USAT Merritt Passengers

Russian exiles including women and children

Original caption 7/6/1923 San Francisco CA.

A group of Russian exiles on the deck of the U.S. Army Transport Merritt as they sailed into San Francisco Bay after buffeting storms of the Pacific Ocean, calling at unwelcome ports for several months and not daring to return for fear of death  at the hands of the Bolsheviks.


New York Times, July 2, 1923

526 Czars refugees Land
Last of White Army and Navy arrive in San Francisco

Special to the New York Times
San Francisco, July 1- A little bit of Russia drifted in through the Golden Gate this morning on the Army Transport Merritt, 526 men, women and children refugees, the last of the white army and white navy.  For two years, they have wandered from port to port, enduring hunger, disease and hardships innumerable, nowhere welcome, nowhere aid, until America took note of them and held out a helping hand.

Some of them wore the uniforms of the Czar, of Deniken and of Wrangle.  Some of them wore the clothes The American Red Cross gave them in Manila.  Lt General Heiskanin is in charge of the refugees.  The Rev Serge Denisoff is the chaplain.  These and Prince Kangalov, a powerful  figure in the Czar's regime are the big men among these people,  There are 254 single men, 70 marrie couples, 87 single women and 45 children.  Five of the children have lost both father and mother.     

Image: Bettmann/Corbis, July 6, 1923, San Francisco, CA.