USAHS Blanche F. Sigman

USAHS "Blanche F. Sigman" was a United States Army hospital ship during World War II. The ship was completed in April 1943 as Liberty ship SS "Stanford White". When selected for conversion to a hospital ship, she was originally assigned the name USAHS "Poppy", but never operated under that name. After being decommissioned as a hospital ship, she became U.S. Army transport USAT "Blanche F. Sigman".

SS "Stanford White", named in honor of American architect Stanford White, was built by California Shipbuilding Corporation of Los Angeles for the ] She sailed from Galveston, Texas on 12 September 1943 and arrived in Key West on 16 September. [cite AHCD | convoytype = HK | convoynumber = 131 | accessdaymonth = 31 January | accessyear = 2008 ] The ship departed the same day for New York and arrived there on 22 September. [cite AHCD | convoytype = KN | convoynumber = 265 | link = off | accessdaymonth = 31 January | accessyear = 2008 ] On 28 September the ship, carrying a general cargo, joined a convoy headed to Liverpool, where it arrived on 13 October. [cite AHCD | convoytype = HX | convoynumber = 259 | link = off | accessdaymonth = 31 January | accessyear = 2008 ] Five days later, the "Stanford White" set out for New York, arriving back there on 4 November. [cite AHCD | convoytype = ON | convoynumber = 207 | link = off | accessdaymonth = 31 January | accessyear = 2008 ]

Hospital ship

In late November 1943 the ship was transferred by the WSA to the War Department for operation as a Hague Convention hospital ship by the U.S. Army. The ship put into the Todd Hoboken Shipyard at the Port of New York for conversion, remaining there until completion on 30 June 1944. The ship was initially assigned the name "Poppy", under the then-current policy of naming Army hospital ships after flowers, but never operated under that name. The ship was instead named after First Lieutenant Blanche F. Sigman, a U.S. Army nurse killed in action on 7 February 1944 on the beachhead during Operation Shingle, the Allied landings at Anzio. [cite news | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40716FC3A58157A93C7A91788D85F408485F9 | format = fee | title = Army names nurses killed near Anzio | work = The New York Times | date = 5 March 1944 | accessdate = 2008-01-30 | page = 17 ]

After sailing for the Clyde and back to New York in July on its first mercy mission, "Blanche F. Sigman" moved to its new homeport of Charleston in August 1944. Sailing later that month, the "Sigman" headed to the Mersey and Liverpool. In October the ship sailed for Gibraltar, Oran, and Leghorn. In December, it repeated its previous voyage but also stopped at Naples as well, eventually making its way back to Charleston in January 1945. Throughout 1945, the hospital ship made six transatlantic treks, visiting Marseille three times, Naples, Oran, Gibraltar, Milford Haven, Wales, Avonmouth, Cherbourg, and Horta. The "Sigman"'s sixth mission of the year was a return trip to Cherbourg that ended with a return to its new homeport of New York.

From New York, "Blanche F. Sigman" made three sojourns, calling at Cherbourg for a third time, Bremerhaven three times, The Downs, and Le Havre. While in Europe during the third trip, the ship was decommissioned as a hospital ship in April 1946 and returned to New York with a load of Army and Red Cross nurses, and members of the of Women's Army Corps. [cite news | url = http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70B17FC385D177A93C0AB178FD85F428485F9 | format = fee | title = Nurse braves storm to help man at sea | work = The New York Times | date = 22 April 1946 | accessdate = 2008-01-30 | page = 22 ] Throughout 1947 and into 1948, the "Sigman" made numerous trips for the Army, primarily between Bremerhaven and New York. [See the "Shipping—Mails" feature in "The New York Times" on, for example, 11 September and 24 November 1947, and 12 February, 24 June, and 16 September 1948.]

On 22 November 1948, "Blanche F. Sigman" entered the NDRF|first=long at the | month = 16 September | year = 1949 | accessdaymonth = 30 January | accessyear = 2008 ] The ship was awarded to Max Wender for scrapping on 23 January 1974 for $145,115, and was withdrawn from the NDRF and delivered to Wender on 17 May 1974.

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