Stories of Faith and Courage from World War II

by Larkin Spivey

  Seeing gun flashes from five separate directions, the Germans probably imagined that they were confronting a superior force. Each of these heavy destroyers was armed with five 5.9 inch guns in addition to torpedoes, so had they pressed in they might easily have sunk every ship in our force. However, Harrier and the other ‘fleet’ minesweepers looked not unlike destroyers when seen end-on, so probably the Captain’s action in heading straight for the enemy had saved our lives.92

  Commander Hinton’s attack saved his own ship and the others at the scene of this battle. He showed what a small force could accomplish with determination and decisive action, even against great odds. This story is an encouragement to all who follow Jesus Christ. Our numbers are often few in the midst of a culture apparently going in a different direction. However, we know the power of a “small force” that is on God’s side. We need to take action with confidence when we have opportunities to serve him, even when we have doubts that we can make a difference.

  The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong.

  —Ecclesiastes 9:11

  March 8

  Murmansk Run

  In May 1942 the cargo ship SS Atlantic, laden with aircraft and explosives, was sailing above the Arctic Circle, bound for Murmansk, Russia. Arctic ice forced Atlantic and the other thirty-five ships in this convoy close to the north coast of Norway and German airbases located there. May 27 brought clear weather and almost continuous air attacks for ten hours. Seven ships were lost, and three badly damaged. One of the officers assessed the toll:

  Taking stock, ships were being sunk at the rate of one every two hours. We still had at least 60 hours sailing to get to Murmansk with 29 merchant ships left. Moreover, our ship had used up more than half its ammunition, and presumably the others were in similar straits.

  If the pace of the attacks was kept up, the arithmetic seemed to add up to the possibility of all our ships being sunk… Everything depended on where the bomb or torpedo would strike. No. 3 hold was full of explosives. If that were hit, we would all disappear in a flash of light and a cloud of smoke—one ship had already done so.93

  These sailors on the Murmansk Run were pushed to the limit of human endurance by arctic storms, ice, deadly cold water, volatile cargoes, and the constant threat of attack by enemy aircraft and submarines. They understood the overwhelming odds against their own survival and still found the courage to do their duty as sailors and to fight every battle as soldiers. Thanks to their valiant effort a tenuous but absolutely critical lifeline between the Allied nations was kept open throughout World War II.

  In the same way, many great heroes of the faith have achieved much while doubting their own ability to succeed or survive. There are times when we too feel that God is asking us to do more than we are capable of doing. In times like these, remember that if God asks us to accomplish something, he will not forsake us on the way.

  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

  —Deuteronomy 31:6

  March 9

  New Life

  In March 1942, the Esso tanker T. C. McCobb was sunk by a German submarine four hundred miles off the northern coast of Brazil. Michael Wajda suffered a severe head wound while trying to abandon ship, and found himself on a raft with two of his shipmates. By the thirty-fifth day both of his shipmates had succumbed to the elements, leaving Wajda alone. On the forty-fifth day he saw the first muddy streaks in the water and knew land was near. He was picked up the next day and taken to a hospital in Georgetown, British Guiana.

  Meanwhile, Wajda had been presumed dead for weeks since many of his other shipmates had already been rescued. His family was in mourning when the news of his survival arrived:

  “Sea Gives Back Sailor to Jersey Mother,” was the headline in the New York Herald-Tribune on May 21. And that is how Michael Wajda’s mother, in nearby New Jersey, learned that the son she had given up for dead had been returned to life. She abandoned the mourning garments she had worn for a month and joyously awaited the return of her son—whom the news article said she would not recognize in “the red-bearded, sun-blackened young man, gaunt from hunger, who was picked up from a life raft that drifted toward the shore of British Guiana after forty-six days at sea.”94

  This is a wonderful story of rebirth. We share the joy of this mother, who was able to abandon her mourning garments after reaching the depths of despair. Christians experience a similar spiritual journey each spring. After a Lenten season of reflection and the shared agony of the Stations of the Cross, we come to the Easter season with a fuller appreciation for the depths of despair. From this perspective, the resurrection of our Savior takes on its full meaning and gives us the ultimate cause for joyful celebration.

  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.”

  —Mark 16:6

  March 10

  Hard Choices

  There were many times during the Battle of the Atlantic when destroyer commanders faced a painful dilemma. When enemy submarines attacked their convoys, there were inevitably survivors in the water at the same time that other attacks were in progress. Obviously, the destroyer’s mission was to pursue all submarine contacts to protect the other ships in the convoy. However, survivors could not be expected to last long in the North Atlantic. One such episode, with a happy ending, was reported by Capt. Donald MacIntyre of the HMS Walker.

