Kristian Johnsen

Ex gratia-arkivet:

Registernummer under krigen: London 15270, NY 20796.

Nortrashipflåtens Skyttere 1941 til 1946:

Skytter nr. 886: Johnsen, Kristian. Født 6.11.1921. Hadsel.

Antatt i marinen og ble utdannet til skytter i Camp Norway, Lunenburg, Canada.

Senere gjorde han tjeneste som skytter på følgende norske handelsskip:
M/S IDA BAKKE fra 17.8.1942 til 8.7.1943.
M/S TARIFA fra 16.7.1943 til skipet ble torpedert den 7.mars 1944.(Av en besetning omkom 2 mann. Videre var det 101 soldater ombord og av de så omkom en.)
Johnsen var videre ombord i:
M/S HERMELIN fra 1.5.1944 til 24.7.1944.
M/S RENA fra 1.9.1944 til 23.1.1945.
M/S TEMERAIRE fra 5.4.1945 til 29.8.1945.
M/T ANDERS JAHRE fra 7.9.1945 til 18.2,1946.

Bosatte seg i staten New York, U.S.A. etter krigen.

Sjøforsvarets londonarkiv:

Antatt i Marinen: 4.6.1942, som: U.d.m.

Sivil stilling: Lettmatros.

Dimittert fra Marinen: 4.3.1946. S.S.H.

Privat arkiv:

"Kristian Johnsen of Castleton-on-Hudson passed away on May 12, 2019, following a brief illness.
Born on Nov. 6, 1921, in the small fishing village of Hadsel, Norway, he joined the Merchant Marines in 1939, sailing around the world many times. Once World War II began, Norway was invaded and then occupied by the Nazis. Kristian joined the Norwegian Navy to serve his homeland. He served as a gunner on his ship from June 4, 1942 through May 8, 1945.

After the war, he made his home in Brooklyn, marrying Clara Bell Roseth on June 29, 1946. Their family grew to include Bennett G. Johnsen, Karen D. Ivy, Warren K. Johnsen (Rachel Berwick), Bettyann Johnsen and Steven E. (fiancé, Andrea) Johnsen. The family resided in Brooklyn, Seattle, Brooklyn again, Northern New Jersey, Stony Brook, Long Island and eventually, Wells Bridge, where they remained for nearly 40 years. Kris and Clara tried their hand at farming, raising beef cows, pigs and a menagerie of other animals.
Kristian was predeceased by his wife, Clara, in September 2011. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Castleton. There he enjoyed new friends at the Edward C. Swartz Senior Center, the special dinners with entertainment and playing darts on Friday afternoons. He delighted in attending the all-you-can-eat breakfasts at the Castleton firehouse and the Friday night fish frys at the South Schodack Firehouse, always encouraging his family to join him.

He was a lifetime member of the Sons of Norway fraternal group and a current member of Norseman Lodge in Oneonta.

Kristian is survived by his children and grandchildren, Colleen (Mike) Mehan, Brianne (Erik) Johnsen Wang, Robert (Ashlee) Pettinelli, Tobias Pettinelli, James Ivy, Kai Johnsen; and great-grandchildren, Ryan and Brennan Mehan, Ethan and Ella Wang, Reagan Kalbfleisch, Lucas and Robert K. Pettinelli Jr."