Grave. Murmansk. Russia

[James Fleming]

When on a cruise to Murmansk we were accompanied by a number of Arctic Convoy veterans.
We visited the cemetery and came across the grave of a 16 year old Cabin Boy.
It was a very moving day. The veterans were warmly welcomed by the Russians.
Grave. Murmansk.jpg

[Harry Nicholson]

So far from home. I muse about his grandparents, parents, and siblings, and how they would have mourned him.
Thank you for posting that image. Were there other headstones in that place?

[Harry Nicholson]

A snip from the Induna page of the people's war: Then we saw the rescue boats and were picked up, as I was pulled aboard I saw a Russian sailor down in the lifeboat looking at him and a rope being passed down, I do not know how they got him out of the lifeboat as I was taken to the bridge. The next time that I saw him was after one of the females in the Russian crew called to me, she was having difficulty with the cabin boy, a seventeen year old lad called Anderson, who was frozen bent double, and having cut his jacket off I saw that he was black to the waist, when she saw this the Russian said to leave him.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peo...a2112508.shtml Here's more on Induna and that lad.

[James Fleming]

Yes there were, the wreaths laid on the graves were put there by the veterans and members of the Maritime Memories group.

Regards James

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Thanks for that, it was interesting to read after seeing his burial place.
Regards James

[DeepSea]

ANDERSON, Steward's Boy, JAMES BURNET, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 3rd April 1942. Age 16. Son of Johnstone and Elizabeth Slight Anderson, of Edinburgh.

Cargo ship Induna, 5,086grt, (Maclay & McIntyre) loaded with war materials and cased petrol at New York for the Russian port of Murmansk left Sydney, Cape Breton in the 35 ship Convoy SC-63 on the 3rd January 1942. Ten days out at sea after being hampered by a severe storm, which forced ten ships to return to port, the Induna left the convoy and set course for Iceland where the ship would join up with the 21 ship Convoy PQ-13, sailing from Reykjavik on the 20th March. Three days later as the temperature dropped the convoy encountered a full arctic gale and during the evening of the 25th March, the Induna became detached from the convoy and as daylight approached, the ship was sailing all alone. Later on during the day, the ship encountered several more ships from the scattered remnants of PQ-13. By the 28th March, the weather subsided and apart from the occasional snow squall, the weather remained fairly clear. By the evening, the Induna had entered an ice field and took the escort vessel HMS Silja in tow who was running short of fuel as well as taking onboard sixteen survivors picked up from the Merchant ship Ballot by the escort ship. By the 29th, the weather once again blew up and the towline to the escort vessel parted and the Induna lost touch with the ship and had no choice to battle onto Murmansk. On the morning of the 30th March in rough seas North-East of the Kola Inlet a torpedo from U-376 detonated in number five hold containing the cased petrol, which blew up setting the ship ablaze. The order to abandon ship was given and the lifeboats were launched as the ship settled by the stern. U-376 then fired a second torpedo which detonated in number four hold and the ship started to sink stern first and with the bow rising high into the air the ship plummeted to the depths in position 70’ 55N 37’ 18N. The two lifeboats became separated and for four days, the survivors battled the seas in temperatures as low as –10 degrees, a number dying along the way and their bodies being committed to the deep. Finally, a Russian minesweeper found both lifeboats and the men finally arrived at Murmansk on the 3rd April where a number of men died from severe frostbite. Other survivors had to have limbs amputated without anesthetic.

There are a number of other MN graves from WWII in the same cemetery:

AUGER, Fireman and Trimmer, GEORGE, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 2nd April 1942. Age 35. Of Canada. South side. Grave 19.

BURDETT, Carpenter, JOHN LYNN, S.S. Empire Kinsman (Sunderland). Merchant Navy. 6th March 1943. Age 20. Son of Alice Burdett, of Stainton, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. North side. Grave 4.

MURPHY, Third Radio Officer, PATRICK, S.S. Lancaster Castle (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 24th March 1942. Age 20. Son of John and Mary Murphy, of Glasgow. South side. Grave 7.

NG KING, Assistant Steward, S.S. Empire Starlight (Hong Kong). Merchant Navy. 15th April 1942. Age 34. South side. Grave 25.

RIDGWAY, Fourth Engineer Officer (Offr.), STEPHEN JOHN, S.S. Lancaster Castle (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 24th March 1942. Age 34. South side. Grave 6.

WARREN, Donkeyman, ERIC NORMAN, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 30th March 1942. Age 42. Nephew of Mrs. M. Lewis, of Sheffield. South side. Grave 18.

Non World War Dead looked after by the CWGC

BRAMWELL, Boatswain (Bosun), J, S.S. Empire Scott. Merchant Navy. 17th March 1943. (Died from "heart failure")

LAMB, Fireman, WILLIAM, S.S. Empire Selwyn. Merchant Navy. 11th June 1942. South (Died from "heart failure")

MACLEOD, Seaman, NORMAN, S.S. Fort McMurray. Merchant Navy. 24th December 1943. (Died from injuries after "falling in deep tank")

Induna-JB-Anderson.jpg