LIVERPOOL - 15th PORT PLAQUE - 1944

19/5/2016

Stone plaque photographed at Pierhead, Liverpool on 18 May 2016.

It commemorates the unity between Britain and America during World War II and the fact that over 1 million US soldiers and cargo/supplies passed through the Port of Liverpool on their way to take part in the D-Day Landings.

I also believe it commemorates the Port Battalions of the US Army Transportation Corps who were based in Liverpool and worked as stevedores, winchmen, signalman, riggers etc alongside their UK counterparts. Many of those serving in the Port Battalions would have been part of the D-Day Landings and gone on to work in recaptured ports in mainland Europe or taken part in the Pacific Theatre of operations.

7 Comments

Emily Sisson

23/5/2016 01:52:39 pm

Thank you so much for this photo. My father served in the U.S. Army in the 15th Port and I'm in the process right now of transcribing all the letters he sent home to his then girl friend, later his wife and later still my mother. He wrote almost every day but during his time in Liverpool his mail was censored and he wasn't supposed to write about what he was actually doing at work every day, or even that he was in Liverpool and not just "somewhere in England." I suppose the fear was of the Germans getting ahold of a letter saying, "Wow. I worked all day unloading a whole bunch of tanks and landing craft. The invasion must be coming up PDQ." So when he does talk about work, he mostly talks about hauling the laundry and dry cleaning back and forth between the barracks and the laundry. It's an aspect of the war I had never considered until I started reading the letters.

Thanks again. Emily

Harry Robinson

2/1/2021 12:26:10 pm

Hi Emily,

I'm trying to find out the identity of my great-grandfather who was a North American soldier based in Liverpool around September-October 1940. The 15th Port has cropped up a lot and I was wondering if you knew when they were based in Liverpool and if it matches up at all?

All the best!
Harry

Emily Sisson

3/1/2021 06:28:14 pm

This is just a guess, but maybe your great-grandfather was Canadian. The US didn’t enter the war until after the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December, 1941. Canada entered the war in September, 1939.

My dad arrived in the UK with the 15th Port in December, 1943. They ran the port in Liverpool but he actually lived in the nearby town of Kirkby. They left for La Havre in March, 1945.

Don’t know if this helps you any. Let me know if you have another question.

Emily

Allan James

1/2/2024 09:44:25 pm

Hi Emily,
Sorry to contact you out of the Blue! I have just read your post from 2016 regarding the 15th Port USA memorial stone at Liverpool Docks.
I am a Trustee of the Docklands Trail Heritage charity in Liverpool, UK. One of our aims is to bring to life the History and Heritage of Liverpool Docks and hopefully help to inspire young people from the local area. We are always exploring ideas to improve and expand our exhibition.
We are about to launch a new Docklands self-guided tour walk which will include a visit to the 15th Port memorial stone at the Pier Head in Liverpool. I am interested in developing the idea of including the work of the 15th Port (at Liverpool Docks during WWII) within our permanent exhibition. From reading your post it may be that part of this story could be told through your fathers’ personal journey, reflected in his letters home: arriving in Liverpool from the USA in December 1943, his observations living in Kirkby and working at the Docks during wartime?
Is this something that you / your family may be interested in collaborating in?

Best Regards!
Allan

Emily Sisson

3/2/2024 07:18:41 pm

I don’t know how much good my dad’s letters would be. The mail was censored and he wasn’t supposed to talk about much of the work he was doing. We know he worked in an office, and I think he was keeping track of all the stuff being shipped over to prepare for the invasion and then supporting the army in France.

It may be possible for you to get a copy of all the letters.

After I transcribed all the letters, I donated them to the Iowa State Historical Society. I dealt with Becki Plunkett, a Special Collections Archivist. My last correspondence with her was in 2018, so maybe she’s left that position by now. I also sent them an electronic pdf of the book of transcribed letters I’d put together. Perhaps they can send a copy to you. The Iowa Historical Society now owns the copyright for the letters so I don’t know how much you could use without their permission.

Can you let me know the email for the Docklands Trail Heritage? It might be easier to correspond without posting here in the comments section.

Thanks for your interest.

Allan James

4/2/2024 07:02:58 pm

Many thanks Emily, the email address for our charity is: [email protected]

If you make initial contact I will reply to your email address.

Ernest Everett Blevins

9/10/2020 07:20:51 pm

I found a citation in the AIA records of my grandfather's firm Simons & Lapham, Chalreston, South Carolina (my mother was a Lapham). It states "City of Liverpool, Eng. 15th Port Memorial Tablet." This is the closest similar I have found to the reference.

LIVERPOOL - 15th PORT PLAQUE - 1944

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories