Mr Kenneth Swann, an 89-year-old Northampton man, has been presented in the last two weeks with the prestigious Ushakov Medal for bravery and service in 1943, when he took part in a perilous naval convoy mission delivering ammunition to Russia, to help the Russians defeat Germany in World War Two.
Between 1941 and 1945, ships from Britain and the Allies took all manner of supplies on the dangerous Northern route to Russia; setting off from ports in Liverpool, Scotland and Iceland, they had to evade German submarines, battleships and aircraft as they journeyed over the top of Norway into the High Arctic, eventually to reach ports in Northern Russia. In the extreme sub-zero temperatures, waves splashing onto the decks would freeze instantly, making the ships so heavy and unbalanced with ice that they threatened to capsize unless the ice was smashed off every five minutes – even while under attack.
Supplies reaching the Russians helped to keep the Russians in the War and hold off the German advance until Britain and the Allies could prepare for D-Day.
Mr Swann, due to his service in the War on board HMS Lancaster Castle, was recently awarded the Arctic Star medal by the Queen.
He learned that he was also eligible for the Ushakov Medal – the Russian equivalent. However there had been some administrative difficulties and the Medal had not been forthcoming. Some months ago, Mr Swann and his friend Nick Phillips wrote to me asking if I could help get Ken his medal. The process took some months, and I wrote letters to the Russian Ambassador in London, the Foreign Secretary and I liaised several times with senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and then Sir Edward Leigh MP, the Chairman of the All Party Group on Russia. Then suddenly, within the last two weeks, the Russian Consul himself turned up at Mr Swann’s house in Northampton unexpectedly one morning, gave a speech thanking Mr Swann on behalf of the Russian people, and awarded him the Ushakov Medal!
I am delighted to have helped Mr Swann receive the recognition he deserves: Mr Swann said “I thought I was dreaming. I was gobsmacked. I’d like to thank my good friend Nick Phillips and Michael Ellis MP for taking this up on my behalf.”
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