  On a wild night in March 1941, five cargo ships in his convoy were torpedoed. The Walker raced about the convoy and made several depth charge runs on sonar contacts with uncertain results. At one point confusing sonar echoes from all the explosions necessitated a lull in the action. MacIntyre recalled:

  I had for some time past noticed in the distance the bobbing lights from the lifeboats of one of our sunken ships, but with an enemy to engage there was nothing for it but to harden my heart and hope that the time might come later when I could rescue the crews. This lull seemed a good opportunity and perhaps if we left the area temporarily the U-boat commander might think he had shaken us off and be tempted into some indiscretion. So… we stopped and picked up the master and thirty-seven of the crew of the SS J. B. White.95

  Our choices may not be as stark as those of a destroyer commander in wartime, but they are nevertheless often difficult. We need to understand that God intends for us to face hard choices in our lives. He gives us the capacity to make decisions, and he holds us accountable for them. The Old Testament gives us repeated admonitions to choose obedience to God’s laws, which is of course what we should always try to do. But Jesus brought a new perspective and a new choice. When we choose Jesus Christ, we are choosing life over death. He explained this to Martha by telling her that the physical preparations for his visit were not as important as understanding this message.

  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

  —Luke 10:41–42

  Torpedoed ship sinks in the Atlantic. (National Archives)

  Depth-charge attack on a Nazi U-boat. (National Archives)

  March 11

  The Four Chaplains

  The SS Dorchester almost made it to safety. On the evening of February 2, 1943, the troopship broke away from its convoy and headed into Narsarsuaq, Greenland, the destination for this trip. At about 1:00 a.m. a violent explosion lifted the ship. As the lights went out, nine hundred men scrambled for the upper decks and lifeboats. Those that made it topside found the ship listing to starboard and sinking fast. Men were frantically trying to break the ice off the tackle holding the boats. Only a few were launched. Those with life jackets started jumping clear of the ship. Many did not have one. Amid this confusion four chaplains from the embarked units manned the storage locker wh
ere extra life jackets were kept. They handed these out as fast as they could. When the supply was exhausted, each chaplain took off his own jacket and gave it to an astonished soldier.

  In the midst of the chaos around them, time stood still for those who watched as four men on a sinking ship gave away their life jackets. Those who witnessed the act were momentarily stunned. Said one survivor, “It was the finest thing I’ve seen, or hope to see, this side of heaven.” The chaplains, now without life jackets, continued to minister to men, calming those who were crying in fear, praying with others, helping the men prepare themselves for what was about to happen. As the lifeboats rowed away from the ship, some of the men in the boats said they could see the chaplains standing on deck, arms linked together and heads bowed, when the Dorchester finally succumbed.96

  The four chaplains were George Fox (Methodist), Clark Poling (Dutch Reformed), Alex Goode (Jewish), and John Washington (Catholic). They were each awarded the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously for their heroism. Together they have left us one of the finest examples of Christian service ever recorded.

  Taking the very nature of a servant… He humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross!

  —Philippians 2:78

  March 12

  Reading the Bible

  Rabbi Alexander Goode enlisted in the Army in 1942 and was thirty-two years old when he completed Chaplain School at Harvard University. In January 1943 he said goodbye to his wife, Theresa, and their four-year-old daughter, Rosalie Bea. He boarded the troopship, SS Dorchester, for the fateful voyage that would see him and his fellow chaplains heroically sacrifice their lives for the sake of countless others.

  Before the war, as a rabbinical student, Alex wrote a letter to Theresa, then his sweetheart. He shared some thoughts about his favorite poets at that time and then expressed some heartfelt thoughts about the most important book of his life:

  Speaking of the Bible I might mention that by this time in my preparation for the career of a Rabbi I have read most of the Bible, and when I say read I really mean studied carefully, at least three times, so that I am more familiar with this great library of our people than I am with any other volume I have ever studied or read. In it is stored such a mine of information and beauty that I am tempted to think with our ancestors who absolutely believed that everything in the Bible was true and that all things that man can experience under the sun are contained therein. So much is treasured up that I could not begin to describe its contents. It really is heartbreaking that more people do not seek out its treasures.97

  No doubt many passages of Scripture were in Goode’s mind as he ministered to others amid the chaos of a sinking ship. When we study God’s Word and hide it in our hearts (Psalm 119:11) we build a resource of incalculable value to help us face difficult times. In a moment of decision, Scripture will guide our choice if we have been diligent in our efforts to not only read it, but to understand and remember it.

