‘Arctic medals would be like those given to Saddam’s henchmen’

VETERANS of one of the Second World War’s most perilous campaigns have demanded that a junior defence minister is sacked after he likened their claim for a medal to ones given to “Saddam Hussain’s evil henchmen”, “Colonel Gaddafi” and “authoritarian Soviet generals”.

The comments by Tory veterans minister Andrew Robathan came during a Westminster Hall debate on whether a campaign medal should be struck for veterans of the Arctic Convoys to Russia during the Second World War.

The convoys, which began 70 years ago this year, involved journeys to Archangel and Murmansk through a gauntlet of air, submarine and battleship attack in temperatures which fell to -60C at times, so cold that if a sailor’s bare hand touched the outside of the ship his skin and flesh were torn away.

The conditions and the constant attacks, as well as the threat of mines, accounted for the lives of around 3,000 sailors – nine per cent of all those who sailed – the highest casualty rate of any of the sea campaigns.

Their efforts helped turn the fate of the war with the supplies they took preventing the Soviet Union collapsing against the Nazi onslaught on the Eastern Front. But despite their bravery the men were denied a medal because the Soviet Union had become the new enemy.

During the debate, Mr Robathan, known to oppose a new medal, said: “Authoritarian regimes and dictators, such as Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, often throw medals around.

“North Korean generals are covered with medal ribbons. We have traditionally taken the view in this country that medals will be awarded only for campaigns that show risk and rigour.”

Mr Robathan’s disparaging comparison between dictators infuriated the Arctic veterans, all in their late 80s and 90s, who were gathered to the debate, and led to the minister being pursued out of Westminster Hall.

MPs from all parties who support their campaign and attended the debate also attacked the minister, even those from his own party.

Tory Gosport MP Caroline Dinnage, who called the debate, described his words as “sickening and disgraceful”. Portsmouth South Lib Dem MP Mike Hancock said Mr Robathan “should be ashamed of himself”.

Commander Eddie Grenfell, the leader of the medal campaign who was brought up in Montrose, said: “His comments are quite disgraceful and he should be sacked.”

He confronted the minister after the debate and reminded him that successive Tory leaders in opposition had promised the creation of a campaign medal for the Arctic veterans.

“A promise is a promise,” he said. “It was fine for them to make the promise when they were looking for votes, but once they have power they do nothing.”

Ernie Kennedy, 87, said: “How can he talk like that? He was talking rubbish. The Russians gave us medals because they know what we went through.”

Mr Robathan, a former army officer, said he was “misunderstood” and only wanted to stress “the value of British medals”.

The Ministry of Defence say veterans already have the Atlantic Star, even though it was a separate campaign 800 miles away. However, the Atlantic Star was the only campaign medal to have a six-month qualification period which meant that many of the Arctic veterans did not qualify for it.