The SS Robert Battey was a Liberty ship built at J.A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia, during World War II. She was named after Robert Battey, an American physician who is known for pioneering a surgical procedure now termed radical oophorectomy. The ship was laid down on 8 October 1943, under a Maritime Commission contract, and launched on 30 November 1943.
Long considered a miracle mineral, asbestos was extensively used by shipbuilders in all areas of Navy ships, because of its durability, heat and chemical resistance. It is important for Navy veterans to understand how they were exposed to asbestos and what options are available if they have been diagnosed with asbestos-related diseases. On 6 September 1945, the SS Robert Battey was declared constructive total loss and she was refloated and later laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet in Subic Bay. On 11 February 1965, she was withdrawn from the reserve fleet and turned over to the Navy where she was presumably sunk.
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