Men who took part in the Arctic convoys and endured some of the most difficult conditions of the Second World War have gathered in Edinburgh to be awarded medals by the Russian government.
Thirty former merchant seamen and naval officers, with an average age of 87, were given medals commemorating the 65th anniversary of the end of the war.
Russian consul Sergey Krutikov said his people had never forgotten the sacrifice and the bravery of the men who faced Arctic weather and German U-boats to carry essential supplies to the Russian people.
Yesterday, he said: "We have profound appreciation for what the Merchant Navy and the Royal Navy did during the Second World War."
Jock Dempster, chairman of the Russian Arctic Convoy Clubs in Scotland, and at 82 one of the youngest veterans, said the ceremony was an emotional one for many reasons.
"Russia has given us commemorative medals to mark the 40th, the 50th and the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. We should be gathering in another five years, but they decided to bring it forward because some of us might not be around then."
Mr Dempster, from Dunbar, who was 16 when he went to sea, said: "I was too young to realise how dangerous it was. I saw things and experienced things not normal for a 16-year old. Ships going down, people clinging to the wreckage.
"And when we got to Murmansk, we were 15 miles away from the front line. We used to get hammered by German bombs every day.
"If you go to Russia and wear your medals, they will throw their arms around you and thank you and this is 65 years later.
"We respect them for what they went through. They respect us and they have never ever forgotten what we did."
Many of those present yesterday had travelled back to Russia in peacetime to take part in ceremonies commemorating the war.
Former merchant seaman David Craig, 85, from Kilmarnock, said: "Three of my mates are buried in the cemetery at Murmansk and that is one of the reasons I go back."
Retired Lieutenant Commander Ken Reith, 83, from Dunfermline, said: "The Russian people are so hospitable. When they invite you, they have the children singing in English old wartime songs."
The Russian arctic convoys are commemorated at a national Scottish memorial at Loch Ewe, which marks the loss of the 104 merchant ships, 20 Royal Navy ships, one submarine and two armed whalers during the operation.
MSP Rob Gibson represented the Scottish Government and parliament at the ceremony, and said: "The presentation of medals by the Russian Federation to veterans of the Arctic convoys in World War Two was a poignant event.
"It recalls the few who survive today of the brave men of the navy and merchant service who sailed into the teeth of war in all its fury on the most dangerous convoys of the war."
ANDERSON, Steward's Boy, JAMES BURNET, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 3rd April 1942. Age 16. Son of Johnstone and Elizabeth Slight Anderson, of Edinburgh. South side. Grave 14.
AUGER, Fireman and Trimmer, GEORGE, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 2nd April 1942. Age 35. Of Canada. South side. Grave 19.
BURDETT, Carpenter, JOHN LYNN, S.S. Empire Kinsman (Sunderland). Merchant Navy. 6th March 1943. Age 20. Son of Alice Burdett, of Stainton, Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. North side. Grave 4.
MURPHY, Third Radio Officer, PATRICK, S.S. Lancaster Castle (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 24th March 1942. Age 20. Son of John and Mary Murphy, of Glasgow. South side. Grave 7.
NG KING, Assistant Steward, S.S. Empire Starlight (Hong Kong). Merchant Navy. 15th April 1942. Age 34. South side. Grave 25.
RIDGWAY, Fourth Engineer Officer (Offr.), STEPHEN JOHN, S.S. Lancaster Castle (Liverpool). Merchant Navy. 24th March 1942. Age 34. South side. Grave 6.
WARREN, Donkeyman, ERIC NORMAN, S.S. Induna (Glasgow). Merchant Navy. 30th March 1942. Age 42. Nephew of Mrs. M. Lewis, of Sheffield. South side. Grave 18.
Non war dead graves looked after by the CWGC
BRAMWELL, Boatswain (Bosun), J, S.S. Empire Scott. Merchant Navy. 17th March 1943. North side. Grave 5
LAMB, Fireman, WILLIAM, S.S. Empire Selwyn. Merchant Navy. 11th June 1942. South side. Grave 28
MACLEOD, Seaman, NORMAN, S.S. Fort McMurray. Merchant Navy. 24th December 1943. Northside. Grave 2
I recently helped a old MN veteran receive his Commemorative 65th Medal
John Podzukites was born in South Bank on the 11th December 1922 and during the war served as a ships Fireman & Trimmer. In March 1944 he joined the Merchant ship Fort Vercheres at Middlesbrough where he found the ship was destined for North Russia. Loaded with war materials the ship sailed to Loch Ewe, Scotland and joined the 51 ship Convoy JW-58, departing Loch Ewe on the 27th March 1944. Although the war had been going in favour of the Allies, the convoys to Russia were still an extremely dangerous voyage, shown by the 41 naval ships assigned to escort the convoy through. Awaiting Convoy JW-58 were no less than 16 U-boats and numerous aircraft. Two days after sailing contact was made and one U-boat was sunk. On the 31st March the convoy ran into the wolf packs patrol line and over the next 48 hours the convoy came under no less than eighteen attacks, but each time was repulsed by the naval escorts and by the 3rd May, three U-boats had been sunk and six German torpedo bomber shot down. The same day the convoy was met by the local Russian escort and arrived safely at the Kola Inlet the following day. After discharging her cargo the Fort Vercheres remained in Russia until returning home in September 1944 in Convoy RA-59A.
Since 1985 the Russian Government has awarded three Commemorative Medals to the Arctic veterans, for which I helped John receive his from the Russian Embassy. The Russians are also in the process of awarding the Medal of Ushakov, a bravery medal to these veterans, which was initially blocked by the British Government. I have recently been able to make a successful application on behalf of John for his Arctic Star Medal and had the honour to present his medal to him at the care home he now lives at on Armed Forces Day on the 28th June 2014.
John also saw action in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean and had a lucky escape during the Italian Campaign, when his convoy was attacked by German torpedo bombers and one ship close by carrying ammunition was hit resulting in the ship simply disintegrating. After serving in Russia he had another lucky escape in 1945. Reporting to the Shipping Federation in Middlesbrough to join his next ship, he was about to join the tanker Empire Gold, a fairly new oil burning ship, which had been refurbished at Middlesbrough. Having only sailed on coal burners, John was turned away, which probably saved his life as the Empire Gold was torpedoed a short time later and sunk in the North Atlantic on the 18th April 1945, with the loss forty-three of her forty-seven man crew, of which fourteen were local to our area. John also recounts after the war, the hardship of the Merchant Seamen. Returning one of the Liberty ships to the USA, the greedy ships owners had only supplied the ship with the bare minimum of food supplies for the crossing, without taking into account the possibility of bad weather. A severe Atlantic storm did arise resulting in the ship running out of food four days from port where the crew were forced to break open the lifeboat rations, with the only up side to the meagre rations being a tot of brandy being issued.
Thanks for this posting Billy, it's about time your efforts on behalf of Merchant Sea men were properly recognised by way, perhaps, of an award other than your well deserved Merchant Navy Medal!
I have just had my dad's medals 're-created. As a CPO Stoker in the RN he took part in 5 artic convoys, north Africa Operations, followed by the Italian Campaign, where his ship shelled my favourite village of Taomina in Sicily.
Fantastic to honour these seaman while they are still with us. More is the pity the various governments and authorities didn't recognise the contributions and sacrifice made by the men and women of the Merchant marine earlier as I am sure there are very few left.
-- Edited by Colin on Wednesday 9th of July 2014 12:11:28 AM
