Explosive mission: Veteran marks 70th anniversary of Arctic convoy

70 years ago Reay Clarke was a young sailor on an escort warship that left a Scottish loch for Russia. Yesterday the Arctic convoy veteran took part in a memorial service at Loch Ewe in Wester Ross, to mark the 70th anniversary of the sailing.

Code named PQ18, the mission, on 2 September 1942, included 17 warships, for its journey to Iceland and then Russia.

Mr Clarke, from Tain in Ross-shire, was a young sailor serving on the Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Farndale.

PQ18 was made up of 39 cargo vessels carrying 4,400 vehicles, 835 tanks, 566 aircraft and more than 11,000 tons of high explosive.