Tributes paid to a brave member of the Arctic convoys of World War Two

John Hirst of Horbury and other navy and merchant seamen, carried vital supplies through Nazi attacks in the Arctic convoys.

One member of the convoy was the merchant ship SS Empire Cowper with young signalman John Hirst on board for his first ever mission.

He was a conscript for the duration of the war and had completed his training only days before he joined the crew.

Four days after leaving Iceland the convoy had to scatter owing to a severe gale. They were then bombed continually by the Luftwaffe and the order came to abandon ship. John helped launch lifeboats and then escaped on a life raft with two other survivors.

Twelve days after his journey began John arrived at his home in Middlestown by bus dressed in the uniform of a Russian sailor to be met with incredulity by his parents.

John then went back to sea and served for six-and-a-half years on board eight different ships.

His grandaughter Ruth said: “Among the many fond memories I have, one that meant so much to Grandad was accompanying him to the Remembrance Service each year. It was so important to him to pay his respects, and it was just wonderful to see him wearing his medals with pride and being such a respected part of the community."

John was born in Ossett in 1921 to Albert and Eva. He had one sister Mabel.

The family moved to Sandy Lane, Middlestown when John was 15 months old and he later attended school in Netherton.

At 14 he was apprenticed to Nettletons butchers in Horbury before taking a job at Earnshaws sawmill working with the horses until he was called up for service in 1941.

After the war he married Lucy and the couple had many happy years together before her death 27 years ago.

John and Lucy had one daughter Christine, two granddaughters, Ruth and Rachel, and four great grandchildren.

Ruth added: “Grandad loved his life. He was always pleased to see people and he loved showing visitors around his home.

“He had a wonderful collection of articles, photographs and books that document the heroism of the Arctic convoy members. He loved spending time in the library and in his garden: he had an allotment in Horbury until he was 99.

“He always said to us: 'Haven't I had a wonderful life?’ and we take some comfort from that.”

Rachel said: “Grandad had a great sense of humour and enjoyed recounting amusing stories. “He was a strong constant in our lives and took a lot of interest in what we, and his great grandchildren, were doing.”

After the war John had a variety of jobs including working at local mining machinery factory Fletcher Sutcliffe Wild for more than 30 years.

He was immensely proud of his service in the Merchant Navy and flew the Red Ensign outside his home.

Along with other Arctic veterans he campaigned for years before finally receiving recognition from the UK government in 2013 in the form of the Arctic Star.

Further to that, a historic agreement between Vladimir Putin and then-Prime Minister David Cameron allowed the Russian government to award the Ushakov medal in 2015 in gratitude for their service during the war.

On John’s 100th birthday a bench was unveiled in his honour at Horbury Memorial Park attended by members of the Royal British Legion, civic dignitaries, family and friends.

John Lockwood, president of the Horbury, Sitlington and Ossett Branch of the Royal British Legion said: “I knew John for a long, long time. He was a real gentleman and he will be very sorely missed in Horbury.”

John’s funeral will be on Tuesday, March 12 at 2pm at Horbury Methodist Church, High Street, Horbury.