THE widow of Dunbar war veteran and Arctic Convoys campaigner Jock Dempster has been presented with the Ushakov Medal on his behalf.

The medal, which is awarded by the Russian Government for bravery, has been presented by the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh to those men who survived the Arctic Convoys.

Mr Dempster died on May 5, 2013, at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a week after he suffered a stroke.

His passing came just weeks after he had been presented with the new Arctic Star medal by Prime Minister David Cameron at a ceremony in London – following a decades-long campaign to have those who took part in the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War recognised for their contribution.

His wife, Maggie, collected the Ushakov Medal last Wednesday at the Royal Scots Club, on Edinburgh’s Abercrombie Place.

She said: “It is a Russian medal that was in honour of a Russian naval admiral, Fyodor Ushakov, who never lost a battle.

“He really was a prestigious Russian and it was one of the highest awards that they give to the veterans.” Mr Dempster, who was 85, led a campaign to have those who took part in the Arctic Convoys recognised.

More than 3,000 men died during the convoys.

Three years ago, the Russian Embassy wrote to survivors to say it wanted to award them the medal.

The idea was initially turned down by the Foreign Office, whose rules say that British soldiers cannot receive a foreign medal if the act happened more than five years previously.

The British Government created the Arctic Star but the rules have since been relaxed to allow Russia to thank the men who guarded its border and are credited with allowing Russia to defeat the Germans on the Eastern Front.

THE widow of Dunbar war veteran and Arctic Convoys campaigner Jock Dempster has been presented with the Ushakov Medal on his behalf.

The medal, which is awarded by the Russian Government for bravery, has been presented by the Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh to those men who survived the Arctic Convoys.

Mr Dempster died on May 5, 2013, at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, a week after he suffered a stroke.

His passing came just weeks after he had been presented with the new Arctic Star medal by Prime Minister David Cameron at a ceremony in London – following a decades-long campaign to have those who took part in the Arctic Convoys during the Second World War recognised for their contribution.

His wife, Maggie, collected the Ushakov Medal last Wednesday at the Royal Scots Club, on Edinburgh’s Abercrombie Place.

She said: “It is a Russian medal that was in honour of a Russian naval admiral, Fyodor Ushakov, who never lost a battle.

“He really was a prestigious Russian and it was one of the highest awards that they give to the veterans.” Mr Dempster, who was 85, led a campaign to have those who took part in the Arctic Convoys recognised.

More than 3,000 men died during the convoys.

Three years ago, the Russian Embassy wrote to survivors to say it wanted to award them the medal.

The idea was initially turned down by the Foreign Office, whose rules say that British soldiers cannot receive a foreign medal if the act happened more than five years previously.

The British Government created the Arctic Star but the rules have since been relaxed to allow Russia to thank the men who guarded its border and are credited with allowing Russia to defeat the Germans on the Eastern Front.