upload image

SS Jean Nicolet

Privacy Level: Open (White)
Date: 29 Sep 1943 to 2 Jul 1944
Location: Indian Oceanmap
Profile manager: Kathleen Tesluk private message [send private message]
This page has been accessed 346 times.


Contents

Liberty Ships

The SS Jean Nicolet was a Liberty ship built in Oregon and operated by the United States Merchant Marines. Liberty ships were "a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program."[1] The Associated Press published a notice about the christening of the Jean Nicolet on 29 September 1943:[2]

"PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 29 (AP)--Henry J. Kaiser's Oregon shipbuilding corporation continued record-breaking Liberty Ship production today with Mrs. Robert Moses, wife of New York city's park commissioner, christening the S.S. Jean Nicolet 23rd ship launched by the yard this month."

The Jean Nicolet

The Jean Nicolet was operated for the War Shipping Administration by the Oliver J. Olson Company of San Francisco.[3] The ship departed from San Pedro, California on 12 May 1944 for a routine shipment of military cargo. One hundred men were on board for that voyage, including 41 merchant crew, 28 Naval Armed Guard, and 31 passengers, all but four of whom were military personnel being transported to assignments overseas.

Japanese Attack on 2 July 1944

On 7 March 1944, the New York Times reported on a Japanese torpedo attack on the SS Jean Nicolet, which had occurred on 2 July 1944:[4]

Japanese Slew Torpedo Victims--Crew and Passengers of Jean Nicolet Were Forced to Run Gantlet in Indian Ocean
"San Francisco, March 6--A story of how crew members and passengers on the liberty ship Jean Nicolet, torpedoed in the Indian Ocean [last] July, were ordered to the deck of the attacking submarine, had their hands tied behind them and were made to run a gantlet of Japanese armed with steel stanchions, was drawn today from the files of the Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association by V.J. Malone, the secretary.
According to union officials, piecing out the story from details furnished by survivors who landed here during the winter, the Japanese tried to make fifty-five of the 100 men from the Jean Nicolet run the gantlet. Some of the victims had their skulls crushed and about seventeen must have drowned because their hands were bound, it was related.
Four lifeboats and three life rafts were launched after two of three torpedoes fired from the submarine had struck the liberty ship the evening of July 2 as it sailed south of Ceylon.
Searched for Valuables
The submarine soon surfaced and rounded up the men in the lifeboats, who were taken aboard the enemy craft, searched for valuables and told to sit on the deck with their hands tied. Five men from the armed guard, occupying a life raft, ignored a Japanese order to swim to the submarine, it was related, and were fired upon but not hit.
'There were ninety-five men on the deck of the submarine, every man with his hands tied behind his back, so the Japs turned their attention to this large group,' said an account published in The Marine Firemen's Reporter, the union's paper.
'First they took a mess boy, a young fellow 17 years of age. They took him forward, shot him three times in the back, killed him and threw his body overboard.'
'Then they pushed an ordinary seaman forward. His hands were tied behind his back, too. A Japanese sailor bayoneted him in the stomach and threw his body overboard, also.'
'Next they lined up several men and made them run the gantlet: and running this gantlet was a terrible and murderous thing. Eight of the Japs lined up armed with heavy steel stanchions. Stanchions of the type that are used to run chains through in making a deck rail.'
Skulls Crushed by Staves
'The blows from these heavy steel stanchions were enough to knock out or kill any man; and man after man, as they ran the gantlet, had their skulls crushed in, and bodies bruised and broken.'
'The Japanese seemed to take a savage delight in picking out the tallest and biggest men among their captives to run their gantlet. The blows were so heavy that man after man was killed and their bodies were thrown overboard.'
'However, as some of the men attempted to jump, the Japs would slash a body going over the side,' it went on.
Warned of the approach of an American bomber, the submarine crash-dived without regard to the rest of the Liberty ship's crew. The time was put at four hours after the torpedoing.
Cut Hands Free
'One of the members of the armed guard had a sheath knife, the union's story continued. 'Before being searched by the Japs he inched it out of the way, tucking it inside his belt and pants. When the submarine submerged he managed to get it out and immediately, with the men around him, began to cut loose his own bonds and those of seven other men who were close by.'
Some of these men managed to release some of the other bound men while they were in the water, but they were scattered in very short order, and some of them were not cut loose for a long time.'
'Some men swam all night, others were able to make their way to a raft that was still afloat. Others of the crew managed to get aboard this raft and then rescued other men who were floating around.'
The Jean Nicolet, which was built at Portland in 1943, sank the following morning and a patrol plane came by in the early afternoon to drop life jackets and rubber dinghies. A patrol boat picked up the survivors on July 4.
The Jean Nicolet was operated by Oliver J. Olson & Co. of this city."

