Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Christmas story
I have a Christmas story to tell. During World War Two I served in the Navy as a torpedoman aboard a Destroyer Escort. Our job was to escort convoys carrying
supplies and equipment to various battle zones overseas. In this incidence our destination was Oran, North Africa. The time was 1945 and General Mark Clark
was engaged in battle with Rommels Afrika Corps. The supplies and equipment were enroute to Clarks army. On the return trip to the U.S. the empty ships were
carrying captured Afrika corps prisoners.
The 'incident' occured three days before our arrival at the port of Oran. We were somewhere off the coast of Gilbralta and it was Christmas Day. We had been harassed by wolf packs of German submarines (U-Boats) constantly from the time we left our home port in Boston. On this day we made contact with a U-boat in the vicinity of the convoy and were preparing to make a run on it and try to destroy it with our depth charges. Before we proceeded to do this we received a radio message from the captain of the U-boat. The message went something like this, "Ahoy USS Eldridge (that was us) This is captain Helmut Schroder of U-Boat #203. I would like to extend to captain Allan (our skipper) and his crew best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a safe passage.
May we live to see our families again". We never did make further contact with the U-boat and proceeded to our destination without incident. I think of this every so often , such a bizaare event in the middle of a war. I was eighteen years old at the time. Can anyone imagine our enemies of to-day taking the time out from their terrorist activities to wish us a merry Christmas and a safe passage?
Well, I'd like to wish all who read this, just that.
George Morin
Auburn
supplies and equipment to various battle zones overseas. In this incidence our destination was Oran, North Africa. The time was 1945 and General Mark Clark
was engaged in battle with Rommels Afrika Corps. The supplies and equipment were enroute to Clarks army. On the return trip to the U.S. the empty ships were
carrying captured Afrika corps prisoners.
The 'incident' occured three days before our arrival at the port of Oran. We were somewhere off the coast of Gilbralta and it was Christmas Day. We had been harassed by wolf packs of German submarines (U-Boats) constantly from the time we left our home port in Boston. On this day we made contact with a U-boat in the vicinity of the convoy and were preparing to make a run on it and try to destroy it with our depth charges. Before we proceeded to do this we received a radio message from the captain of the U-boat. The message went something like this, "Ahoy USS Eldridge (that was us) This is captain Helmut Schroder of U-Boat #203. I would like to extend to captain Allan (our skipper) and his crew best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a safe passage.
May we live to see our families again". We never did make further contact with the U-boat and proceeded to our destination without incident. I think of this every so often , such a bizaare event in the middle of a war. I was eighteen years old at the time. Can anyone imagine our enemies of to-day taking the time out from their terrorist activities to wish us a merry Christmas and a safe passage?
Well, I'd like to wish all who read this, just that.
George Morin
Auburn
