Arctic Convoys - another forgotten campaign
Cunning Artificer
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My father served in the battleship KGV on arctic convoys as a boy signaller. (Aged 17) He says that KGV was a wet ship and spray would come over the bridge when she dug her nose in. This caused the signals bridge and the foremast rigging to freeze up. He recalls being out on the signalling yard arm clearing ice with an axe and looking at pictures of KGV, that yard arm is around 150 feet above the main deck. I simply can't imagine doing anything like that but such things were SOP for the sailors. He also recalls an Oerlikon gunner on his watch who froze to death in his gun tub when the 'black heater' failed. (I guess a 'black heater' was some kind of electric radiator?)
They deserved a medal just for being there, let alone fighting off u-boat and air attacks. On reaching 'Man's Service' he was drafted into a destroyer on the north atlantic. It says much of the arctic conditions that this was considered good fortune and a soft option.
They deserved a medal just for being there, let alone fighting off u-boat and air attacks. On reaching 'Man's Service' he was drafted into a destroyer on the north atlantic. It says much of the arctic conditions that this was considered good fortune and a soft option.
Thread Starter
I was once told by my late Uncle (WWII RAF aircrew) that my Grandfather had told a tale of when they had encountered a storm that caused waves so strong that it ripped off the flight deck of the escort carrier. So that was the end of their air defence. After the storm, the Luftwaffe came.
Maybe the Arctic Convoys can be considered part of the Battle of the Atlantic, although that too is often overlooked. It started 65 years ago today (the declaration of war) - and lasted really until VE Day.
Maybe the Arctic Convoys can be considered part of the Battle of the Atlantic, although that too is often overlooked. It started 65 years ago today (the declaration of war) - and lasted really until VE Day.
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There is an immaculate Hurricane in the Alpine Fighter Collection at Wanaka which went to Murmansk on one of these convoys.
Last edited by antipodean alligator; 3rd Sep 2006 at 11:55. Reason: Spelling
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Arctic Award
According to an article in the latest edition of Medal News, the Star awarded is to be worn in the lapel of his jacket on occasions when the recipient wears his medals.
'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'
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I have nothing but respect for these men.
The father of a guy I worked with was on them, his stories were hell, spraying decks and riging with steam hoses to keep ice formation down because ice build up was so bad it made ships top heavy and then they keeled over and sank (he saw a corvette go over), the temperatures were minus 30 degrees on an open bridge and bare metal froze straight onto bare skin, if you went into the water you were dead inside a minute.............
Arc
The father of a guy I worked with was on them, his stories were hell, spraying decks and riging with steam hoses to keep ice formation down because ice build up was so bad it made ships top heavy and then they keeled over and sank (he saw a corvette go over), the temperatures were minus 30 degrees on an open bridge and bare metal froze straight onto bare skin, if you went into the water you were dead inside a minute.............
Arc
He spoke of it in utter horror; undiluted fear for weeks on end.
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i have complete respect for those that served on the arctic convoys. My uncle served with the Merchant Navy on these routes but would not talk about it until 5 years ago. A lot of his friends ,colleages were lost to the horrific conditions and assaults. Incredible that only recently that their valuable work has ben recognised by this government. The Russians have never hidden from the fact of the value they contributed, and even presenting a special medal in honour of the fact.
thoughts to all those past and present
thoughts to all those past and present
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Applied for the "star" on behalf of my late grandfather who died 13 years ago at the beginning of Sept. It arrived this week. Not too sure the design but he would have been pleased to have received it.
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How did you do that? What evidence did you need to produce? I'm sure others would like to do similarly, me included.
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I followed the link from Wader on page 1 to the Veterans Agency
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/medals/artic.html
Filled out a short form - they do ask for details of any ships / convoys served on if known or copies of service records. I could only give his ship and a possible convoy number. Got my mother to sign the form as next of kin and 5-6 weeks later it arrived.
There was a article on You and Yours on Fri 20/10 covering this and they said that it was awarded posthumously (good job as my grandfather died 13 years ago) and all that was needed was 1 days service in the Artic area.
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/medals/artic.html
Filled out a short form - they do ask for details of any ships / convoys served on if known or copies of service records. I could only give his ship and a possible convoy number. Got my mother to sign the form as next of kin and 5-6 weeks later it arrived.
