I am researching my father's military history during WW2. He was a member of the 13th Air Force, 42nd Bomb Group, 390th Bombardment Squadron. I can request ship logs for that time period if I knew the ship's name. He was stationed at Puerta Princessa on Palawan Island and departed November 16th, 1945. His name is Francis W. Holden and he was a 1st Lieutenant.
Thanks, Chris Holden
The 29th Replacement Depot served as a collecting center for returning soldiers in the Pacific. Passengers were transported from various locations to collecting centers and then transported on to the United States. Thirty percent of personnel left from the Philippines. Manila is mentioned multiple times in The Crusaders: a history of the 42nd Bombardment Group (M) as troops were sent from Palawan Island to Manila as the first step towards home.
The Stars and Stripes article, Nov. 12, 1945, below details the number of ships departing Manila during late November 1945. You can check your father's ASR score in Box 55 of his discharge papers. His date of departure from Manila and the Pacific Theatre (PTO) will be listed in box 36.
Below is a list of troop ship arrivals for Dec. 4, 1945. I circled in red the ships that departed Manila. Most of the circled ships are Liberty ships with Merchant Marine crews operated by the War Shipping Administration or the U.S. Army Transport service and do not appear on the list Defendress posted which lists Navy only ships. I could not find a date of departure listing for ships departing Manila. Is the Nov. 16th, 1945 date from your father's discharge paper, box 36?
Below are newspaper clippings concerning the arrival of the Sea Star in Tacoma on Dec.4, 1945:
