From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

A county in North Carolina.

(APA - 112: dp. 11,760; l. 492'; b. 69'6"; dr. 26'6"; s. 18.4 k.; a. 2 5"; cl. Bayfield)

Guilford (APA-112) was launched by the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Miss., 14 July 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Lowry Bailey, wife of the Governor of the State; converted to an attack transport by Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, Ala., and commissioned there 14 May 1945, Captain E. R. Gardner in command.

After shakedown in the Gulf of Mexico, Guilford sailed for Newport, R.I. Arriving 22 June 1945, she served as a training ship for precommissioning crews until 30 July. Guilford then took on board cargo and troops at Norfolk and sailed for the Pacific via San Diego. After off-loading troops at Iwo Jima and in the Japanese home islands Guilford was attached to Operation "Magic-Carpet" 18 October. In two round trips from San Diego to Guam, Saipan, Okinawa, and Japan, she transported over 5,000 veterans back to the States for discharge as well as carrying out troops for the occupation of Japan. Returning to San Diego 6 March 1946 from her final Pacific voyage, Guilford embarked passengers for the East Coast and sailed for Norfolk via the Panama Canal 15 March. Guilford reached Norfolk 31 March and decommissioned there 29 May 1946. She returned to the Maritime Commission 31 May 1946. She subsequently was sold in May 1947 to Pope and Talbot Lines, and was renamed P & T Navigator. In 1963 she was resold to American Foreign Steamship Co. and renamed American Oriole.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)