Hello, This is my first post. I am looking for information/help/advice. I am in the possession of letters written during WWII between my aunt and a Cpl. Richard E. Redman, South Africa Defence Force. I know that Cpl. Redman was assigned as a POW escort sometime in early 1942. I know that he escorted Italian POWs to Ft. Hamilton Army Base in Brooklyn NY. I am attemting to re-create their meeting and years long correspondence. From the correspondence, we find Cpl. Redman at the Times Square USO, probably sometime in May of 1942. By June of 1942, he is at sea again. Am I perhaps correct that a Liberty ship was employed to carry Cpl. Redman and his charges to New York Harbor? If so, which one?
Hi Ruth - info on South African personnel is somewhat difficult to trace, but not impossible. Do any of the letters have his full address - his service number and what unit he was part of?? Also, am I correct that he met your aunt in New York?
Hello Dave, Thank you for your reply. Yes, Aunt Ruth lived in NYC. She was a volunteer hostess at the Times Square USO as were her two sisters. As to Cpl. Richard E Redman. I actually have a bit of info on him as a very kind pensioner from outside of Jo Burg, retrieved Redman's files for me some years ago. His Regt was S44462. And I reckon his personnel nbr or serial nbr (not sure what it was called in SA) was 316061 The files I have are not terribly clear, not to a Yank such as I. But I can make out that he re-enlisted 4/05/42. He was initially assigned as P.O.W. Special Escort on 4/25/42. Appears that he Disembarked (can't make it out too clearly) Cape Town on 4/18/42. Embarked Durban 4/29/42 but the ship's name is terribly unclear. Appears to be SS (which would make it a Liberty Ship as far as I know) but the next two words are tiny and diffuclt to read. It almost looks like Luis Ausludain. We know, from a letter to Ruth that he embarked again at Ft. Hamilton Brooklyn NY and was at sea on June 9, 1942. Of course, owing to censorship he could not name the ship or his destination. And his service records do not show same. The records do show him embarking at Liverpool on 6/19/1942. Can anyone venture a guess as to what ship an SS 'Luis Ausludain' could be?
Not really helpful - but interesting anyway: "Liberty ship - most were named for deceased people. Exceptions to the naming rule were the SS Stage Door Canteen, named for the USO club in New York, and the SS U.S.O., named after the organization itself"
Yes, I had read that the Liberty ships were named after deceased persons. I did find a list but none on the list seemed to match up with the above. Though again, I really couldn't properly make out the ship's name on Redman's records. And, I don't know if it was a complete list. I do appreciate your help, Dave.
