Medal call for veterans

SECOND World War veterans who served on Arctic convoys should be given a dedicated campaign medal, veterans minister Keith Brown said.

It was a “scandal” the efforts of sailors who risked their lives should not be recognised, he added.

More than 3,000 seamen died in Operation Dervish, which saw supplies delivered to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Archangel during the war.

The UK government has so far not recognised the survivors of the convoys with a dedicated medal.

Brown is set to meet some of the survivors this week. “Serving aboard the Arctic convoys must have demanded huge courage and dedication,” he said.

“These men faced the dangers of U-boats and air attack in some of the worst weather conditions on the planet. Yet, through unwavering service to their country, these heroes ensured absolutely crucial supplies reached Russia.”