Post by Administrator on Jun 5, 2020 13:57:22 GMT
Arctic Convoys medal for late Falmouth postman torpedoed in war
A former Falmouth postman with an incredible war history has been posthumously awarded a medal recognising his heroic efforts in the Arctic Convoys.
William Wilson McHenry, always known as Wilson, was onboard the HMS Edinburgh when it was sunk by an enemy torpedo off Bear Island, in the Arctic Ocean, in 1942.
He has now been recognised with an Arctic Star medal, which were introduced in December 2012 to award to British Commonwealth forces serving in north of the Arctic Circle during the Second World War.
"He was the boy seaman. He was on watch at the time, in freezing conditions. He was just heading up on deck when they were torpedoed.
"Luckily he managed to survive and went to northern Russia, where he and a load of colleagues were just left."
Wilson, who was born in Ayrshire in December 1923, joined the Royal Navy in October 1939 and joined the crew of HMS Edinburgh the following October.
It was just two years later that the ship was hit and 60 of the crew were lost, along with five tonnes of gold ingots that had been onboard as Stalin's payment for supplies from America. Wilson survived, however, and was taken to Murmansk in Russia, where he was left for many weeks.
He subsequently went on to serve on a variety Navy ships for the rest of the war and until his discharge in 1963.
Falmouth was his first port of call after the war and it was here that he met wife Pearl. They moved to Beacon Road.
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A former Falmouth postman with an incredible war history has been posthumously awarded a medal recognising his heroic efforts in the Arctic Convoys.
William Wilson McHenry, always known as Wilson, was onboard the HMS Edinburgh when it was sunk by an enemy torpedo off Bear Island, in the Arctic Ocean, in 1942.
He has now been recognised with an Arctic Star medal, which were introduced in December 2012 to award to British Commonwealth forces serving in north of the Arctic Circle during the Second World War.
"He was the boy seaman. He was on watch at the time, in freezing conditions. He was just heading up on deck when they were torpedoed.
"Luckily he managed to survive and went to northern Russia, where he and a load of colleagues were just left."
Wilson, who was born in Ayrshire in December 1923, joined the Royal Navy in October 1939 and joined the crew of HMS Edinburgh the following October.
It was just two years later that the ship was hit and 60 of the crew were lost, along with five tonnes of gold ingots that had been onboard as Stalin's payment for supplies from America. Wilson survived, however, and was taken to Murmansk in Russia, where he was left for many weeks.
He subsequently went on to serve on a variety Navy ships for the rest of the war and until his discharge in 1963.
Falmouth was his first port of call after the war and it was here that he met wife Pearl. They moved to Beacon Road.
LINK