Wilmington's Liberty Ships-- Part 5

Most people today do not know the depth of the U.S. war effort during the war.  This is but one small, though large, impact.  Not only did the war materials turned out essentially bury the Axis foes, but much of it led to profound social impacts still around today.  It sure turned Wil;mington froma somewhat "sleepy" city into a big bustling one as workers and military streamed in.

You can find more information on the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company in the 1946 book "Five Years of Nort Carolina Shipbuilding" and Ralph Scott's "The Wilmington Shipyard."

By the end of the war, the NCS Co. had 9 shipways, 3 piers, 67 cranes, 1,000 feet of mooring bulkheads, 5 miles of paved roads, 19 miles of standard gauge railway on a 160 acre site.  From 1941 to 1946, an estimated $20 million was spent on improvements.

At its 1943 peak, the company employed 21,000 workers, some 1,600 of whom were female (the Rosie the Riveters).  During the course of the war, 6,800 left employemnt for the military and of those, 33 were killed in action.

In 1943, the payrol was over $52 million and the place was Wilmington's largest single employer.  There were more workers in the shipyard in 1942 than there were n all of Wilmington in 1940.

More to Come.  --GreGen