Ellis Island Passenger Lists - 1939

You Live Well on Board the Luxury Liners Manhattan and Washington Per this 1939 Travel in Luxury Brochure from the United States Lines 1939. The image is of a Deluxe Cabin on the SS Manhattan. GGA Image ID # 205bc20ec0

Passenger lists for 1939 represent the souvenir list provided to the passengers of each cabin class (and other classes). Many of these souvenir passenger lists have disappeared over the years. Our collection primarily covers North American and European ports and ports in Australia and South Africa.

Our collection contains samples of passenger lists produced and printed by the steamship lines. These lists are often used to illustrate family history books for immigrants from this period.

Coveted by collectors and genealogists, souvenir passenger lists often offered beautiful graphical covers and information not found in official manifests because they focused on the journey rather than the destination.

Other 1939 Passenger Lists (Not Digitized)

• Dollar Steamship Line SS President Pierce, 1939-03-30, Yokohama to Los Angeles via Honolulu and San Francisco, Commanded by Captain C. Jokstad, U.S.N.R.
• Cunard Line SS Carinthia, 1939-07-25, New York to Quebec, Saguenay River, Gaspe and Halifax, Commanded by Captain W. C. Battle, D.S.C., R.D., R.N.R.

Passenger Lists By Year Continued

«
• 1938
• 1939
• 1946
»

Please help us make our passenger list collection more complete. We would appreciate a digital copy if you have an 1939 souvenir passenger list. Please email us at history@ggarchives.com.

Recap & Summary of the Ellis Island Passenger Lists – 1939

The Ellis Island Passenger Lists for 1939 represent a crucial turning point in maritime travel history, capturing the final months of civilian transatlantic crossings before World War II disrupted commercial shipping. The souvenir passenger lists in this collection provide a glimpse into the world of luxury liners, immigrant travel, and the final crossings before many of these great ships were requisitioned for war service.

This collection primarily documents transatlantic voyages between North America and Europe, with additional routes covering Australia, South Africa, and the Pacific.

The listings include major steamship lines such as:

• Cunard Line (RMS Queen Mary, RMS Aquitania, SS Carinthia)
• United States Lines (SS Manhattan, SS Washington)
• French Line (SS Champlain, SS Ile de France)
• German Lines (SS Hamburg, SS Bremen, SS New York)
• Italia Line (SS Rex)
• Holland-America Line (SS Volendam, SS Statendam)
• Union-Castle Line (RMS Windsor Castle, RMMV Stirling Castle)
• Canadian Pacific Line (SS Montrose)

The most significant historical context in this collection is the outbreak of World War II, which altered maritime operations drastically. Several ships listed here would soon be repurposed as troop transports or hospital ships.

Interesting Highlights from the 1939 Passenger Lists

1. A Focus on Luxury Travel
   • SS Manhattan & SS Washington (United States Lines) are featured prominently, with marketing materials emphasizing their luxurious accommodations.
   • RMS Queen Mary, RMS Aquitania, and SS Normandie—the three greatest ocean liners of the time—appear frequently, continuing their rivalry for prestige and speed.
2. Final Civilian Voyages Before War
   • SS Washington (August 22, 1939)
     • A last-minute evacuation voyage from Hamburg to New York, as war loomed over Germany.
   • RMS Aquitania (September 9, 1939)
     • One of the final peace-time crossings after the UK declared war on Germany.
   • SS Volendam (September 9, 1939)
     • Departing Antwerp to New York, just days after war began.
3. Rare & Unusual Routes
   • SS Stavangerfjord (July 6, 1939) – A Norwegian route from New York to Oslo, covering Bergen, Stavanger, and Kristiansand.
   • SS Carinthia (July 25, 1939) – A unique New York-to-Quebec cruise, one of the last leisure sailings before wartime restrictions.
4. Cruise & Colonial Routes
   • Union-Castle Line’s RMMV Stirling Castle & RMS Windsor Castle (July 13 & 14, 1939)
     • Focused on long-haul voyages between the UK and South Africa, a critical route for British colonial connections.

Most Interesting Voyages of 1939

1. RMS Queen Mary (July 12, 1939)
   • One of the world’s most famous ocean liners, continuing her high-profile Southampton–New York service before war duty.
   • Soon after this crossing, she was transformed into a troop transport.
2. SS Champlain (July 19, 1939)
   • A fast and modern French liner, sailing from Le Havre to New York.
   • Would be torpedoed in June 1940, one of the first ocean liners lost to WWII.
3. SS Georgic (July 8, 1939)
   • A White Star Line vessel, departing New York for London.
   • Would be bombed and sunk in 1941, later salvaged and used in the war effort.
4. SS Volendam (September 9, 1939)
   • A Holland-America ship, crossing just days after war broke out.
   • Would later be attacked by a German U-boat in 1940, though she survived.
5. SS Rex (October 6, 1939)
   • A legendary Italian liner, making a post-war declaration voyage from Genoa to New York.
   • Would be sunk by Allied aircraft in 1944.

How World War II Affected Ocean Travel in 1939

1. Outbreak of War (September 1939)

• September 3, 1939 – The United Kingdom, France, Australia, and India declared war on N**i Germany.
• September 10, 1939 – Canada joined the war effort.
• This disrupted transatlantic travel almost immediately, leading to passenger evacuations and ship requisitions.

2. Final Civilian Crossings

• Many voyages in August and September 1939 carried passengers escaping war-torn Europe.
• Ships like the SS Washington (U.S.), SS Manhattan (U.S.), and RMS Aquitania (UK) became lifelines for Americans, British citizens, and Jewish refugees.

3. Ships Requisitioned for Military Use

• RMS Queen Mary, RMS Aquitania, SS Georgic, SS Volendam, and SS Champlain would all be converted into troop transports or hospital ships.
• The German liners SS Bremen and SS Europa were seized by the N***s for war use.

4. Increased Danger on the Seas

• The North Atlantic became a war zone, with German U-boats targeting passenger ships.
• SS Athenia, the first British ship sunk in WWII (September 3, 1939), foreshadowed the danger.

Final Thoughts

The Ellis Island Passenger Lists for 1939 provide a remarkable look at maritime travel on the eve of WWII. Many of these voyages would be among the last civilian crossings for years, as wartime restrictions and submarine warfare brought an end to ocean liner travel as it had been known.

This collection is especially significant for:

• Highlighting the final crossings of famous liners before they were repurposed for military use.
• Showing last-minute escape routes from Europe for those fleeing conflict.
• Documenting a world on the brink of war, where ships that once symbolized luxury and migration would soon serve as transports in a global conflict.