The authors are grateful to the following merchant survivors and naval veterans of PQ 17 who unstintingly gave their time to help in the making of this book, often providing diaries and papers together with their first-hand reports. Names of ships are given alphabetically, with the rank the men held at the time. Decorations are those awarded for service on the convoy.
AMERICAN MERCHANTMEN
The Bellingham: A/B Harold D Lunt.
The Christopher Newport: Lieutenant (JG) Peter M Coy USNR, Armed Guard Officer.
El Capitan: Lieutenant (JG) Louis D Marks USNR, Armed Guard Officer.
The Exford: Oiler Lionel W Smith.
The Hoosier: First Assistant Engineer Willard L Davis.
The John Witherspoon: A/B Ferocious O'Flaherty (with many thanks for permission to refer to and quote from his book Abandoned Convoy).
The Olopana: Gunner Edward Hennessey BEM.
The Pankraft: Radioman J E Blackwell USN.
The Peter Kerr: Second Mate William P Connolly.
The Silver Sword: Second Mate John Behnken.
The Washington: Captain Julius Richter.
The authors would also like to acknowledge the response and help of: Mrs Anne T Hill (the Pan Atlantic); Gunner Arthur McDonald Jr (the Washington); Oiler W C Stackhouse (the Alcoa Ranger).
The authors also acknowledge the invaluable assistance of the US Navy Department (Captain F Kent Loomis USN Retd., Assistant Director of Naval History) in providing official survivor reports of the following ships: the Alcoa Ranger, the Carlton, the Daniel Morgan, El Capitan, the Honomu, the John Witherspoon, the Pankraft, the Washington and the William Hooper.
BRITISH MERCHANTMEN
The Bolton Castle: Cook George Duncan; Chief Cook J Leonard Osmundsen; Gunner Charles H West.
The Earlston: Lance Bombardier Richard F Crossley; Stoker A J Robinson; Cadet A V Watt BEM LM.
The Empire Byron: Carpenter Frederick Cooper DSM; A/B Walter B Shepherd.
The Empire Tide: Chief Officer George E Leech DSC; Boatswain C L Medhurst DSM; Engineer Officer George Robinson; Fireman E V Williams.
The Hartlebury: Gunner Arthur Carter.
The Ocean Freedom: Acting L/S Gunner Jim A Gordon RN DSM; Captain William Walker DSO; Gunner Herbert A Wharmby.
The River Afton: A/B Adam J O'Hagan; A/B W N Marsh.
DUTCH MERCHANTMAN
The Paulus Potter: Gunner David J Richards.
RESCUE SHIPS
The Rathlin: Junior Officer Ernest M Bentley.
The Zaafaran: P/O (Sick Bay) L A Bryant; Carpenter James Ramsay.
The Zamalek: Chief Engineer A S Dawson DSC; Surgeon Lieutenant N H R McCallum RNVR.
BRITISH TANKERS (RFA)
The Aldersdale: Chief Engineer W J Brown DSC; Captain Archibald Hobson DSC; Third Officer Henry W Phillips; Gunner Thomas W Urwin.
The Gray Ranger: Chief Engineer D L S Hood DSC.
BRITISH CLOSE ESCORTS
The Ayrshire: Sub Lieutenant John F Aylard RNVR; Lieutenant Richard W H Elsden RNVR.
The Dianella: A/B Kenneth J Richards.
The Halcyon: Telegraphist J A Hart; Stoker S Isam; Sub Lieutenant James McDowall RNVR; P/O J T C Welch.
La Malouine: Sub Lieutenant F H Petter RNVR.
The Lord Austin: T/O Telegraphist Hugh Davey; Signalman Gordon Hooper; Leading Seaman Arthur W Mallett; Signalman Jim Morris; Telegraphist Johnny Rose; Lieutenant E Leslie Wathen DSC RNR Commanding.
The Lord Middleton: A/B (SDO) Arthur Jones; O/D Murdo MacGregor; Chief Engineer John P Mair; Stoker Alex Milne.
The Northern Gem: Coxswain S A Kerslake; Skipper Lieutenant W P O Mullender DSC RNR.
The Palomares: Signalman Douglas Blarney; Sub Lieutenant (SP) Leslie Clements RNVR; Leading Telegraphist Maurice Davies; Signalman J B Taylor.
The Poppy: Lieutenant John Beardmore RNVR; Sub Lieutenant Denis C Brooke RNVR; Leading Stoker Reginald Lantsberry; O/D H V Pittman.
The Pozarica: A/B Walter Edgley; O/D Charles Gooch; A/B (ST) William S Mayne; CPO (QRI) Peter Reid; A/B A G Webster.
The Salamander: Stoker Thomas McClements; Stoker G Moore.
Also: Asdic Rating Alex Atmore (the Britomart); John G Galley (the Pozarica); A/B Jim Harber (the Pozarica); Radar Operator Glyn A Hughes (the Pozarica); Stoker E Jeffries (the Britomart); Coder R C Kimberley (the Palomares); Arthur E Lay-Flurrie (the Pozarica); P/O Arthur H Norton (the Britomart); R J Smith (the Palomares).
DESTROYERS
The Fury: O/D (CW) Norman V Smith.
The Keppel: A/B A E Davies; P/O Frederick Wicks RN; A/B Harold Williams.
The Leamington: A/B Oswald Tranter.
The Ledbury: Stoker P/O G H Smith.
The Offa: Chief Bosun's Mate Danny A R Daniels; Signalman Richard Hodgett; First Lieutenant W D O'Brien RN.
The Wilton: Sub Lieutenant Michael R Collins RN.
The authors acknowledge the kind permission of Captain Jack Broome DSC and A M Heath and Co. Ltd to quote from his article 'I am Ready and Willing to Go Back', featured in Freedom's Battle, Vol. 1, The War At Sea 1939–45, Hutchinson, 1964.
They also express their deep appreciation of the valuable help and comments of Vice Admiral W D O'Brien CB DSC, Commander Far East Fleet.
US/UK CRUISER FORCE
HMS London: Telegraphist C E Blakeborough; C P O Herbert G Bull RN; A/B D Murray.
USS Wainwright: P/O John W Crawford; Signalman First Class Merlin J Ewing.
USS Wichita: Lieutenant Douglas Fairbanks USNR; Signalman G Edward Young.
The authors thank Captain Douglas Fairbanks USNR Retd. for his kind help and permission to use comments from Knight Errant by Brian Connell (Hodder and Stoughton, 1955).
OTHER US/UK WARSHIPS
HMS Avenger: A/B John A Annand.
HMS Somali: Stoker First Class A Bailey.
USS Washington: Lieutenant (JG) Daniel W Jones USNR.
The authors thank Vice Admiral B B Schofield for his very helpful interest in this book and for permission to quote from The Russian Convoys (Batsford, 1964).
They also record the kind co-operation of more than 80 US newspapers and 40 UK newspapers, together with maritime unions and organisations of both countries, all of whom played a part in the long search for ships and men. The authors also acknowledge the efforts of a host of helpful correspondents, especially, in America: Howard Bethell (Brooklyn, New York); Frank H Cressey (Portland, Maine); Marc Enright (New York); Charles Hollisian (Cambridge, Mass.); Robert Kissel (Cincinnati, Ohio); John F Laird, Ex-Commander USNR (Colorado); Robert L Mahar (Randolph, Mass.); George Edward Stanley (Memphis, Texas).
And not least, for all her hard work, Mrs Mary Vaughan (California).
The lines from the song 'Jingle, Jangle, Jingle' (composer Joseph J Lilley; lyrics Frank Loesser) are quoted by kind permission of Chappell and Co. Ltd.