The SS William F. Jerman, a Liberty ship built by J. A. Jones Construction, Brunswick, Georgia during World War II was laid down on November 27, 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract. The ship was launched on December 23, 1944. Liberty ships made extensive use of asbestos-containing products for the construction as well as repair.
Common asbestos products that were used on Liberty ships include the insulation of boilers and steam pipes, fireproofing material for bulkheads, gaskets of pipe fixtures and valves, and brake linings in winches. On December 31, 1944, the SS William F. Jerman was allocated to Black Diamond Steamship Co., and was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina on November 14, 1947. The ship was sold for scrapping to Bethlehem Steel in February 1960 and was removed from the fleet on April 26, 1960.
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