Seeking passenger list of USAT General W. M. Black

Question

Where can I find the passenger list from the USS General W. M. Black that includes the year 1949? My grandparents came over on the General W. M. Black in 1949. They left Bremerhaven, Germany on March 27, 1949 and arrived in New York City on April 6, 1949. I'm not sure which port they arrived at, but I know they didn't go through Ellis Island. My aunt and I have spent countless hours looking at every website possible to find the passenger list, but have come to find that the records stop in the early '40s and then pick up again in the '50s. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Rebecca Collier · Answer

Dear Ms. Roman, &#160; Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! &#160; According to our records, in 1951 the Department of the Army destroyed all manifests, logs of vessels, and troop movement files of United States Army transports for World War II and most of the passenger lists. &#160; Beginning on July 9, 1949, many Army Transport ships were transferred to the Navy Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS). We searched the National Archives Catalog and located Army Transport Data Sheets, 1949 - 1949 in the Records of Naval Operating Forces (Record Group 313) that may include the 1949 records of the General W.M. Black when it was transferred to the MSTS on March 1, 1950. For access to these records, please contact the National Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov . &#160; Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience. &#160; We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research! &#160;