General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
RE: HMS London, convoy PQ17.
Posted by:
Ralph
()
Date: August 02, 2001 04:29PM
<HTML>Thanks to Vin for bringing this article to our attention. PQ17 undoubtably one of the wars greatest tragedys
Source;www.thisisplymouth.co.uk
Cruise liner holds memorial service
Jayne Freer
Retired Royal Navy officer Gordon Bruty is back home in Plymouth after an emotional pilgrimage to the unforgiving Arctic waters, which 59 years ago witnessed the sinking of more than 20 merchant ships at the hands of German U-boats.
As a young sailor on the county-class cruiser HMS London, Mr Bruty\'s ship was tasked with providing a safe passage for the convoy PQ17 when it was attacked and destroyed in July 1942.
The memories of those fateful days have haunted Mr Bruty, from Derriford, through the years.
But last month, accompanied by his wife Jennie, he set sail on the cruise liner Aurora for the north Atlantic and a return trip to lay the past to rest.
In a simple yet touching service, the liner dropped speed and a single wreath was tossed over the side in memory of the thousands who lost their lives.
\"It was something I have wanted to do ever since the war. Above everything else, it was my way of saying, ‘You are not forgotten\'.
It was a very personal thing and I\'m glad that after all these years I got the chance to do it,\" he said.
Loaded with tanks, aircraft, and ammunition to feed the war effort against the Germans, PQ17 was the largest merchant convoy ever assembled at Reykjavik, Iceland, when it set sail for ports in Russia in late June 1945.
Confidence in the mission had been high, but on July 4 the convoy was ordered to scatter.
Intelligence reports suggested the fearsome battleship Tirpitz was steaming their way, and while PQ17\'s escorts went off to find her, the merchant ships were left to find their own way to Murmansk and Archangel unprotected.
\"We were supposed to protect those ships but instead were forced to withdraw, leaving them to scatter,\" Mr Bruty, 81, said.
Unprotected, the merchant ships were hunted down and destroyed by air and submarine attacks, and of the 38 ships that had left Iceland, 23 were sunk, just four reached Archangel, and the rest were retired through damage.
More than 300 of the 1,800 guests on the Aurora cruise liner attended the short service on July 4, the anniversary of the attack. A poignant passage was read by the ship\'s captain, Steve Burgoine, and then Mr Bruty threw the wreath into the sea.
Mr Bruty said: \"As well as saying goodbye, it was important to me to express how sorry we all felt. As ordinary seamen, there was nothing we could do for the merchant men, but the fate of the ships was none-the-less very upsetting,\" said Mr Bruty.
Source;www.thisisplymouth.co.uk
</HTML>
Source;www.thisisplymouth.co.uk
Cruise liner holds memorial service
Jayne Freer
Retired Royal Navy officer Gordon Bruty is back home in Plymouth after an emotional pilgrimage to the unforgiving Arctic waters, which 59 years ago witnessed the sinking of more than 20 merchant ships at the hands of German U-boats.
As a young sailor on the county-class cruiser HMS London, Mr Bruty\'s ship was tasked with providing a safe passage for the convoy PQ17 when it was attacked and destroyed in July 1942.
The memories of those fateful days have haunted Mr Bruty, from Derriford, through the years.
But last month, accompanied by his wife Jennie, he set sail on the cruise liner Aurora for the north Atlantic and a return trip to lay the past to rest.
In a simple yet touching service, the liner dropped speed and a single wreath was tossed over the side in memory of the thousands who lost their lives.
\"It was something I have wanted to do ever since the war. Above everything else, it was my way of saying, ‘You are not forgotten\'.
It was a very personal thing and I\'m glad that after all these years I got the chance to do it,\" he said.
Loaded with tanks, aircraft, and ammunition to feed the war effort against the Germans, PQ17 was the largest merchant convoy ever assembled at Reykjavik, Iceland, when it set sail for ports in Russia in late June 1945.
Confidence in the mission had been high, but on July 4 the convoy was ordered to scatter.
Intelligence reports suggested the fearsome battleship Tirpitz was steaming their way, and while PQ17\'s escorts went off to find her, the merchant ships were left to find their own way to Murmansk and Archangel unprotected.
\"We were supposed to protect those ships but instead were forced to withdraw, leaving them to scatter,\" Mr Bruty, 81, said.
Unprotected, the merchant ships were hunted down and destroyed by air and submarine attacks, and of the 38 ships that had left Iceland, 23 were sunk, just four reached Archangel, and the rest were retired through damage.
More than 300 of the 1,800 guests on the Aurora cruise liner attended the short service on July 4, the anniversary of the attack. A poignant passage was read by the ship\'s captain, Steve Burgoine, and then Mr Bruty threw the wreath into the sea.
Mr Bruty said: \"As well as saying goodbye, it was important to me to express how sorry we all felt. As ordinary seamen, there was nothing we could do for the merchant men, but the fate of the ships was none-the-less very upsetting,\" said Mr Bruty.
Source;www.thisisplymouth.co.uk
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| Subject | Written By | Posted |
|---|---|---|
HMS London, convoy PQ17.
|
Vin | 08/02/2001 08:10AM |
|
RE: HMS London, convoy PQ17.
|
Ralph | 08/02/2001 04:29PM |