There was a article on You and Yours on Fri 20/10 covering this and they said that it was awarded posthumously (good job as my grandfather died 13 years ago) and all that was needed was 1 days service in the Artic area.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
GMP,
There is a form you can search for and download. If military it is relatively simple - ship, rank, service number. I applied for my MinL and she got it for her husband last week.
Merchant Navy is slightly trickier. You need the records of service and a list of ships in which the seaman served. The list of merships that went to Russia is on a website. If the 2 match then you send the evidence - ships name, date served, etc in the same way.
How to find the ship? Write to the Marine and Coastguard Agency. They provided me with photocopies of all the papers for the ships that my father had signed on with - all the ships!
There is a catch. These are the papers for which he signed on in UK. It says whether the ship was going foreign or home. It does not say where it was going. If it failed to return it does not include signing off details either. One of his ships was sunk but the MCA had no mention of that.
I recall my father talking of the Arctic convoys, he certainly had the Atlantic Star, but none of the ships that he signed on with was listed as going on the Russian convoys. His stories of throwing cigarettes to the women working the docks at Murmansk, while a fact, might have been stories he related from the press. When I have a moment I will continue my research.
Research it the key.
There is a form you can search for and download. If military it is relatively simple - ship, rank, service number. I applied for my MinL and she got it for her husband last week.
Merchant Navy is slightly trickier. You need the records of service and a list of ships in which the seaman served. The list of merships that went to Russia is on a website. If the 2 match then you send the evidence - ships name, date served, etc in the same way.
How to find the ship? Write to the Marine and Coastguard Agency. They provided me with photocopies of all the papers for the ships that my father had signed on with - all the ships!
There is a catch. These are the papers for which he signed on in UK. It says whether the ship was going foreign or home. It does not say where it was going. If it failed to return it does not include signing off details either. One of his ships was sunk but the MCA had no mention of that.
I recall my father talking of the Arctic convoys, he certainly had the Atlantic Star, but none of the ships that he signed on with was listed as going on the Russian convoys. His stories of throwing cigarettes to the women working the docks at Murmansk, while a fact, might have been stories he related from the press. When I have a moment I will continue my research.
Research it the key.
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I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Sorry Mike, I would have to search for it too.
Try the Veterans Agency for a start. Google will find it, I only downloaded a form a week ago as we had heard nothing about the application.
Try the Veterans Agency for a start. Google will find it, I only downloaded a form a week ago as we had heard nothing about the application.
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er.........
About half way down that page is "Application for Arctic Emblem - Questionnaire" The link is below
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/pdf...tic_emblem.pdf
But seems to be a broken link at the moment........have looked for a copy of the one that I sent off but looks like I didn't keep an electronic copy - sorry
I followed the link from Wader on page 1 to the Veterans Agency
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/medals/artic.html
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/medals/artic.html
http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/pdf...tic_emblem.pdf
But seems to be a broken link at the moment........have looked for a copy of the one that I sent off but looks like I didn't keep an electronic copy - sorry
skunkarama, if you can, try a book called "the kola run", old now and possibly out of print. what those guys went through! i had an uncle on the convoys, this shows what it was like. even my dad, of bomber command, took his hat off to those men!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
The link is below http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/pdf...tic_emblem.pdf
But seems to be a broken link at the moment.
But seems to be a broken link at the moment.
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Cruel Sea isn't the phrase, Cruel Bast*rds is more to the point.
My Mothers distant cousin was torpedoed 3 times and survived, the 4th one got him. I think one dose of torpedoing would have had me seeking a shore job!
Aviate 1138
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A good friend, who taught me to sail along with being an inspector then draughtsman for BAe, Charlie Solley, was on the Murmansk run in an Escort Carrier.
In that particular ship ( can ask again which ) they had Swordfish - he mentioned that the Pegasus engines had to be started on the way up on the lift, if no joy it was too cold on deck so back down again !
Naturally enough he finished his employment with another Pegasus...
In that particular ship ( can ask again which ) they had Swordfish - he mentioned that the Pegasus engines had to be started on the way up on the lift, if no joy it was too cold on deck so back down again !
Naturally enough he finished his employment with another Pegasus...
