Authority Archive : -

Museum of London - Port of London Authority Archive

Although it's not of use to you, I've included a link to show you what I mean and US Archives are frequently better-maintained than UK ones.

 

adambhoy,
I located an expert on troop ship movements in WWII--I'm sure he can help you out.
Military History - Military History - Homework Help
Mr. Horrell not only answered the question I asked about when and where my brother left for the ETO, but told me what Liberty Ship he returned on. Good luck,
Dave

 

Thanks for the info guys! I appreciate it. Buten, I am definitely going to look into the research service you gave me info on--sounds perfect. I found what appears to be his website-- WW2Connections. For $20 he seems to do the research I am looking for, and that's not bad.

I will also look into the existence of any archives in Boston, so thanks for that tip, Martin Bull! TDTommy, thanks for the website listings, too.

 

Here is what it did before that time from the ConvoyWeb site. I don't see the ship in that database departing Antwerp or arriving Boston on or around those days at the site.
Arnold Hague Ports database

HTML:

THOMAS R MARSHALL (Amer)   7,200 tons, built 1943 
Departure                    Convoy                              Arrival 
New York, Feb 18, 1943 HX.227 (NYC - Liverpool) Liverpool, Mar 6, 1943 
Liverpool, Apr 24, 1943 ON.180 (Liverpool - NYC)   
Halifax, May 12, 1943 XB.52 (Halifax - Boston) Boston, May 14, 1943
   ON.180 (Liverpool - NYC) New York, May 14, 1943 
Boston, Jun 12, 1943 BX.57 (Boston - Halifax) Halifax, Jun 14, 1943 
Halifax, Jun 17, 1943 HX.244 (NYC - Liverpool) Liverpool, Jun 30, 1943 
Liverpool, Jul 9, 1943 ON.192 (Liverpool - NYC) New York, Jul 22, 1943 
Hampton Roads, Aug 16, 1943 UGS.15 (Hampton Rds - Port Said)   
   Casablanca, Aug 23, 1943 UGS.14 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Oran, Aug 24, 1943   
   UGS.15 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Casablanca, Sep 2, 1943 
   Casablanca, Sep 26, 1943 CG.68 (Casablanca - Gib) Gibraltar, Sep 27, 1943 
   Algiers, Oct 5, 1943 UGS.18 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Malta, Oct 9, 1943 
Augusta, Oct 28, 1943 MKS.29 (Alexandria - Gibraltar) Bizerta, Oct 30, 1943 
Bizerta, Nov 4, 1943 GUS.20 (Alexandria - Hampton Rds) Hampton Roads, Nov 24, 1943 
Hampton Roads, Jan 14, 1944 UGS.30 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Augusta, Feb 6, 1944 
Augusta, Feb 6, 1944 AH.23 (Augusta - Bari) Taranto, Feb 8, 1944 
    Taranto, Feb 16, 1944 AH.25 (Augusta - Bari) Brindisi, Feb 18, 1944 
Brindisi, Feb 19, 1944 Escorted HA.30 (Bari - Augusta) Augusta, Mar 16, 1944 
Augusta, Mar 20, 1944 GUS.34 (Port Said - Hampton Rds) Bizerta, Mar 23, 1944 
Tunis, Apr 2, 1944 GUS.35 (Port Said - Hampton Rds) Hampton Roads, Apr 22, 1944 
Hampton Roads, May 13, 1944 UGS.42 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Augusta, Jun 4, 1944 
Augusta, Jun 4, 1944 VN.44 (Augusta - Naples) Naples, Jun 5, 1944 
Naples, Jul 1, 1944 NV.49 (Naples - Augusta) Augusta, Jul 2, 1944 
Augusta, Jul 3, 1944 MKS.54 (Port Said - Gibraltar) Oran, Jul 8, 1944 
Oran, Jul 20, 1944 UGS.47 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Augusta, Jul 25, 1944 
Augusta, Jul 26, 1944 VN.55 (Augusta - Naples) Naples, Jul 27, 1944 
Naples, Aug 15, 1944 NV.58 (Naples - Augusta) Augusta, Aug 16, 1944 
Augusta, Aug 17, 1944 GUS.49 (Port Said - Hampton Rds) Hampton Roads, Sep 8, 1944 
Hampton Roads, Sep 22, 1944 UGS.55 (Hampton Rds - Port Said) Augusta, Oct 14, 1944 
Augusta, Oct 15, 1944 VN.71 (Augusta - Leghorn) Leghorn, Oct 17, 1944 
Naples, Oct 26, 1944 SM.17 (Naples - Toulon) Toulon, Oct 29, 1944 
Oran, Nov 24, 1944 GUS.59 (Oran - Hampton Rds) Hampton Roads, Dec 10, 1944 
Hampton Roads, Dec 29, 1944 UGS.65 (Hampton Rds - Gibraltar) Gibraltar, Jan 15, 1945 
Oran, Feb 1, 1945 GUS.69 (Oran - Hampton Rds) Hampton Roads, Feb 19, 1945 
New York, Mar 4, 1945 HX.342 (NYC - Liverpool) Liverpool, Mar 19, 1945 
Antwerp, Mar 30, 1945 ATM.109 (Antwerp - Southend) Southend, Mar 31, 1945 
Solent, Apr 8, 1945 ON.295 (Liverpool - NYC) New York, Apr 26, 1945 
New York, May 23, 1945 HX.358 (NYC - Liverpool) Liverpool, Jun 6, 1945 

Pardon the formating.

 

Thanks for the info SirJahn!

I am ordering microfilm from the Boston newspapers in 1945 to be sent to my local library--hopefully I can find a record of the arrival. I know they were publishing the info on arriving troop ships pretty frequently back then.

 

Success!

Just wanted to update you all... I got the Boston Herald newspapers from December 1945 on microfilm today at my library, and low and behold... The Thomas Marshall is listed as arriving on Dec. 23rd from Antwerp!

It was the family story that this is the ship that brought my grandfather home from the war, and for which my uncle was named. I wanted to nail that down. Phew! The dates coincide perfectly.

It would have been a real bummer if my uncle was walking around named for someone with zero connection to the family...

Attached is a jpg I made of the article. Thanks for the helpful suggestions guys.

 

Wonderful news , you must be thrilled

 

Thanks Skipper! I really am. Over the moon. It's worth the eye strain I got from the microfilm reader! haha

 

I would only add that manifests for the liberty ships were ordered destroyed and no one seems to know why....a mystery to me since studying Liberty ships. Does any one know why that was necessary?