A 93-year-old veteran from the arctic convoys of World War II was honoured as part of a remembrance ceremony.

Frederick Thomson, formerly of Enfield, was awarded an Ushakov medal from Russian Attaché, Captain Oleg Kornienko, for his bravery as a signalman in the icy North Atlantic delivering supplies to starving Russians.

The award was part of the ceremony which took place at the arctic convoy memorial, outside the Civic Centre, in Enfield, which was given by arctic veterans.

The convoys were described as “the worst journey in the world” by Winston Churchill.

Council leader Doug Taylor stated in his speech that the memorial in Enfield was one of only a few scattered across the country.

Councillor Yasemin Brett, Enfield Council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “Those who served on the Arctic Convoys are often the forgotten heroes, but their contribution was vital in the war effort.

“The memorial outside our Civic Centre is a wonderful permanent reminder of the sacrifice these men made when they crossed the cruellest seas where one false fall into such waters would result in death. We owe them so much.”

Enfield’s Mayor, Cllr Ali Bakir added: “It is a huge honour for us to host this event and welcome our important guests.

“The Arctic memorial was given to the borough through the efforts of past veterans, one of whom was an Enfield Mayor, Cllr Stanley Carter. He died a few years ago, but through his persistence we are able to honour Frederick Thomson and ensure that he and others are never forgotten.”

Representatives from the Russian Embassy, the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, local Royal British Legions, Cadet Forces and Enfield MPs were also in attendance as they laid wreaths at the memorial.