Post by Administrator on Oct 30, 2022 8:43:44 GMT
PENARTH’S LAST VETERAN OF THE WW2 ARCTIC CONVOYS HAS DIED
The death has been announced of the veteran Penarth seaman Harold Boudier - who served with distinction in the Merchant Navy during WW2.
Mr Boudier, of Stanwell Road, Penarth, had originally wanted to join the Royal Navy - but was ruled out because he was colour blind.
However - despite his impairment - he was deployed to join a naval vessel - HMS Premier - transporting aircraft across the Atlantic and was later based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands carrying out mine-laying and naval operations off the coast of Norway.
Mr Boudier was on the last of the extremely challenging WW2 supply voyages which ferried vital supplies of food and military equipment from Britain to Northern Russia. On 18 April 1945, HMS Premier, with Harold Boudier aboard, joined the 25 ship escort JW 66 in what proved to be the final Arctic Convoy to the Soviet Union - guarding 27 - mostly American - supply vessels headed for Murmansk.
For the rest of his life Mr Boudier carefully preserved a treasured memento of the day the Second World War ended - an original NAAFI beer glass.
Mr Boudier said "I never made a habit of pinching glasses from pubs but I filled a tankard from the NAAFI with beer for one of my mates who wasn't allowed leave. I carried it all along the quayside, along the drifter, up the gangway, and handed the pint to my friend - and he gave me the glass back and I've still got it. ....Every VE Day, I go to the local pub with it."
When Mr Boudier attended the re-dedication of the Roll of Honour at St Augustine's Church in 2015 he proudly wore his medals - all eleven of them - including one of the medals specially issued by the Russian Embassy in honour of the men who served on the Arctic Convoys.
The death has been announced of the veteran Penarth seaman Harold Boudier - who served with distinction in the Merchant Navy during WW2.
Mr Boudier, of Stanwell Road, Penarth, had originally wanted to join the Royal Navy - but was ruled out because he was colour blind.
However - despite his impairment - he was deployed to join a naval vessel - HMS Premier - transporting aircraft across the Atlantic and was later based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands carrying out mine-laying and naval operations off the coast of Norway.
Mr Boudier was on the last of the extremely challenging WW2 supply voyages which ferried vital supplies of food and military equipment from Britain to Northern Russia. On 18 April 1945, HMS Premier, with Harold Boudier aboard, joined the 25 ship escort JW 66 in what proved to be the final Arctic Convoy to the Soviet Union - guarding 27 - mostly American - supply vessels headed for Murmansk.
For the rest of his life Mr Boudier carefully preserved a treasured memento of the day the Second World War ended - an original NAAFI beer glass.
Mr Boudier said "I never made a habit of pinching glasses from pubs but I filled a tankard from the NAAFI with beer for one of my mates who wasn't allowed leave. I carried it all along the quayside, along the drifter, up the gangway, and handed the pint to my friend - and he gave me the glass back and I've still got it. ....Every VE Day, I go to the local pub with it."
When Mr Boudier attended the re-dedication of the Roll of Honour at St Augustine's Church in 2015 he proudly wore his medals - all eleven of them - including one of the medals specially issued by the Russian Embassy in honour of the men who served on the Arctic Convoys.