Stan Douglas with his fifth Russian medal, which came with a thank you on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo) / NZME.
Stan Douglas with his fifth Russian medal, which came with a thank you on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo) / NZME.
Veteran of Royal Navy’s Arctic convoys adds fifth Russian medal to his collection.
When Napier man Stan Douglas went to get the mail from his letterbox a few days ago he was slightly stunned - because it's not every day you get a note on behalf of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
"I had no idea it was coming until it arrived in the post - it was completely out of the blue," the 92-year-old veteran of the Royal Navy's Arctic convoys said.
It was the fifth service medal Mr Douglas and other original members of the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand have received. It was through his being an original member that he was awarded this one.
He had previously been awarded the prestigious Ushakov service medal - and by virtue of that was lined up for the "out of the blue" medal.
It was issued for "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945".
Accompanying it was a letter from Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Valery Tereshchenko, who wrote, "The President of the Russian Federation, Mr Vladimir Putin, decorates you for your participation in the Arctic convoys of the Allied Forces to the Russian Northern sea ports during the Second World War."
Mr Douglas said that since receiving his wartime service medals he had been awarded eight commemorative medals, including five from Russia for his convoy service.
Five years ago, after receiving a fourth Russian medal commemorating the 65th anniversary of the last of the convoys in 1945, Mr Douglas had remarked, "This is the last of them."
The national president of the Russian Convoy Club, Chris King, said the deputy head of mission, Mikhail Korneev, had told him Russia's gratitude for "the aid and sacrifices" made by the convoy veterans would always be remembered.
Mr Douglas served on board the destroyer HMS Javelin, which accompanied supply ships to Murmansk - in freezing, rough conditions and targeted by German destroyers, bombers and U-boats.
He said that while some of the bigger, more heavily laden cargo ships were able to plough through the waves, the crews on board lightweight destroyers and other escorts had to endure a rollercoaster ride.
"'Two words described it," he said. "Hellish" for the living conditions and "atrocious" for the weather.
"But they were conditions which simply had to be endured."
Between 1941 and 1945 40 convoys sailed to Russia and of the 811 ships involved 92 were sunk.