War Crimes Trial

Note--this section is under construction. Data may be found on Internet Archive, and will be added as soon as possible.

Survivors

  • George Kenmore Hess. A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Hess, George Kenmore. Home address: 2631 Derby Street, Berkley, California. Survivor of sinking of SS JEAN NICOLET by Jap sub. Member of ships crew. Japs took him aboard sub, robbed him of watch, ring, knife, removed life-belt, tied hands behind back. On deck of sub when it crash dived. See unsigned undated statement. File also refers to him under name of Kenneth Hess, George Kinmore Hess, and George Kenmore Hess and Kenmore Hess."[5]
  • John Alexander McDougall gave testimony against the Japanese officers and crew in the War Crimes trials in Yokohama, Japan in 1947.[6] He stated that he was 21 years old and currently living at 2400 Haste Street in Berkeley (California) and worked at a printing firm in Oakland. He had been an Able Bodied Seaman in the Merchant Marines, assigned to the SS Jean Nicolet on 2 July 1944, when it was torpedoed by the Japanese. His testimony helped establish the facts of what took place during the attack.
  • The Jean Nicolet's purser, Francis J. O'Gara, was thought to have been killed in the attack but actually survived the war in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. On 8 June 1945, while he was still thought to have been killed, another ship was christened the SS 'Francis J. O'Gara.[7] O'Gara was the only person to have a Liberty ship named for him while still living.[8]
  • William Earl Simons -- A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Simons, William Earl, Radioman 3/c, USNR. Home address: 6812 Santa Fe Avenue, Huntington Park, Calif. Survivor of sinking of SS JEAN NICOLET by Jap sub, member of Naval Armed Guard (radio operator) aboard ship. Japs took him aboard sub, robbed him of his watch, removed lifebelt, tied his hands behind back. On deck of sub when it crash dived. See statement verified 26 October 1944."[9]
  • Cullie Cliff Stone -- A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Stone, Cullie Cliff. Radioman, 3/c, Serial #677-06-40, USNR. Home address: 212 South Montclair St., Tulsa, Okla. Survivor of sinking of SS JEAN NICOLET by Jap sub. Member of Naval Armed Guard (radio operator) aboard ship. Japs took him aboard sub, robbed him of dogtags, watch, braclelet, belt, 2 knives, removed lifebelt, tied hands behind back, beat him on head with bayonet. On deck of sub when it crash dived. See statement verified 26 October 1944."[10]

