Father's Medal

[Pappy55]

This week my fathers Arctic Star finally arrived Posthumously . I'm just sad he never lived to see this happen.
They all campaigned so hard for recognition for doing the perilous Convoy runs to Russia through the Arctic. which he did a few times.

He was in the Royal Navy aboard Destroyer's HMS Inconstant and HMS Wilton. as ASDIC/Sonar Operator and had action with sinking U-Boats.

http://www.uboat.net/boats/u409.htm
http://www.uboat.net/boats/u767.htm

My Farther (on the right)
http://i.imgur.com/aLQ93jV.jpg

Arctic Star
http://i.imgur.com/jswGRTX.jpg

It was all because of my farther that I have a deep interest in WWII and sub sims.

I used play Silent Service II with him on the Amiga.
In his final few years he got dementia which was really sad as he did not really know who we were any more. That condition is pretty evil as its worse for the family. We lost him 18 months ago which was partly a relief as we hated to see him like he was.

One year before he was ill I got to march alongside him at the Cenotaph as a carer. This was a really proud moment.

Just thought I would share with the Naval/Sub Sim community here:salute:

[u crank]

Thanks for sharing this. You must be very proud of him. Sad it took so long for the recognition.

:salute:

[Oberon]

Glad to hear the medal finally came through, a shame that it had to take so long for the British Government to act on it, especially given how much the Russians have done since the end of the war for them.

Dementia is indeed a terrible thing, I lost my Nan to it, fortunately for us both it was a very fast degeneration, only a matter of months between noticable onset and her death, but they were very long months. You have my respect and praise for working through years of it with him, I know it wouldn't have been easy for either of you, especially in the onset when they are aware of their degeneration.

Jimbuna, one of our resident moderators, also had a father who served on the Arctic convoys, they were very brave men who faced hell not only from the enemy but from nature itself. I don't know if you caught Jeremy Clarkson's documentary on PQ-17 earlier this year, but here it is if you didn't (and for anyone else who is interested) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adX5A9JJARA

Brave men indeed. :yep:

:salute: To your father.

[Otto Fuhrmann]

They are all heroes! I am glad that they finally have been recognised and awarded the medal! Thank you for your fathers service and thank you for sharing.

[Jimbuna]

You must be very proud and rightly so.

I salute your father for his service during the war in what were often treacherous conditions.

Sadly, my family never received anything from the UK government except for a pathetic enamel badge, my father having went to sea by lying about his age (14 1/2) and starting his sea career in the Spanish Civil War aboard the first British merchant to be bombed.

Not bad for someone who sailed in the only convoy to Russia that didn't have an escort and whose son could until recent years boast the UK Foreign Secretary was an associate.

He was presented with a medal by the Russian Ambassador to London at the time over 25 years ago and yes, if I'm to be honest it does leave a bitter taste in ones mouth at times when I realise he received more recognition from Russia than from his own country.

Taking nothing away from your father though ~SALUTE~

[Sailor Steve]

Very cool. I agree that it's sad he didn't get to receive it himself.

[TarJak]

Excellent OP. Sad to hear about the recalcitrant government and that your father didn't live to see the honor bestowed. Even sadder that lobbying was required in the first place.

Drink a toast to your dad and reflect on the good memorials of him.

[vienna]

An honor way long overdue and well deserved. It is indeed a shame nations such as the UK and the US have given such short shrift to those who served so selflessly and valiantly for their countries and the many other nations during WW2. The efforts of other lands such as Russia and France to recognize those men puts to shame the feeble efforts of those heroes own homelands...

Conditions such as Alzheimer's are indeed extremely hard on the families and love ones of the person afflicted; my sister suffered from a lifelong series of disabilities and there were times when it would have been a grace to have it end. My sympathies to you and your family for your loss and may he rest in peace and a thank you to him for his great service...


<O>

[Pappy55]

I heard I may have the opportunity to march at the Cenotaph wearing his medals in November as a carer for the current veterans.

It's just sad that all the men in this photo are longer with us.
Those who followed the campaign for recognition may recognizance the man in the middle. Cmdr Edward Grenfell.

http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/topic/arctic-convoy/?page=2

It's been so interesting to listen to their stories over the years.
Also pretty heart wrenching hearing 1st hand experience about seeing ships torpedoed and survivors in the water being left to die.

In later years my dad became obsessed by the U-Boats and had so many books on them. One of the U-boats (U-409) his destroyer sunk he had a bit of memorabilia from. a survivor from the crew gave him a pack of Krigsmarine issue cigarets un opened. He still had them till several years ago. When the boat surfaced and the crew were scrambling for life rafts and jumping ship they were not shot at. they let all surviving crew escape and rescued them. U-boat.net is wrong to a degree. it was forced to surface then sunk by gunfire.

The cigeretts he gave to the imperial war museum before my parents moved to a smaller place. The historian who he gave them to said he had never seen them before.