WW2 Veteran Junior Officer George A Forbes, British Merchant Navy

[Douglas Cerretti]

I applied for the 100th birthday greeting from the King but it asked for George’s British passport implying you need to be a current citizen. George does not have his, he left UK in 1946. While it seems former citizens are eligible, I could get around that.

Get a birthday or anniversary message from the King - GOV.UK

[Douglas Cerretti]

Empire Halley was a 7,168 GRT cargo ship which was built by J L Thompson & Sons Ltd, Sunderland. Launched on 26 September 1941 and completed in December 1941. Allocated in 1942 to the Dutch Government and renamed Pieter de Hoogh. Sold in 1947 to Stoomvart Maatschappij Oostzee, Netherlands and renamed Britsum. Operated under the management of Vinke & Zonen, Amsterdam. Arrived on 24 August 1959 at Osaka, Japan for scrapping.[7]

SS Empire Halley sailed in the Arctic Convoy PQ-7b, PQ 7b from Hvalfjord, Iceland on 31 December 1941 and arrived in Murmansk on 11
January 1942.

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[Douglas Cerretti]

I would like to give an update on WW2 veteran Junior Officer George Forbes of the British Merchant Navy. George turned 100-years young on January 6, 2025. A few weeks ago we set up a Zoom call with the British Naval Attache Commodore Roger Readwin from the British embassy in Washington DC. Unfortunately, the Commodore was called to London so the Assistant Naval Attache, Commander Lyndsey Netherwood took the call. We had a very nice discussion of George’s experience on convoys during WW2. George gave a new description of an attack by three Stuka dive bombers, “the bombs were so close that they had to have scraped the paint off the side of the ship.” George also received a letter from the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC. George was very honored to have received this letter. We also put together a shadow box for George.

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[Douglas Cerretti]

Presentation of shadow box at Heroes Cafe in Lynnwood, WA

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[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Douglas.
Well done mate, your Dad will be proud for what you have done for him, a brave man without a doubt. To many of our seamen from the war years are forgotten, which makes me sad, but your Dad looks like he can go another hundred.
Cheers and give your Dad my best wishes.
Des

[Douglas Cerretti]

George Forbes is not my father but he is a member of my American Legion Post 227 in Shoreline, WA which is how I got to know him. I am not sure how we did it but a District Commander of the Washington State American Legion said we could sign him up and we did not argue the point. The American Legion is for veterans of the US military. Why did I do all of this. I like history and I like the stories that are told by people who were there. Because they were there they can tell us what happened. And every day there are fewer and fewer of them especially WW2 veterans. I also make it a point to tell veterans of any time period to tell their family what they did when they served their country so it can be passed down to their kids, grandkids and great grand kid before it’s too late. I have published several articles about veterans in the Shoreline Area News, a daily e-newspaper in Shoreline, Wa, just north of Seattle. If you google it and search my name, cerretti, you will see several articles I have written about some amazing people. There also many that are not military related. One of the latest is about Michael Reagan of the Fallen Heroes Project. I guarantee you will not have seen a similar story any where. How about drawing 10,000 portraits for Gold Star families at no cost to them.

[Jos Odijk]

Douglas, I'm from the Netherlands and will probably have all the info you need about the Pieter de Hoogh.
I think there is a misunderstanding about the convoys. As just read the harbour logbook of the Pieter de Hoogh
She left harbour on the 26 March 42 ( PQ14) , Anchored on the 17 April 42 Iceland. Left the 20th May for Murmansk Arrived there on the 30th. My copies ended on the 28 of June ( lifting anchor in Murmansk for the voyage back. (QP13)

So you can conclude The Pieter de Hoogh sailed PQ16 - Not PQ17