Francis Bagrowski
Steward Dept

©

Francis Bagrowski died on November 23, 2005, at the age of 80.

My connection with shipping began in 1941 when I went to work at Maryland Drydock in Fairfield (this was right next to where the BROWN was later launched). The loud noise of chipping hammers on an LST gave me a punctured eardrum. I was sent to my doctor and was told I could not go into the service. When I went for my Army physical, government doctors confirmed the condition. I tried every way that I could think of to serve my country, but the answer was always "no."

While working at different jobs, I met a man who asked me if I would be willing to install glow-in-the-dark "Emergency Escape" tape on Liberty ships. Naturally, I said "yes." I put the tape on the engine room ladders leading to the main deck and everywhere needed in passageways and all doors. When I tell people that I put this tape on 700 ships very few believe me, but this is how it happened.

Because not too many yards had enough ships being fitted out after launching to keep me busy, I was sent around to various yards to do these installations. I also went on ships loaded with cargo and almost ready to sail. Believe me, when I saw these men and talked to them while working, I really wanted to be a seaman. Well, I estimate that I put this tape on 700 ships.

But even the merchant marine turned me down because of my punctured eardrum. However I was determined to ship out, and I thought up a plan. I figured by staying at the entrance steps and even going inside the Chamber of Commerce and the Sailors International Union (SIU) every day, they would get tired of me. After about six weeks the plan finally paid off. An Ordinary Seaman was needed immediately and with the help of the ship's captain. I got a trip-card and Z-number and was able to ship out. In a later misadventure, a buddy and I missed our ship. Our seaman's papers were wrongly sent to each other's addresses, where my discharges got lost, so I have no good record of ships I sailed up to that time. But I do have discharges from ships sailed since then; these include: the FENN VICTORY, and the following Libertys: JAMES MILLER, CHARLES NORDHOFF, RANSOME A. MOORE, and the YORKMAR.

I sailed in all three departments as: O.S., Acting A.B., Messman, Wiper, and on the YORKMAR as Acting Fireman-WT.

I just celebrated my fiftieth year of marriage and those years were good to me. So when my wife agreed that I would work on the JOHN W BROWN two days a week, I feel that I have come back home.