During World War II, Robert “Dick” Fitz was a Navy gunner aboard merchant ships as part of the Navy Arm Guard. On one of his second voyages, he helped transport supplies to Murmansk, Russia. Fitz after the war learned that the convoy he was part of at the time was used as bait to draw out the pocket battleship Scharnhorst. Before they left Scotland, the crews were given their last rites aboard ship. They sailed a North Arctic route. Due to a storm with waves of over 50 feet, Scharnhorst never came out. He learned in his 80s that 79 Allied ships were sunk traveling that route.
The convoy made it to Murmansk and then over land to Arkhangelsk. On his travels to and fro, he was shot at by aircraft and fought back to protect the ships – even bombed almost daily while in port since the German airfield was only 15 minutes’ flying time away. A Russian harbor pilot caused his ship to collide with another ship. Thus, his vessel had to stay in port a few extra months for repair. On his return trip to England the ship was hit by a torpedo; luckily it was a dud and never made a hole in the ship. They sailed home to America where it was repaired.
On Dec. 26, 1943, the Royal Navy sank Scharnhorst.
Fitz went on to deliver supplies to some 26 countries; his ship shot down one aircraft during World War II. He sailed around the world and went through both canals.
Fitz was in London when the German bombed it. He spent many nights in the underground. He was unable to shoot the Germans because of the RAF – they did not want to shoot down any of their own planes.
He was in Rome and blessed by the pope; he is a Baptist.
He was on the island when both atomic bombs arrived, and both flew over his ship when they left for Japan. His ship was in line with the runway.
In 1993 Fitz received a package through the mail from the ambassador of Russia. Inside was a certificate on behalf of the president of Russia and the Russian people with a medal for his services to Russia during World War II. He framed both and hung them on the wall in his den; there was never a formal presentation.
Post 2 made a presentation to the Memorial Military Museum. They had no one there, but the donation was received by Scott Rosado. A framed copy of the certificate was given to the museum for future generations to see what the greatest generation did.