Harold Anton Peterson (1919 - 2017)

Born 10 Dec 1919 in Hurdsfield, Wells, North Dakota, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Joyce Marjorie (Brunes) Peterson — married 13 Nov 1943 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Descendants

Died 1 Mar 2017 at age 97 in Minneapolis, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Char Anderson [send private message]

Biography

Harold, born in Hurdsfield in 1919, lived there until the death of his mother from cancer when he was 17. His father, Anton, had previously died when Harold was just 6 years old. After his mother Amalia's funeral, his Aunt Lue brought Harold, along with Marie and Charles, who had both already been in Minneapolis, back to Minneapolis. Harold went to business school while living with his Aunt. From there Harold and his 13 month older brother, Charles, joined the Navy/Harold, and Army/Charles for WWII. While in the Navy Harold met his future wife while attending Bethesda Free Church in Minneapolis. Her name was Joyce Brunes born 1920, in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, also living with her Aunt Ruth, her mother Beda's sister, Two children, Charlotte and John, were added to this marriage. Other than the first house they had for a little while, the next house was where we lived until the time Harold's chronic disease, C. I. D. P. (related to MS), prompted them to live at Augustana Care Center in downtown Minneapolis, where gradually both declined over a period of many years. Harold died the first of March, 1917, and his wife, Joyce followed him 8 months later. Both are buried at the National Cemetery in Ft. Snelling.

In Harold's working years he served in the Navy 3 yrs. 9 mos. in the Atlantic and Mediterranean sea during WWII. After the war he was a Deputy Clerk of Municipal Court in Minneapolis. Harold was also active in his church, being on various church boards and committees.

Memory of War

Memories of May 11, 1944 - U. S. S. Decker (DE-47)

Written by Harold two weeks after the incident -

We were going from Gibraltar to Bizerte escorting a large convoy of around 70 ships and 15 escorts. We were about 12 miles off the north shore of Africa and 50 miles east of Algiers. We knew that the Germans had attacked with torpedo planes every similar convoy and that tonight was the night. All during the day we had been called to battle stations because of alerts, usually because of 2 or 3 German planes somewhere in the area. As it turned out later, these had been reconnaissance planes getting the position of our convoy. Therefore we expected to be attacked that night, so at 8:00 P.M. we manned our battle stations for the sixth time that day. About that time we got word of 11 to 30 German planes and an alert was called. Throughout the next hour we saw many of our own fighters flying all around hoping to intercept the Germans. About 8:45 P.M. much small fire was seen on the horizon to the north. This was our fighters engaging the enemy. Results are not known at present. At 9:00 P.M. we got word over the TBS (voice radio) that there were several unidentified planes coming in from the north 5 miles away. A minute later we saw them for the first time and the sky was filled with them. The planes came in at about 300 miles per hour and very low, probably around 30 feet above the water. The first wave, about 15 or 20 planes, came directly for us, as we were in the goat position, screening the convoy from the front. We opened fire immediately, the first ship to do so, and soon forced them to break formation. The enemy seemed to be confused in not being able to locate the merchant ships at first due to the effective smoke screen we and the other escorts had been laying for the past hour, so they picked on the escorts first. Nor do we believe that they expected such heavy anti-aircraft fire. My battle station was out on deck with a repair party, and I had nothing to do but hold my ears and run back and forth across the ship to watch the fire works. Had the planes opened up on us with machine gun we would have been excellent targets there in our curiosity to see. We didn't stay on any course very long. The ship was maneuvering with full rudder and full speed. We were making about 21 knots. The planes began to come at us independently now, and very close, their object being to sneak up, drop their torpedoes, and beat it. It was quite dark by this time and the planes were hard to see. They probably held fire so they would not be detected. We picked on the nearest one and his starboard engine soon became on fire, and as he crossed our bow he was only a few feet off the water. He crashed a few seconds later about a mile from us, but in plain view. From the fire in his starboard engine you could plainly see the German Reich cross painted on the fuselage. He was just over my head and just high enough to clear the ship. The fellows said that this was indeed a thrilling moment, but were too busy to appreciate it fully. I heard the lookouts call out "Torpedoes", and we began dodging them. And here the Skipper did a fine job. Two planes dropped torpedoes from dead ahead. We dodged one on each side of the ship, too close for comfort. We probably scored hits on these planes, but with no apparent results. Two more torpedoes were fired at too close a range to dodge. We saw them pass under our ship. (We didn't expect to see them come out on the other side). I looked up and saw one plane fly right through our smoke screen close aft. The fellows said that he also dropped two torpedoes, but they were evidently too close to get their course in the water. Action was still thick and furious, and our guns were never quiet. One plane came down our port side very close. Every gun that could bear on him was firing away. He crashed into the sea astern of us.

Heavy firing continues for 35 minutes until the planes began to thin out and became hard to see. We shot at everything in the sky that looked like an object. One plane dropped two flares, showing it to be friendly.

From time to time a red flare was seen on the port bow of the convoy 4 or 5 miles away. It is not known just what this was, but it is believed to have been a signal from the German plane "Master of Ceremonies" that his planes were off the target. A large red target was also seen on or just above the surface. We fired numerous shells at it. It is believed that this was a glider bomb or some sort of radio controlled bomb. It caused no harm apparently.

We were well ahead of station by this time, and I believe that this is why so many planes dropped torpedoes at us. We were the first target they could see. We finally secured from general quarters at about midnight. (Our smoke screen also made us a visible target).

It was disclosed the next morning that no ships had been sunk. There had been near misses, but no hits. No personnel were injured. After all reports from the ships were in, it was determined that about 60 planes had participated in the attack. Sixteen German planes were destroyed, five of those by our protecting fighters.

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176911156/harold-anton-peterson
• FamilySearch Record birth of daughter Charlotte
• FamilySearch Record birth of son John August
• FamilySearch Record 1940 U. S. Census
• FamilySearch Record 1925 N. Dakota Census
• FamilySearch Record 1920 U. S Census
• FamilySearch Record 1930 U. S. Census
• Daughter Charlotte

See also:

• Minnesota Marriages, marriage d., Nov. 13, 1943, Hennepin, Minnesota, United States, groom, Harold Anton Peterson, bride, Joyce Marjorie Brunes, Certificate # 04790193.