U.S., Merchant Marine Applications for License of Officers, 1914-1949

Source Information

Ancestry.com. U.S., Merchant Marine Applications for License of Officers, 1914-1949 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
Original data: Records of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation. Merchant Marine Applications for Licenses of Officers. NAID: 7591749. Records of the U.S. Coast Guard, Record Group 26. The National Archives at Riverside, California.

About U.S., Merchant Marine Applications for License of Officers, 1914-1949

This collection consists of applications for license as a merchant marine officer (master, pilot, engineer, mate, or motor vessel operator), valid for lakes and seaboard. Applications include the following details on a licensee: name, address, place of birth, and date of birth. If naturalized, the date, place, and court of naturalization are shown. Applications may also include the following items:

  • Information about any previous licenses issued
  • letters of recommendation
  • father's name
  • physical description
  • photograph

Background from NARA

This series primarily consists of, but is not limited to, printed forms 866 A, 866 B, NAVCG 866, 954 A, and NCG 954. The three most frequently occurring forms are forms 866 A, 866 B, and NAVCG 866. Forms 866 A and 866 B were used by the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (and its predecessors), while form NAVCG 866 was later used by the United States Coast Guard.