A YORK War veteran has been honoured for his service on the Russian convoys more than 70 years on.

Len Dickson lied about his age to join up and serve with the Navy in the Second World War, and made five trips on the Arctic convoys - the last of which ended with his ship, the HMS Nairana, assisting in the D-Day invasion.

Mr Dickson said: "The convoys themselves were Hell from start to finish, the weather being the main contributor.

"I remember dropping a silver coin on the deck and I stooped to pick it up, and when I picked it up, it stuck to my hand, stuck to my fingers with the coldness of it."

Now 93 and living in Haxby, Mr Dickson looked back on his time in the Navy ahead of a visit from representatives of the Russian Embassy, who presented him with the Ushakov Medal for courage and bravery displayed in wartime during the defence of the Soviet Union in naval theatres.

Mr Dickson said: ""I was one of the fortunate ones on the bigger ships The little ships that used to accompany us, especially the Russian trawlers, they were only like fishing boats going across the North Atlantic and they must have had a Hell of a time.

"On that last convoy we didn't go to Scapa Flow, we went straight down the North Sea and straight into the D-Day landings. D-Day was another birthday party. I don't want to recall that. It was frightening because on my ship we were anchored in the straits and ahead of us was a Canadian missile corvette and behind us was HMS Warspite so that was 24 rocket launchers firing at once from this Canadian ship and the 15" guns of HMS Warspite astern of us. You can imagine what the noise was like."

Canon Philip Cousins is Chaplain for the Royal Naval Association York and helped write to the embassy to provide Mr Dickson with the honour.

He said: "I've got to know a lot of my old shipmates, as I call them, many of whom, including Len, served in the Second World War. Several of them on the D-Day landings and the Arctic convoys. I felt very privileged to know these gentlemen as shipmates who have really seen action in the Navy.

"I myself was a mere National Serviceman years ago, and felt a bit inferior to them, but I appreciate the honour that has been made to them by the British, French and now Russian governments, and I'm very happy to be part of that campaign to ensure that Leonard and his predecessors and former shipmates are properly honoured for what they've done for their country."