Six Irish ex-sailors or pilots from the second World War were honoured by the Russian government yesterday for the part they played in the Arctic convoys during the early 1940s.
At a ceremony in the Russian Embassy, Ambassador Vladimir Rakhmanin presented medals to the six ex-servicemen "to express our gratitude to these heroes who participated in that struggle of epic proportions".
By the age of 19, Ted Jones was an RAF captain leading nine others in his Catalina Flying Boat that patrolled the skies around Iceland and the Faroe Islands. His mission was to help secure a safe passage for the convoys bringing vital supplies to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Archangelsk from other Allied countries and, if necessary, drop depth charges on enemy U-boats.
"I was lucky. To be a pilot was marvellous. We never really thought of the danger. We were just doing our part," said Mr Jones (82).
May 9th is the 60th anniversary of Victory Day when Russians celebrate the end of the war. Some 27 million Russians were killed.
"It's our common victory and we don't want to divide it. We all stood together. For Russia it was a fight for survival," said Mr Rakhmanin.
The ceremony, which included a short service conducted by Russian Orthodox Archpriest Michael Gogoleff, was attended by officials from most embassies in Dublin.