W. R. Chamberlin & Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Lumber, Maritime transportation |
| Founded | 1915 in San Francisco, California, United States |
| Founder | William Richmond Chamberlin |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
| Products | Lumber, shipping services |
W. R. Chamberlin & Company was established in 1915 by William Richmond Chamberlin in San Francisco as a business focused on lumber and maritime transportation. The firm concentrated on the sale, brokerage, and shipment of timber products originating from Portland, Oregon, destined for the growing markets around the San Francisco Bay. By the year 1928, the company operated a fleet of four steam-powered vessels—Barbara C, Phyllis, Stanwood, and W. R. Chamberlin, Jr.—to facilitate its shipping operations.
Throughout World War II, W. R. Chamberlin & Company played an active role in supporting the war by managing merchant vessels under contracts with the United States Shipping Board and through charters arranged by the Maritime Commission and War Shipping Administration. The company’s fleet included Liberty and Victory ships, staffed by company crews alongside U.S. Navy Armed Guards responsible for defense and communications. A significant vessel from their fleet, the SS W.R. Chamberlin Jr, was commissioned into naval service as USS Tackle (ARS-37); it suffered severe damage from a mine in 1943 and was subsequently declared irreparable.
Before founding his own company, William Richmond Chamberlin held the position of president at Byxbee & Clark Company, another lumber enterprise based in San Francisco.
World War II
During the Second World War, W. R. Chamberlin & Company contributed to military logistics by operating merchant navy ships under government agreements. The company provided crews for Liberty and Victory ships within the U.S. Merchant Navy, while U.S. Navy Armed Guards were assigned to manage deck armaments and communications equipment, thereby playing a crucial role in sustaining wartime maritime supply routes.
Ships
The company’s owned vessels comprised:
- SS Barbara C: a wooden lumber carrier constructed in 1920 by Kruse & Banks Shipbuilding Co., located in North Bend, Oregon; acquired by the U.S. Army in 1943 and lost at sea in 1946.
- SS Phyllis: built in 1917 and wrecked near Port Orford, Oregon, in 1936.
- SS Stanwood
- SS W. R. Chamberlin, Jr.: later commissioned as USS Tackle (ARS-37), which was incapacitated by a mine explosion in 1943 and considered beyond repair.
In addition, during World War II, the firm operated several Liberty ships including:
- SS Adoniram Judson
- SS Peter Skene Ogden: torpedoed near Algiers in 1944; subsequently beached and dismantled.
- SS John McLean
- SS Cyrus H. McCormick: torpedoed in April 1945