Links to the Jean Nicolet crew and passengers who did not survive

  • Frank Aten. A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Aten, Frank: Gunners Mate 3/c, USNR. Home address: Dayton, Ohio. Member of Naval Armed Guard aboard SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Seen on deck of sub by Robert Applegate and William Earl Simons. Seen in water by Robert Floyd Nuvill after sub crash dived. Not a survivor. File also refers to Frank Eaton and Frank Eden, who may be the same person."[11] The following cards in this series may also refer to this man: (1) Frank Eaton: "USNR, member of Naval Armed Guard aboard SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Paul L. Mitchen saw Eaton in water after sub crash dived, heard Eaton call for help many times. Not a survivor. File also refers to Frank Eden and Frank Aten, who may be same person."[12] and (2) Frank Eden: "Aboard SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. George Kenmore Hess states he cut bonds of Frank Eden on deck of sub. Not a survivor. File refers to Frank Eaton and Frank Aten who may be same person."[13]
  • Patrick Eugene Gagnier, Coxswain, USNR, b. 3 Sep 1925, buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[14] A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "GERREHGER -- 67-20: Coxwain aboard SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Seen being led aft aboard sub by Robert Applegate and William Earl Simons. Not a survivor. File also refers to him as Gagner and to a Patrick L. Gagnier, who may be same person."[15]
  • Ralph Hardwick, Seaman First Class, United States Naval reserve. His mother, Mrs. Nellie Hardwick, of 1120 Sidney Street, St. Louis, Missouri, received a letter from LCDR K. Steen, Assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel, stamped 2 Jul 1948 (?), posthumously awarding him a Purple Heart Medal, the American Campaign Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal.[16]
  • Donald Ferguson, Capt. AUS: A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Passenger aboard SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Seen on deck of sub, by John Jacob Gussak. Not a survivor."[17]
  • Charles E. Kuhn, Seaman Second Class, Bellefonte, Centre county, Pennsylvania, born abt. 1920. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Kuhn.[18]
  • Raymond R. Kolczynski, Seaman First Class, USNR, was from South Bend, Indiana. He was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Medal posthumously.[19]
  • Nielson, D.M., Captain. A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Nielson, Captain of SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Seen taken aft on sub by Jack Charles Van Ness. Not a survivor. State Dept. protest assumes Nielson was taken inside sub and may be prisoner of Japs. File also refers to him under name of Nielson, Nilson, D.M. Nillson, D.M. Nillsson and D.M. Nisson. Correct spelling probably Nillson."[22]
  • Augustus "Gus" Tilden, radio officer, Merchant Marines.[23] A card file at the National Archives in Washington D.C. refers to a case file containing information about this man: "Tilden, Bill. Member of crew (radio operator) of SS JEAN NICOLET, sunk by Jap sub. Seen aboard sub by Charles E. Pyle. Seen taken aft on deck of sub by Jack Charles Van Ness. Not a survivor. File also refers to him under name of Augustus Tilden."[24]
  • Thomas Turner Webb (13 Feb 1909-2 Jul 1944)[25]

