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NavSource Online: Army Ship Photo Archive

USAT William R. Gibson

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom left to right
Top Row - American Defense Service Medal
Bottom Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal - World War II Victory Medal
Cargo Ship:
  • Laid down in 1919 as SS West Segovia for the United States Shipping Board (USSB) at Northwest Steel, Portland, OR.
  • Launched in 1919
  • Delivered, 28 August 1919 to the United States Shipping Board at a cost of $1,911.795.57
  • Purchased, 5 February 1941 by the War Department, Transportation Corps
  • Assigned to the A.T.S. Pacific Fleet with home port at Seattle, WA.
  • Rehabilitated for active service as a supply ship by the Todd-Galveston Company at Galveston, TX.
  • Commissioned and renamed 8 March 1941 as the U.S.A.T. William R. Gibson, in honor of Brig. Gen. William R. Gibson, Assistant Quartermaster General
  • Serviced the Seattle—Alaska and Seattle—Honolulu—San Francisco routes
  • Decommissioned and laid up, 29 July 1946, in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Mobile, AL., name reverted to SS West Segovia
  • Sold, 23 October 1946, to Alex Gournares (PD-X-245), for $231,611.00 for operation, withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet 3 January 1947
  • Renamed SS Ourania Gurnares, reflagged Panama
  • Renamed SS Gambler in 1959
  • Final Disposition, sunk, 14 January 1960, while enroute to shipbreakers
    Specifications:
    Displacement 5,701 gross tons
    Length 410'
    Beam 54'
    Draft 30'
    Speed 10.5 kts
    Armament unknown
    Complement unknown
    Troopship Passenger Capacity unknown
    Cargo Capacity unknown
    Cruise Radius unknown
    Propulsion
    on steam turbine engine
    single shaft 2,500shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		Size Image Description Source
    USAT William R. Gibson
    William R. Gibson
    		5k
    Namesake
    William R. Gibson William Richie Gibson     - American army officer who served as CAPT. in 51st Iowa Infantry during the Spanish-American War. William R. Gibson was born, 3 June 1877 in Ontario, Ohio, son of Andrew Rae and Margaret Lemon (Richie) Gibson. Graduated from the United States Military Academy, 15 June 1896. Graduate Infantry and Cavalry School, 1904. Graduated from Army War College, 1925. Promoted through grades to Brigadier General regular army, and Assistant Quartermaster General, 1 March 1934, retired, 31 July 1937, died 29 October 1940 at Long Beach, California.    		 Tommy Trampp
    William R. Gibson 159k USAT William R. Gibson at Seward, Alaska, in 1941. The ship carries neutrality markings and has not yet been armed.
    Photo from the collection of John W. Baum, Colonel US Army (1914-2000), supplied by his daughter.    		 Courtesy Shipscribe.com
    The history for USAT William R. Gibson is from US Army Order of Battle 1919-1941 Vol.4.
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    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
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    Last Updated 5 May 2023