From: Dictionary of American Fighting Ships

Major General Charles Gould Morton, USA, served in the Philippines in the Spanish-American War and subsequently on the Texas border.

(AP - 138: dp. 9,950 (lt.); l. 522'10"; b. 71'6"; dr. 26'6"; cpl. 494; trp. 4,766; a. 4 5", 8 1.1", 16 20mm.; cl. General G.O.. Squier; T. C4-S-A1)

General C. G. Morton (APA-138) [Vol. IV, errata: AP-138] was built by the Kaiser Co. of Richmond, Calif., in 1943-44; acquired by the Navy on 18 May 1944; and commissioned 7 July 1944, Comdr. S. K. Hall in command.

After shakedown out of San Pedro, California, she stood out independently for Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 1 August, arriving 16 days later and loading homeward-bound troops. On 20 August she got underway arrived San Francisco 3 September, sailed on to San Diego and departed there 16 September for the Russell Islands in the Solomons. Embarking troops, she proceeded to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and thence to Noumea, New Caledonia, before putting in at San Francisco 24 October.

General C. G. Morton steamed to San Diego and departed with a convoy 10 November, calling at Pearl Harbor 6 days later and reaching Guadalcanal 29 November. On 3 December she sailed for San Francisco via New Guinea, Manus Island, and Noumea, arriving on the last day of 1944. After loading passengers at Long Beach, Calif., General C. G. Morton stood out 11 January 1945 bound for Calcutta, India, via Melbourne, Australia; she reached Melbourne 1 February and called at Calcutta 19 days later. Returning via Melbourne, Manus, Ulithi, Tinian, and Saipan, the transport arrived at San Francisco 25 April, only to get underway again 5 May for the Southwest Pacific, Hollandia, New Guinea, Leyte, and Manila, P.I., were ports of call. General C. G. Morton touched at San Francisco 5 July before sailing 3 days later for the east coast. She transited the Panama Canal 17 July and put in at Boston 6 days later.

Following drydocking, the busy ship departed 12 August for France, touching at Marseilles 22August and returning to Newport News, Va., 2 September 1945. On her next voyage, the transport sailed via the Suez Canal to Karachi, India, and returned by the same route to New York. In early January 1946 General C. G. Morton repeated this trip, but sailed around the world calling at Singapore and Manila before docking at San Francisco in early March 1946.

General C. G. Morton was delivered to the War Department for use by the Army in May 1946. She was reinstated on the Navy List in March 1950 and assigned to MSTS Reserve. She was struck from the Navy List 29 May 1958.

General C. G. Morton received three battle stars for Korean conflict service.

Transcribed by Yves HUBERT (hubertypc@aol.com)