to a Royal Canadian Navy officer until that point, in full command of 6 Canadian destroyers, 7 British destroyers, and 21 corvettes, and with responsibility for convoy escort from New York out as far as the transfer point to UK escorts south of Iceland. "Conditions were terrible that winter. Groups worked on a 35-day cycle which entailed 29 days away from St John’s, 27 days away from fresh bread, 25 days away from fresh meat, added to which at the northern end of their beat there was no sunlight to speak of in the winter. We had to revert to the old rations of Nelson’s time, barreled salt beef with lime juice or tomato juice to scare away scurvy"—Admiral Murray In August 1941, the US assumed command in the Western Atlantic, and the American Admiral Arthur L. Bristol was appointed over Murray, who remained second in command until September 1942. In recognition of this increased role, and in order to retain seniority in relation to Admiral Bristol, Murray was appointed rear admiral on 2 December 1941. The Saint Pierre and Miquelon "Incident" While based in Newfoundland, Admiral Murray hosted a visit from the Free French Admiral Muselier. Acting on orders from the British Admiralty, Murray gave Muselier temporary command of three French corvettes and a submarine that were assigned to Murray's fleet, for passage from the UK to Halifax. On return from Halifax, Muselier took the vessels to Vichy-controlled Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and on 24 December 1941 raised the Free French flag on the islands. This was interpreted as a territorial claim on behalf of General Charles de Gaulle, thereby creating a diplomatic incident between France, Canada and the United States. De Gaulle's seizure of the archipelago was over the opposition of Canada, Great Britain, and the United States, which were concerned about pushing the Vichy government into an openly pro-German stance. Murray was later asked to account for his role in this adventure—and he steadfastly claimed (as did Muselier) that he had no part in it. Nevertheless, in 1946 Murray was awarded the Legion d'Honneur by the Government of France, for "eminent services rendered to the cause of Free France at the time of the rallying of the inhabitants of St Pierre and Miquelon". 1942–45 The Newfoundland Escort Force was reorganized in February 1942 as the Mid-Ocean Escort Force. On 9 September 1942, Murray was appointed to Commanding