Wester Ross convoy plans get royal boost
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A ROSS-SHIRE community honouring the vital war-time role played by thousands of brave men has been given the royal seal of approval for its plans.
The WWII and the Arctic Convoys Week starting on Monday (May 7) is the next important step towards plans for a museum marking the role played by Loch Ewe in the convoy missions to the ports of Murmansk and Archangel to aid Russian Allies.
A total of nineteen Russian Convoys, dubbed “suicide missions” by many of those men who sailed on them, sailed from Loch Ewe in Wester Ross, where there are now plans to establish a lasting tribute telling a still relatively little-known story.
The week of events has been backed by HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who has written the foreword to their programme of events.
There will be eight exhibitions across the area with different stories to tell about the war and the Arctic Convoys. They range from the appearance of a world famous Enigma machine and talk from top code breaker expert, Dr Mark Baldwin, to the film night with rare war-time footage, and a WWII reunion party.
The local community is also planning some nostalgic baking for the events. Seen here is Julie Brady from Sweet in Gairloch, whose team will be baking somespecial fairy cakes.
There will also be special commemorative mugs, wartime sweets on saleand newly published books about the area in WWII. These include Wreck of the William H. Welch by Steve Chadwick, due to be published today (Friday).
• For further information about the WWII Week, the full programme of events and how to obtain tickets, see www.russianarcticconvoymuseum.co.uk or call 01445 731093.
For more on this story, see this week's Ross-shire Journal.
