Arctic Convoys in Edinburgh Exhibition

I’m always keen to read about the Arctic Convoys that sailed from the North of Scotland to Russia to deliver supplies to the Soviet Union during WWII, from August 1941 to May 1945 to be precise. My fascination has grown over the years due to the many times I’ve visited the very area and loch where they sailed from, Loch Ewe in Wester Ross. It’s hard to overlook the many, mostly ruined, remains of the gun emplacements and other structures of this dark period when you are travelling around Loch Ewe. And if it’s not for the structures, this period is still very much in the hearts and souls of the people involved, both locals and veterans. It was only recently that a service of remembrance was held at the memorial in Cove in the presence of forty surviving Arctic Convoy Veterans to commemorate the thousands of shipmates who perished in the icy waters between 1941 and 1945.

Now, more than 70 years later, the story of the Arctic Convoys is being told in a new exhibition. From Tuesday, the National War Museum in Edinburgh will be home to the show documenting the story of the veterans. Curator Elaine Edwards said: “Arctic Convoys tells the story of the British and Allied sailors who endured one of the most dangerous sea-faring campaigns of the Second World War. “Through photographs, letters, interviews and personal possessions, the exhibition reveals the demanding reality of life as an arctic convoy sailor and how two nations found friendship in adversity.” For more info on this exhibition visit the National War Museum Website