Petter Johan Blindheim

Londonregisteret:

Registernummer under krigen: London 38749.

Flyktning med båten NJÅL 1. april 1941.

Privat arkiv:

Blindheim flyktet fra Vigra og reiste med en gjeng til England. Han gikk siden inn i Norsk marine. Han var med på torpedering en gang med Korvetten MONTBRETIA og var ombord på Korvetten TUNSBERG CASTLE, da denne ble minesprengt. Han var også med i Murmansk-konvoi. Tjente i Norges marine fra 19. mai 1941 til 8. mai 1945. Dimittert M.K.Ø. 11. desember 1945.

Skriv fra Sjøforsvarets Overkommando 1. februar 1943:
"Til U.m.m. Petter Blindheim. Nestkommanderende for "Montbretia", utskr. løytnant Tenvik, har i sin rapport uttalt seg om den koldblodighet De viste etter at fartøyet ble torpedert. Kommanderende Admiral uttaler sin største annerkjennelse for den åndsnærværelse De viste ved denne anledning".
Se "bilder" for dokument.

Ifølge familie: "Between torpedo attacks on a ship [Montbretia] which was sinking he disarmed the primer from his assigned depth charge before jumping overboard. Of 74 men 27 survived and [his] actions saved lives".

Confirmation of Service (av Forsvarsdepartementet, 2016):

"The Norwegian Ministry of Defence hereby confirms that Petter Johan Blindheim, born 2 December 1921, served in the Royal Norwegian Navy from 19 May 1941 until his honorable discharge on 11 December 1945. Due to his young age, he was unable to participate in the military campaign to defend Norway in the spring of 1940. Like many other patriotic Norwegians, he escaped to Great Britain on a fishing boat in late March 1941, at the age of 19. [...]

Petter Johan Blindheim served with distinction on several ships of the Royal Norwegian Navy. He served on two ships sunk by the enemy. On the first occasion, he successfully disabled a depth charge whilst the ship was sinking, preventing further loss of life.  For his meritorious service, he was awarded the third highest Norwegian war decoration, the War Medal, by the King in Council on 3 September 1943.

Petter Johan Blindheim’s military record includes, amongst others, service on the corvette HNoMS Montbretia, embarking in June 1942, and served on that ship during ten Atlantic crossings as a convoy escort, until the ship was torpedoed and sunk in November 1942. He then served on the corvette HNoMS Potentilla, participating in several crossings of the Atlantic. Blindheim then transferred to the corvette HNoMS Tunsberg Castle. He served on that ship when it was sunk off the coast of Finnmark in North Norway, after having escorted a convoy to Murmansk."

Sjøforsvarets londonarkiv: 

Antatt i Marinen: 19. mai 1941, som U.m.m.

Sivil stilling: Fisker.

Sivil utdannelse: 2 års fartstid.

Militær spesialutdannelse eller kurser: Oljefyrbøterkurs, Devonport. 

Dimittert fra Marinen: 11. desember 1945.