Sources

  1. ↑ "Liberty Ship," last edited on 6 June 2022, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_ship).
  2. ↑ "Kaiser Co. Launched 23 Ships This Month," The Burlington Free Press (Burlington, Vermont), 30 Sep 1943, p. 1, col. 4, Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Liberty Ship Atrocity...The S.S. Jean Nicolet," post by user "tarbridge" on 6 June 2014 to the website U.S. Militaria Forum -- Collectors Preserving History and Honoring Veterans (https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/211148-liberty-ship-atrocitythe-ss-jean-nicolet/).
  4. ↑ This article is transcribed here in its entirety, but may be viewed at the following link, which was gifted to the public by this writer, a New York Times subscriber. See: "Japanese Slew Torpedo Victims," New York Times (New York, New York), 7 March 1945, p. 11, col. 1 (https://nyti.ms/3Lbzgb5).
  5. ↑ Entry for "Hess, George Kenmore, 67-20" digital image number 520, File Unit: Hellender THRU Hirazawa, Atsusi, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166742882).
  6. ↑ IMTFE, International Military Tribunal for the Far East, Tokyo War Crimes Trials, testimony of John Alexander McDougall, 14 January 1947, typescript, digital images, images 4-40 of 124, Internet Archive (https://archive.org/details/124.2038-2239/124.621-744/page/n5/mode/2up?q=mcdougall); citing page 15,107 on original document.
  7. ↑ U.S. Government photo of the launching of the SS Francis J. O'Gara, dated 8 June 1945, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SS_Francis_J_O%27Gara_launching_8_June_1945.jpg).
  8. ↑ "Liberty Ship," Wikipedia.
  9. ↑ Entry for "Simons, William Earl, 67-20," digital image number 980, File Unit: Shibasaki Force THRU Sitaraman, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166780941).
  10. ↑ Entry for "Stone, Cullie Cliff, 67-20," digital image number 218, File Unit: Steward, Lamar, T/Sgt. THRU Sweifel, E.E., Major, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166784470).
  11. ↑ Entry for "Aten, Frank, 67-20," digital image number 546, File Unit: Archibald, J. THRU Bailey, Thomas, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166714826).
  12. ↑ Entry for "Eaton, Frank, 67-20," digital image number 749, File Unit: Doyle, Dennis, MM1c THRU Eldal, Oscar M., PFC, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166731462).
  13. ↑ Entry for "Eden, Frank, 67-20," digital image number 819, File Unit: Doyle, Dennis, MM1c THRU Eldal, Oscar M., PFC, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166731462).
  14. ↑ He has two memorials: (1) Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/102917771/patrick-eugene-gagnier : accessed 30 June 2022), memorial page for Patrick Eugene Gagnier (3 Sep 1925–2 Jul 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 102917771, citing Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, USA ; Maintained by Woolsox (contributor 47347718) . and (2) Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56772790/patrick-eugene-gagnier : accessed 30 June 2022), memorial page for Cox Patrick Eugene Gagnier (3 Sep 1925–2 Jul 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 56772790, citing Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region, Philippines ; Maintained by Russ Pickett (contributor 46575736) .
  15. ↑ Entry for "Gerrehger, 67-20," digital image number 604, File Unit: Gardiner, Robert Henry (Pvt) THRU Glick, Harvey M., found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166736969).
  16. ↑ This letter, along with a photo of S1C Hardwick and each of his medals, was posted to the U.S. Militaria Forum website. See: "Liberty Ship Atrocity...The S.S. Jean Nicolet," post by user "tarbridge" on 6 June 2014 to U.S. Militaria Forum -- Collectors Preserving History and Honoring Veterans (https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/211148-liberty-ship-atrocitythe-ss-jean-nicolet/).
  17. ↑ Entry for "Ferguson, Donald, Capt. AUS, 67-20," digital image number 435, File Unit: Fajardo, Jose THRU Fleming, Capt., found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166733663).
  18. ↑ "Bellefonte Sailor Loses His Life After Ship Sunk," Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 10 Aug 1945, p. 2, col. 6, Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Bureau of Naval Personnel, All Hands, index to issues thru Dec 1945, Hathi Trust (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015039821007&view=1up&seq=338&q1=%22jean%20nicolet%22) img. 338, p. 66,
  20. ↑ "Served on SS Nicolet," Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), 30 Oct 1944, p. 7, col. 6, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51712320/william-mitchell-musser-killed-by-japan/).
  21. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/135796039/william-mitchell-musser : accessed 30 June 2022), memorial page for William Mitchell Musser (22 Feb 1926–2 Jul 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 135796039, ; Maintained by Joel Frampton Gilfert (contributor 47274394) Buried or Lost at Sea.
  22. ↑ Entry for "Nielson, 67-20," digital image number 580, File Unit: Neilson, Laurite H. THRU Noll, Charles J., found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166766663).
  23. ↑ "Gus Tilden Victim of Torpedoing," Lodi News-Sentinel (Lodi, California), 26 Jul 1944, p. 1, col. 1, Newspapers.com.
  24. ↑ Entry for Tilden Bill, 67-20, digital image number 1160, File Unit: Tant, Robert Buford THRU Tinero, Andres, found in: "Far East Name Index to the Series 'Case Files, 1944-1949'," RG 153, "Records of the Office of the Judge Advocate General (Army), 1792-2010, National Archives Catalog (https://catalog.archives.gov/id/166786826).
  25. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18074670/thomas-turner-webb : accessed 10 June 2022), memorial page for Thomas Turner Webb (13 Feb 1909–2 Jul 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 18074670, citing Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, USA ; Maintained by Sherry McGee (contributor 46853829) .

Additional Information and Online Memorials





Collaboration
  • Login to edit this profile and add images.
  • Private Messages: Send a private message to the Profile Manager. (Best when privacy is an issue.)
  • Public Comments: Login to post. (Best for messages specifically directed to those editing this profile. Limit 20 per day.)


Comments

Leave a message for others who see this profile.
There are no comments yet.
Login to post a comment.

Categories: World War II War Crimes | SS Jean Nicolet, United States Merchant Marine, World War II