I was delighted to meet with Westhill resident, Bob Owen, who switched on the tree lights in the town centre on Saturday. The event was organised by Westhill & Elrick Community Council along with members of Westhill Community Church.
Bob was one of the war veterans who took part in the perilous Arctic Convoys during the second world war. He was presented with the Ushakov Medal at a special ceremony last month along with 15 servicemen from across the north-east.
From 1941 to 1945, allied Naval ships sailed from Scotland and Iceland to Russia with vital food and weapons as part of efforts to fight the Nazi advance.
More than 3,000 seamen lost their lives in the freezing conditions, and attacks by German submarines. The convoys were considered suicide missions, and Winston Churchill described it as the “worst journey in the world”.
The Ushakov Medal, named after Russia’s most acclaimed Navy commander Fyodor Ushakov, is a state military award that was established in 1944 for those who demonstrated courage and prowess in sea warfare.
It is now awarded to veterans for the “personal courage and valour shown during World War II while participating in the Arctic Convoys.”