YorksPast

Text on this memorial plaque is, “In Memory of the men who gave their lives when the U.S.S. President Lincoln was sunk in an engagement with the German submarine U-90, May 31, 1918.” Yorker George B. Hoffman is among the men listed on this WWI Memorial; that hung in the main lobby of the Navy Building on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. up until the building of the Pentagon during WWII. If you are reading this on the Ydr.com site, click on this LINK for a Full View of the illustrations in this post on the original YorkBlog site; since the ydr.com site will occasionally cut off important details in the cropping of illustrations.

In 2014, I posted Searching for Photo of WWI Veteran George B. Hoffman for submission to U.S.S. President Lincoln memorial site. That post used some family history research to track down potential holders of such a photo. For example I learned, Michael B. Hoffman, George’s father, outlived his second wife, therefore any photo of George B. Hoffman possibly was passed down to his children: Melissa E., married to Walter W. Matchett and living in Harrisburg; Charles J. Hoffman, residing in Ridley Park, PA; and Ruth Naomi Hoffman, residing in Ridley Park, PA.

Another possible source of a George B. Hoffman photo is through his stepbrother Alfred Harman Billet, who resided in York, PA and was a long time wallpaper printer; initially at York Wall Paper in York and then at J. C. Eisenhart in Hanover. Alfred died in 1940; survivors were his wife Nancy A. Billet of Hanover, and two brothers, Luther of Norristown and Jacob of 223 North Richland Ave., York. Alfred’s widow Nancy died in 1952; no survivors were listed in her obituary although her pallbearers were John Billet, George H. Billet, Norman E. Billet and Israel J. Billet.

I learned the reason George B. Hoffman moved to York from Harrisburg. This was a move with his father Michael, during the last half of 1910 when George was 10-years-old, when his father got a job in the Boiler Shop of the York Manufacturing Company. George likely started his job at the plant of the American Chain Company prior to his father and stepmother, Mr. And Mrs. Michael Hoffman, moving to Ridley Park, Delaware County; possibly in 1916 or early 1917. George B. Hoffman decided to keep his job at American Chain, and stay in York, living with his stepbrother, Albert Billet.

Deb Stevens provided the source for a photo of George B. Hoffman. The photo comes from page 108 of the publication: York County and the World War: Being a War History of York and York County, and a record of the services rendered to their country by the people of this community; Compiled, Edited and Published by Clifford J. Hall and John P. Lehn, during about 1920. The following photo of George B. Hoffman is from the York County Heritage Trust copy of that publication. A copy of the photo been submitted to U.S.S. President Lincoln memorial site.

Page 109 of the Hall & Lehn publication contains the following descriptive paragraph about George B. Hoffman:

Seaman Hoffman was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael B. Hoffman of York. He enlisted at the age of 17 years in York, June 18, 1917. He was sent to Newport, R.I., where he received his preliminary training. In December of that year, he was assigned to the ill-fated ship President Lincoln as a seaman. He was returning from his fourth trip across when his ship was sunk by a German submarine. Prior to his enlistment he was employed by the American Chain Co. and lived with his stepbrother Mr. Alfred H. Billet. He was a member of the West Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

Related posts include:

• Searching for Photo of WWI Veteran George B. Hoffman for submission to U.S.S. President Lincoln memorial site
• The President Lincoln Torpedoed on Return Trip; York sailor KIA
• First York County WWI soldier dies in France
• Local WWI Veterans buried in Europe
• U.S. WWI declaration to Lafayette, we are here!
• German Submarine Mailed Letter at Newport then Sank 6 Ships
• Susquehanna Trail WWI Memorial Sycamores
• ROAD OF REMEMBRANCE Memorial in Paradise Township, York County