Arctic Star honour for Newbury's convoy veteran

Don Martin, aged 93, who lives at Birchwood Care Home, Birchwood Road, and has been awarded the Arctic Star served on the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War.
Described by Winston Churchill as the “worst journey in the world”, the convoys suffered high losses of men and ships as they braved treacherous weather conditions and attacks from German U-boats, in the freezing Arctic seas to deliver vital food supplies to the Russians at Murmansk.
The Government decision last year to issue medals to Arctic servicemen came after decades of campaigning by veterans groups.
Mr Martin was presented with his medal last Wednesday by Newbury MP Richard Benyon, who said: “It’s 68 years late but you have got it and you deserve it.”
Mr Martin joined the Royal Navy in 1937, after basic training at Portsmouth and he took part in additional training as a telegraphist, as he showed an aptitude for codes and ciphers.
One of his roles was to decode and encrypt messages sent via morse code, in all weathers and on the hour around the clock. This more often than not took place in a cabin scarcely more than a lockable cupboard.
Mr Martin’s active service was mainly on Tree class vessels (these trawlers were a class of anti-submarine vessel), including HMS Hazel.
It was while on the Hazel, that the ship, with two sister vessels, became part of the flotilla assigned to what became Operation Gauntlet – a combined operations raid by Canadian troops, with British Army logistics support and Free Norwegian Forces servicemen on the Norwegian island of Spits-bergen, 600 miles south of the North Pole.
After receiving his medal, Mr Martin, who lives at the Newbury care home with his wife, 98-year-old Irene, said: “I feel very proud to receive it.
“I found it a great privilege to serve.”
His daughter, Lyn Bliss, recalled a treasured memory of her father’s. “The ship was iced-in and when it was released and able to reach civilisation they would not let any of them onto shore until the barber had come because they didn't want it to ruin the Navy’s image,” she said.
“He also had to do his own sewing – this is something I don't think he has done since.”
“I think it’s tremendous. I grew up listening to his stories about what he got up to, it’s fascinating
“It was a special time for them.
“It is satisfying that he is still alive and able to get his medal; I feel sad for the many others who have not been able to receive theirs.”
Friend and former navy and RAF serviceman, Philip Woollcombe, from Theale, added: “They were the ones who won the war for us.
“Because of them, we are a free country.”