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Home Town Fredonia NY. Born and schooled in Dunkirk NY
GMG 1/c ROBERT GEORGE "JUNIOR" SUGGETT WWII NAVAL ARMED GUARD and PBY/AERIAL GUNNER
FIRST WOUNDED JUNE 1943 ABOARD SS SANTA MARIA
Mr. Suggett was a Gunners Mate 1/C and served on twenty-one Atlantic patrols and nine merchantmen ships in Armed Guard duty. Five of those ships were sunk by submarines and mines. He was once blown off a ship and into the sea off Dakar. He was awarded the Silver and Bronze Stars for rescuing two shipmates and assisting the ship's doctor in amputating arms and legs of his comrades under direction of the wounded doctor. He received the Purple Heart with two Encores. In addition to Armed Guard Sea Service he served as a PBY seaplane gunner, and after being shot down at the Strait of Messina he was captured by the German Army. He spent eight months in a German prison before being rescued by the Italian Resistance. Bob's other awards include a Letter of Commendation from the Navy, the V.F.W. Medal with Maltese Cross; an award from the Russians; and a Certificate of Appreciation from the French Government. In 1992, Suggett received a letter from then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin through his secretary, Vladamir Putin, thanking him for his work with the Armed Guard of the Navy and its protection of convoys that kept Russia in the war.
After being rescued by the Italian Resistance and sent to the States to recover, he returned to active duty, against orders, and was forced by the Navy Medical Board to take a medical/honorable discharge. Due to his wounds, Bob was discharged in March 1945.
Mr. Suggett was one of three Navy veterans in the State of New York to receive a 'Battle Wagon' discharge during WWII, and was awarded the New York Conspicuous Service Award.
He was a member, and Past Commander, of the American Legion Post 329; a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the DAV, as a 100% disabled Veteran.
Other Comments:
Mr. Suggett was born: JUNIOR SUGGETT, however, when Junior enlisted in the Navy they would not let him in with the name Junior, they said it wasn't a first name, so, at age 16, Junior used his father's name and became Robert George SUGGETT (Jr.). But, when the Navy discovered he had lied about his age, his punishment was that his first year of active duty (Feb.'40-Feb.'41) did not count on his service records.
Military Code: PQ17 (Russian/Arctic Convoy). During his service he made trips to Murmansk, Russia. They say, if you made one trip you were lucky to survive, he made three of those trips. Armed Guard veterans who served on ships that participated in operations bringing war supplies to the Soviet Union, including but not limited to "the Murmansk run," are be eligible for a commemorative medal awarded by Russia.
On D-Day, he was with a small group smuggeling arms to the French Resistance just north of the Allied Landing at Normandy. (see article from The Ledger, April, 2001)
HQ Address
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Post Office Box 1865 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
Last Updated: Apr 6, 2021
Comments
Dunkirk Evening Observer, Dunkirk, New York:
Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War initiated Robert Suggett, now home on leave from the navy, at the meeting Thursday evening, December 28, 1944. His great grandfather was a Civil war veteran. The commander, John C. Russ, who is a World War I veteran, served a lunch after the meeting. The installation of 1945 officers is scheduled for January 11, 1945. In February 1946 Robert was listed at the Color Bearer for the FENNER CAMP S..O. U. V. OF FREDONIA (Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War).
Robert G. Suggett, Jr.'s war record includes the following feats: he amputated arms and legs of his comrades under the direction of a wounded doctor; he was blown off a ship while standing on the ammunition locker; he was struck with shrapnel ricocheting off a plane from which he had parachuted; he was machine-gunned in an open life-boat; he spent eight months in a Nazi prison camp before being liberated; he was one of three crew members who survived a torpedo and helped negotiate the bow-less boat back to port; and he is only one of three Navy veterans (as of May, 1958) to hold a "Battle Wagon" discharge.
He was the recipient of several medals and decorations among them being the Purple Heart with two encores, New York State Conspicuous Service medal, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Navy Good Conduct medal, Maltese Cross, American Defense (fleet), American Campaign, World War II, Sons of Union-Veterans of Civil War, Asiatic-Pacific theater, and European-African-Middle Eastern theater.
Robert served as a gunner. He served on board 21 ships, five of which were sunk and two were extensively damaged.
A medical board of 14 doctors ordered Robert discharged on March 15, 1945.
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