SAILING through treacherous icy waters praying that they would not be bombed and sunk, the 1941-45 Russian convoys had possibly the most unenviable tasks of the Second World War.

Sixty years on from risking his life supplying food, arms and equipment to Russia, Stephen Rushworth has been thanked by the Russian Embassy in Kensington and presented with a medal.

Mr Rushworth, of Clover Hill, Skipton, admitted not knowing the "sharp end from the blunt end of a ship" when he joined up in 1940. At just 23, he completed six weeks training and was sent off to war.

As a petty officer aboard HMS Suffolk, he was part of a Russian convoy carrying aircraft and tanks, which dodged u-boats and fierce Luftwaffe attacks as it made its way to the port of Archangel in 1941.

Mr Rushworth, now 85, said when they first arrived the ship could not be unloaded because the port had not been used for many years. Three miles of railway track was laid in three days.

The HMS Suffolk, an eight-inch gun cruiser, completed several convoys. Its biggest test and heaviest assault came from the Bismark in late 1941.

Mr Rushworth said being part of the Russian convoys was frightening and icy cold. He said floating ice caps would bang against the side of the ship. "You were scared but you got over it. You just hoped that if you did sink it was in warm waters."

Four million tonnes of food and arms got through to Russia but not without cost.

More that 40 separate convoys set off for Russia. Out of the 811 merchant ships involved only 720 reached port. Ninety-one ships were sunk by u-boats, with few survivors. On the return 35 ships and their crews perished.

After leaving HMS Suffolk Mr Rushworth joined an anti-aircraft cruiser the HMS Deli, which was bombed 203 times in total. Mr Rushworth faced and survived about 130 bombs.

"We were bombed on the Suffolk a few times, and blown up once with a torpedo," he said.

At the end of the war Mr Rushworth, a member of the Skipton branch of the Royal Naval Association, received the Victory Medal, the Atlantic Star, the Italy Star, the Africa Star and the 1939-1945 Star.