1934 Special passport
On official duty for serving in the US Asiatic Fleet.
Pre-war issued special passport for a high ranking US navy officer that was sent to the Far East.
The Asiatic Fleet existed mainly during the first half of the 20th Century, from the period of 1902 to 1942, and was decimated that year. It protected the Philippine Islands and after it was destroyed, it was incorporated into the Southwest Pacific Area Command. Later on, it would be known as the Seventh Fleet.
In 1937 the commander-in-chief of the fleet, Admiral Harry E. Yarnell, made a visit to the Soviet Union’s main far eastern naval base Vladivostok; and 2 years later Admiral Thomas C. Hart was made the new commander-in-chief of the base which was located at the Marsman Building in Manila (at Cavite Naval Base/Olongapo Naval Station on Luzon).
During the 1920’s and 1930’s the Asiatic Fleet was based in China, but the forces and boats were slowly withdrawn to protect other US interests in the Pacific. The US still held other detachments in these Chinese cities: Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and Qingdao (see added image of a post-war 7th Fleet related document).
Further information on the fleet and WW2 battles can be read at the above added link.
Special Passport number 1390 was issued on November 1st 1934 to lieutenant commander Robert Giffen Robeson (1890-1955). Shortly after his return back to the US, 1935, he was injured which led to his retirement to San Diego, California.
The passport has official visas for Hong Kong, Japan and China.
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