Arctic Star

Saw on the news today that Putin and Cameron met with veterans of the WW2 Arctic Convoys to award them with the Ushakov and Arctic Star medals. Why am I mentioning this? Because my dad, were he still alive, would have been there with the other few remaining veterans. He would have been 90.

Seaman Dad (left) with friend 

The convoys transported vital supplies from ports in Britain and North America to Murmansk and Archangelsk in the Soviet Union. It was an incredibly hazardous journey: rough seas, freezing temperatures, and attacks from both u-boats and luftwaffe. Over 100 allied ships were lost. Dad's was torpedoed but he survived. It must have been a terrifying experience. He was only 19 when he signed up.