VETERANS who sailed on the dangerous wartime supply convoys to Russia have reacted with anger at the plan to give them a badge rather than a proper medal to mark their wartime efforts.
The idea of a badge was unveiled by Prime Minister Tony Blair at a Downing Street reception on Monday.
Veterans want an 'Arctic Star' medal to commemorate their struggles and the lives of the 3,000 seamen who died during attacks by U-boats and Luftwaffe bombers in the icy northern seas.
Roy Dykes, who is mayor of Whitchurch, took part in six Russian convoys to Archangel and Murmansk.
He said: "I'm disgusted with this proposal. We don't want a badge - are we going to put it on our pyjamas?
"It does seem to have registered that something needed to be done but the Government and the MoD haven't taken the trouble to look at the issue at all seriously."
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