World War II Honoree

George Joseph Weidner

Branch of Service

U.S. Merchant Marine

Hometown

New York

Honored By

Family

SERVED IN COMBAT IN THE MERCHANT MARINE AND NAVY RESERVE IN EVERY THEATER DURING WWII. A SURVIVOR OF PQ-17 (AND MONTHS IN THE NORTHERN SOVIET UNION IN COMBAT CONDITIONS BEFORE BEING REPATRIATED) CONVOY PQ17, ICELAND-RUSSIA, PQ17 WAS KNOWN AS THE CONVOY THAT DIDN'T GET THROUGH. IN HVALFJORD, ICELAND PQ17 CONSISTING OF 35 MERCHANTMEN, INCLUDING THE CAM SHIP EMPIRE TIDE, WERE ASSEMBLING. HOLD PACKED WITH TANKS, AMMO AND SUPPLIES FOR THE BELEAGUERED RED ARMY SET SAIL ON 27 JUNE 1942. THREE DAYS LATER THE CLOSE ESCORTS FELL INTO LINE AND THEY STEAMED EASTWARDS TOWARDS MURMANSK AND ARCHANGEL, AND THE WAITING GERMAN FORCES BASED IN NORWAY. GERMAN INTELLIGENCE WAS AWARE OF THE CONVOYS DEPARTURE BUT CONTACT WAS NOT ESTABLISHED UNTIL 1 JULY WHEN ESCORTS ENGAGED THE U-255 AND THE U-408 WHICH WERE SUCCESSFULLY DRIVEN OFF. OTHER U BOATS WERE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE CONVOY AND TAKE UP 'PATROL LINES' AHEAD. THERE WERE 8 OF THESE. ABOUT NOON ON 2 JULY THE FIRST SHADOWING AIRCRAFT APPEARED, AND, FOG APART, KEPT IN CONSTANT TOUCH. OF THE 37 SHIPS WHICH HAD SAILED FROM ICELAND, 2 HAD TURNED BACK AND 8 SUNK BY AIR ATTACKS, 9 HAD BEEN SUNK BY U BOAT AND 7 BY U BOAT AFTER HAVING BEEN STOPPED BY AIR ATTACK.