WW2 Veteran Junior Officer George A Forbes, British Merchant Navy

Junior Officer George A Forbes

By Doug Cerretti

Heroes Café Shoreline had the distinct honor to host WW2 veteran Junior Officer George Forbes of the British Merchant Navy on August 13, 2024. 

In 1941 the British Merchant Navy was short-handed to crew merchant ships that carried precious war materials from the United States to United Kingdom and Russia who were at war with Nazi Germany. 

Seamen were reluctant to serve on merchant ships delivering vital aid to the Allies. Running the gauntlet of German submarines, air and surface ship attacks on convoys was considered suicide. This was particularly true for the Arctic convoys to Russia. 

It is estimated that the campaign to deliver aid to the Soviet Union cost the lives of 3,000 sailors and merchant seamen.

However, the British found a new source of seamen. George Forbes was born January 6, 1925 in Perth, Scotland and his family soon moved to England. At 16 years of age George was completing the first of his two years at Merchant Navy College.

The Commandant of the Merchant Navy College told George and his fellow 1st year students that they would receive a commission now and finish the second year by correspondence course at sea if they joined the merchant service now. 

Logo of the British Merchant Navy

Thus, these men (or I should say boys) were commissioned as Junior Officers in the British Merchant Navy (equivalent to the US Merchant Marines) and sent off to sail in WW2. 

In 1942, after training and gunnery school, where he learned to fire machine guns and a 20 mm cannon, George was assigned to the Dutch merchant ship Pieter de Hooch. 

As longshoremen were loading the ship on his first convoy one of them yelled, 

“You people don’t need a life jacket; you need a parachute in case you get hit. You’re carrying high explosives!”

I guess this serves as Merchant Navy humor. The merchant ships, including Pieter de Hooch, formed into a convoy designated PQ-16 (21-30 May 1942) heading via the Arctic to the Russian port of Archangel accompanied by allied warships as escorts. 

As they rendezvoused in Reykjavik, Iceland, the Pieter de Hooch was short staffed and could not sail so Convoy PQ-16 left without them. After seaman came on board days later Pieter de Hooch joined Convoy PQ-17 (27 June-10 July, 1942), also headed to the Russian Port Archangel. 

Arctic Convoys were treacherous. Besides the cold weather, even in the summer, the sun never sets so that the cover of darkness was not possible; they could hide in the darkness. In addition, the course of the convoys was restricted, not more than 15 miles from German occupied Norway as the ice flows to the north resulted in a narrow path. 

Ensign of the British Merchant Navy

When Convoy PQ-17 lost allied air cover out of Iceland, they came under constant attack by the German Luftwaffe (air force) with the loss of merchant ships. 

Then a fateful turn of events. When the British Admiralty detected two German battleships leaving port in German occupied Norway, they ordered the convoy’s escort ships to intercept them leaving PQ-17 unprotected. 

As an escort ship sailed alongside Pieter de Hooch, they said 'you’re on your own' and the merchant ships were ordered to scatter while continuing their journey to Russia. (The movement by the German Navy was a feint and soon returned to port). 

Sailing singly or in small groups made it easy pickings for the Kriegsmarine (German navy). As George said, “It was just Hell.” 

The Captain of the Pieter de Hooch then ordered the ship to the closer Russian Port of Murmansk. However, Pieter de Hooch had engine trouble and they were dead in the water for 24 hours until repairs could be made. 

Somehow, as George said, they were not detected. As they approached Murmansk the ship was attacked by three Stuka dive bombers.

“I don’t know what happened or how it happened but the bombs dropped by the Stukas missed us by inches,” said George. 

Merchant ship Paulos Potter  being attacked by German twin-engine
Junkers Ju-88  during Convoy PQ-17. The ship was eventually lost.

The fate of the other merchant ships was not so fortunate. The Arctic Convoy PQ-17 suffered the worst losses of any convoy during WW2. Of the 34 merchant ships that made it out of Reykjavik in PQ-17, 25 were sunk with a loss of 153 merchant seamen.

 Route of the Arctic Convoy PQ-17 and the lost merchant ships

George told the story that seamen from a sunk merchant ship made it to a lifeboat and another merchant ship stopped to pick them up. They refused the rescue, as they said 'you will be sunk too'  And the ship was indeed sunk. The seamen finally made it to land after 10 days in the Arctic Sea. 

George Forbes being interviewed by Commander
Larry Fischer of American Legion Post 227
Photo by Doug Ceerretti

This was 17-year-old Junior Officer George Forbes' first convoy and his experiences here were repeated over and over again. 

George sailed continuously on Dutch merchant ships until the end of the war. 

He was a member of the Dutch Merchant Marines during that time although he wore the uniform of the British Merchant Navy and was paid by the British Admiralty. 

The merchant ships loaded cargo in the United States and Canada and then sailed to ports in England, North Africa, Casa Blanca, Malta, Tripoli, Messina, Naples and Palermo, battling the Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine as they followed the Allies' advance north from Africa. 

As George said many times, “It was just Hell.” 

George became fluent in Dutch but also ended up speaking French, Italian and Portuguese because of the ports he sailed to. In September 1945, George’s war was over. As you can imagine, George was physically and mentally beaten after sailing continuously for five years facing death over and over again. 

He had enough of war. After clearing customs and immigration in England and not even bothering to get his last paycheck, George went home and threw his uniform in the closet and said, “Thank God I am Safe.”

Medals received for service - The Arctic Star, the Atlantic Star and the 1939 - 1945 Star

Medals received from Russia

For his service to England George received the War Medal, the Atlantic Star, the 1939-1945 Star and after 70 years the British Admiralty issued the Arctic Star to recognize those that served on Arctic Convoys to Russia during WW2. 

George also received two Russian medals and years later a signed letter from Vladimir Putin thanking him for bringing war material to Russia during the war. George is also recognized by the White Beret he proudly wears which is allowed for seamen who served on Arctic Convoys to Russia.

In 1946, George left for Canada where he joined the Canadian Merchant Marines and afterwards he began his lifelong career in the maritime industry. 

In Montreal, he met his future wife, Helen Konbanoba. They married in 1951 and lived together for 70 years until her passing in 2021. Helen and George raised two sons one of whom served in the US Navy.

99-year-old George Forbes proudly wearing the
White Beret, signifying his service on Arctic
Convoys during WW2.

After living in Canada, Vermont and New York, George and family moved to Seattle in 1994. 

On a final note, if you have done your math, you have realized that George will turn 100-years-young next January!

A remarkable story of heroism repeated by many in WW2. 

We treasure Junior Officer George Forbes for his service and treasure the fact that he can tell us what happened because he was there.

--Photos in this story were provided by Doug Cerretti