  You have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

  —2 Timothy 3:15–17

  March 13

  Where to Sleep

  Life aboard a merchant ship in convoy across the Atlantic was a mixture of boredom and fear. Long days and nights passed without incident. However, when something happened, it usually happened suddenly. Life jackets and precious valuables were kept close at hand. There was also the issue of where to sleep:

  The civilian Merchant Marines who manned the ships grimly calculated where they slept aboard ship by the cargo they carried. If you were hauling a load of iron ore, you slept on deck for you had only a few seconds to clear the ship once a torpedo hit. If you carried general cargo, you could sleep below decks but kept your clothes on because your survival time was calculated in minutes. If, however, your ship carried a load of aviation fuel, you were free to sleep naked below decks, with the door closed since you would never have the time to escape the certain and sudden oblivion of a torpedo attack.98

  When there is real danger, it is human nature to be more careful. Our senses are heightened, and we take extra precautions. We don’t want to be caught unprepared. Vigilance is even more important in our spiritual lives. We may think that we have unlimited time and therefore feel no need for urgency. Jesus tried to emphasize the foolishness of this stance with the parable of the ten virgins waiting at night for the bridegroom. Not knowing how long it would be before he arrived, five of the virgins took extra oil for their lamps. They were prepared when the time came. The door to the wedding banquet was shut to the others who failed to keep the vigil.

  “Sir! Sir!” They said. “Open the door for us!” But he replied, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

  —Matthew 25:11–13

  March 14

  Hope to Go On

  Paul Hirsch was forcefully thrown into the water by an exploding shell that totally destroyed the bridge of the SS Hurley. He remembered every horrendous detail: “My life jacket slowly raised me to the surface where I saw a scene from hell. The heat was intense and the sounds were unreal. Flames danced on the waves slick with burning oil, the ship was cracking to pieces, men were screaming.”99

  With his ship destroyed by a German submarine, Hirsch began a twenty-one-day ordeal with twenty-three other seamen in a lifeboat designed for ten. Stranded in the mid-Atlantic outside normal shipping lanes, their chances of rescue seemed slim. As they grew weaker, the seamen seemed to sense that they were nearing the limit of their endurance.

  At this stage, they began to pray. They prayed for the wounded and for each other. As they continued these prayers they came closer together and found hope to go on. Hirsch later recalled that they managed to keep their civility, their self-respect, and their courage. Above all, these men nurtured the hope that they would survive. Their faith was rewarded on the twenty-first day when a British freighter came over the horizon to end their ordeal.

  God wants us to be hopeful in Him. Finding hope in all circumstances is a recurring biblical theme reflected throughout the Psalms; “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord”(Psalm 31:24). “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you”(Psalm 39:7). “For you have been my hope, O Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth”(Psalms 71:5). Our heavenly Father also sent his Son into the world to bring us an even greater and ultimate hope: that through him, we have a place in his everlasting kingdom.

  We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us.

  —Romans 5:3–5

  March 15

  Navy Shower

  When the fresh water supply runs low on a Navy ship, the inevitable and dreaded recourse is “water hours,” limiting the time available for showers. To prevent this and to educate the new crew members, the following article was run in a ship’s newsletter on New Year’s Day 1942:

  The way most so-called sailors waste water, it is little wonder the ship may be required to establish washroom hours.

  If some of you have no regard for engineering efficiency or ship’s spirit, most of you should still realize that fresh water aboard ship at sea is precious, and that the evaporators can’t make enough water for you to waste any!

  So, for the benefit of first, second, third and fourth cruise “boots,” we shall endeavor to explain the proper way for a sailor to take a shower; in four easy lessons. 1. Wet yourself down. 2. Turn-off the water while soaping yourself. 3. Rinse. 4. Turn off the water and scram. P.S. If you want to linger longer than that under a shower, wait until you hit the “Y”. If all hands can learn to take a shower on board as outlined above, washroom hours may be extended, to the better comfort of all of us. B
e a shipmate! Be a sailor!!!100

  Fresh water is always a precious commodity aboard a Navy ship, requiring careful conservation by every man on board. It is also a precious commodity in many arid regions of the world. In the Middle East, a gallon of water used to cost more than a gallon of gasoline.

  Water was an especially critical resource during biblical times, and for that reason, was an important source of imagery. The psalmist described longing for God as a deer panting for “streams of water”(Psalm 42:1). Jesus told us that they are blessed who “thirst for righteousness”(Matthew 5:6). The culmination of this imagery is found in Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman. After asking her for a drink of water from a well, Jesus offered her another kind of drink that would forever replenish itself. This image of “living water” presents a powerful picture of eternal life with Jesus and our Father in heaven.

  Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

  —John 4:13–14

  March 16

  I Couldn’t Die

  On June 9, 1940, the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious was intercepted returning from Norway by two German battle cruisers. The Glorious and her two escort destroyers were sunk, with more than fifteen hundred sailors lost. Ronald Healiss, a Royal Marine, was one of the few survivors. Sighting a lifeboat in the distance, he began the longest swim of his life. After what seemed like hours, every muscle was cramped and his stomach was in a knot. He thought his time had come.