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Prime Minister announces that service of Arctic Convoy veterans will be recognised

Published Monday 7th March 2005

The ice-encrusted 6-inch guns of HMS Belfast during convoy duties in Arctic waters, 1943 (Image: Imperial War Museum. IWM neg A20687)

Service on the convoys to north Russia was considered by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (the HD Committee) several times during the 1940s and was specifically included in the criteria for the Atlantic Star. It is the long-established policy of the HD Committee that they will not consider the retrospective award of new medals more than five years after the event, nor will they consider "double medalling" for the same campaign. However, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues believe that the service that the Arctic veterans gave, and the conditions suffered warrant recognition with their own award.

The award of the emblem will coincide with the 60th anniversary, this year, of the end of the Second World War.

The emblem will be awarded for service in the Arctic regions during the Second World War, in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy. The surviving next of kin of those who served in the Arctic, but have since died, will be able to claim the emblem on their behalf, although they will not be entitled to wear it. The emblem will be issued free to all that are entitled to it. There is currently no way of telling how many people will apply for the emblem, but it has been estimated that at least 95,000 Royal Navy personnel served in the Arctic regions, with perhaps a similar number from the Merchant Navy. More detailed qualification criteria, and instructions on how to apply, will be drawn up and published on the Veterans Agency website in due course.

The Government will work with the veterans organisations to determine both the design of the emblem and who will receive it. We hope that the veterans will welcome the arctic emblem and wear it with pride.

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