All these years after the war, when the subject comes up the focus is apt to be on Normandy or The Bulge, or Iwo Jima or Okinawa. You don't hear much about Murmansk or Archangel. Yet it's doubtful that the war could have taken a man to a place where he was more likely to be killed. Apart from the weather -- the angry sea and frigid temperatures -- there was just about every killing machine the Germans could throw into the battle: capital ships and submarines and mines and aircraft of every sort. No one, as far as I know, volunteered for duty on a ship chosen to carry vital war material to that place where the odds were very much against making the return voyage. But a handful of old sailors who sign on here from time to time made the round trip, some of them more than once. I was never so unlucky as to be one of them. My hat is off to them, all of them. There ought to be a special decoration for them. -- Fran
Re: Murmansk
Posted by Clarence Rutherford on May 11, 2012, 12:11 am, in reply to "Murmansk"
While browsing through some former messages, I re-read the one from Fran about the Murmansk Run. Quite interesting, & sooooo true! There are so many current, & former, Navy men who have never heard of the Armed Guard. It was a very important part of history,.....I know,...I was there, & I find it very sad to know, firsthand, of those who made that terrible run, & so very many who never made it back, but is now not even important enough to be remembered. As I am sure you know, Fran, the Russians do remember....We were awarded a medal for the 40th anniversary, &, also the 65th..from the Russian Government. Too bad our own country doesn't find it important enough to remember!
I find all the messages from former mates very interesting, regardless of the subject. It is good to keep in touch!
Keep reporting for Muster!
Clarence
Re: Murmansk
Posted by John Haynes on April 16, 2012, 10:07 pm, in reply to "Murmansk"
Thanks Fran. You said it better than I could, and I was there in March and April of 1942 in Convoy PQ-13. One voyage only. John Haynes