On 19 April, Frank Chester passed away at the age of 109.

He had served aboard a Royal Navy corvette on the Arctic convoys, running war supplies to the Soviet Union through the Barents Sea in conditions that Churchill described as the worst journey in the world. Storms, pack ice, enemy submarines and aircraft were there on every voyage.

In 2014, Russia awarded him the Medal of Ushakov, in recognition of the courage shown by the men who kept that lifeline open.

As we approach the 81st anniversary of Victory, the passing of Frank Chester is a reminder of how much we owe to those who sailed the Northern Route. They were young men from Shropshire and Worcestershire and dozens of other places, far from home, doing something extraordinary in the cold and dark for our common Victory.

Russia remembers them. We are grateful.
Rest in peace, Frank Chester.