A Slur On This Country

Kerry McDermott writes:

The British Arctic convoy heroes who risked their lives to help transport crucial supplies to Russia during World War II have been told they cannot accept a medal for valour from the country. The Russian Embassy wrote to survivors of the notoriously perilous sea campaign - who saw 3,000 of their comrades killed - to inform them it intended to award them with the Medal of Ushakov as a symbol of the country's gratitude. But the Foreign Office has blocked the Russian's government's plans to honour Britain's Arctic heroes, because it said it would break rules surrounding the acceptance of medals.

Russia has already awarded the Ushakov medal to veterans from Australia, Canada and the U.S. for their role in the Arctic convoys, which ferried vital supplies and munitions to the Soviet Union to help fight off the advance of Hitler between 1941 and 1945. Commander Eddie Grenfell, 92, who has been lobbying the British government to introduce a specific Arctic medal for the past 15 years, expressed disbelief at this latest blow to the surviving sailors.

'I cannot believe the Foreign Office, William Hague, is doing this,' he told the Portsmouth News. 'This is not a campaign medal, this is a medal for valour. He's saying that what we did out there, what we went through, had no valour at all.' He said the Russian government should go ahead and award the Ushakov medal. 'What I say is, why don't they give it to us? What would our government do? Take it off us?'

Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock branded the decision an 'absolute disgrace' and a 'slur on this country'. The Foreign Office said permission to accept a foreign award could not be given if a UK award had been given for the same services, and pointed out that the Arctic convoy veterans were eligible for the World War II Atlantic Star. Commander Grenfell has previously dismissed suggestions the Atlantic Star - created in recognition of a separate Naval campaign and extended to include those who served on the convoys - was adequate recognition for survivors of the terrifying trips as he continued to press for a specific Arctic medal.

A statement from the Foreign Office said: 'The rules on the acceptance of foreign awards state that for permission to be given for an award to be accepted, there has to have been specific service to the country concerned and that that service should have taken place within the previous five years. Additionally, permission cannot be granted if they have received, or are expected to receive, a UK award for the same services.' The Russian Embassy said the Foreign Office decision was a matter of 'deep regret', and added it hoped the British government would disregard the 'bureaucratic formality' and change its position.

Last year Commander Grenfell told of the sense of betrayal among Britain's Arctic convoy survivors over David Cameron's failure to introduce a specific Arctic medal. While in opposition the Conservative pledged to recognise the veterans with a dedicated commemorative medal if elected. But after becoming prime minister Mr Cameron pointed to the extension of the Atlantic Star Medal to those who served in the Arctic as a mark of the nation's gratitude. But campaigners argue that 95 per cent of the 66,500 men who served in the Arctic Convoys had already earned the Atlantic Star before being conscripted on to the dreaded ‘Russian Run’. Commander Grenfell said that most Arctic sailors had been drafted from the Home Fleet and so would have been eligible for the Atlantic Star regardless.