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Why Me, Lord?
The Experiences of a U.S Navy Officer in
World War II's Convoy PQ 17 on the Murmansk Run
William A. Carter
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ISBN: 978-0-9802457-0-7
Price: $25.00 |
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ISBN: 978-0-9802457-1-4
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Summary
"Why Me, Lord?" is a firsthand account by a veteran of one of the most tragic chapters in World War II naval history, the infamous PQ 17 convoy across the North Atlantic to north Russia in the summer of 1942. 35 merchant ships carried war materiel to support the Soviet defense against invading Nazi armies before the U.S. and Great Britain opened a second front with the invasion of North Africa late in 1942. After the convoy was abandoned by its American and British naval escort vessels in U-boat-infested waters, 24 of its 35 merchant ships were lost to enemy attack. The author, then a young U.S. Naval officer commanded a Navy Armed Guard contingent aboard the American freighter, S.S. Ironclad, and was awarded the Silver Star for valor as a result of his leadership during combat with attacking German aircraft. He tells the story of his experiences in vivid detail and paints a memorable portrait of both the wartime navy and Soviet Russia's White Sea ports. The book also details the return voyage aboard the U.S. liberty ship, S.S. Richard Bland, which, if anything, was even more harrowing. The Bland was sunk off Iceland after being torpedoed three times north of the Arctic Circle, with its surviving crew members, including the author, being forced into lifeboats in frigid North Atlantic waters. Written more than 60 years after the events it describes, "Why Me, Lord?" is one of the very few, and quite possibly the last, firsthand accounts of this important, though little known, chapters of World War II naval history.
About the Author
William A. Carter was born and raised on Maryland's Eastern Shore, moving to southern Delaware with his parents in 1939. A 1940 graduate of St. John's College, Annapolis, MD, he entered a naval reserve officer training program at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, later being assigned to command an Armed Guard crew on North Atlantic convoy duty. He earned both the Silver Star and a high Soviet decoration, the Order of the Great Patriotic War, 1st Class. On his return to civilian life, he had a distinguished career in business and public service. After retirement, he earned a Ph.D. in education and government. At 89, he lives in southern Delaware with Ann, his wife of nearly 65 years. Their wartime romance is also an important part of this story.
