Letter from a Murmansk Run veteran.

[SemperParatus]

A hand written letter I received from Robert Tatosky a messman aboard the S/S HENRY BACON on the Murmansk Run during WW II.

 

Mr. Millar

 

It was a pleasure to receive your letter. Yes, I am the boy who at the time was 18 years old when the HENRY BACON got torpedoed. When we left Boston in October of 1944 we went to New York to take on cargo. I was 17 years old when we were in Murmansk. I turned 18 on February 16, 1945. As you know the S/S HENRY BACON was sunk on February 23, 1945. It was a good ship and we had a good crew. I have received a telephone call from Gerard O Haviland when he comes up to Boston we are going to have lunch and talk about the HENRY BACON. That is one day that I will never forget as long as I live. We were standing on deck when she started to sink. We only had two lifeboats left when Chief Haviland said "son take my seat". I can't forget it I think of it every day. One lifeboat we put the 19 Norwegian Refugees in with a fireman, he was from Chelsea. We were picked up about three hours by three British corvettes. They took us to Scotland and the Navy gun crew went to, I believe, the Naval Base. We stayed at the seaman's club in Glasgow until we were put on the WAKEFIELD to come back to the states. Yes I would like very much to hear from R.C. Reed and Richard Burbine. Richard and I pulled one hell of a leave while were in Glasgow. We shot down 5 planes, I figure it was more like 9, because the remaining planes could not have made it back to Hammerfest, Norway which according to records was 250 miles away. They went away burning so I assumed they could not have made it back to their base.

 

Thank you

 

Robert Tatosky