War veterans who took part in the perilous Arctic Convoys were honoured for their efforts at the weekend.
A total of 15 servicemen from across the north-east were presented with the Ushakov Medal at a special ceremony at the Town House in Aberdeen on Saturday.
From 1941 to 1945, allied Naval ships sailed from Scotland and Iceland to Russia with vital food and weapons as part of efforts to fight the Nazi advance.
More than 3,000 seamen lost their lives in the freezing conditions, and attacks by German submarines. The convoys were considered suicide missions, and Winston Churchill described it as the “worst journey in the world”.
The Ushakov Medal, named after Russia’s most acclaimed Navy commander Fyodor Ushakov, is a state military award that was established in 1944 for those who demonstrated courage and prowess in sea warfare.
It is now awarded to veterans for the “personal courage and valour shown during World War II while participating in the Arctic Convoys.”
A total of 214 veterans in Scotland will be awarded with the honour by the consul general of Russia in Edinburgh, Andrey Pritsepov.
Those who received it at the Aberdeen ceremony on Saturday were: Edgar Allan, Henry Begg, Leonard Grant, John Burch, George Leiper, Robert Mackie, Arthur May, William McKay, Robert Owen, Evan Roberts, Ernest Robertson, John Sleigh, George Thomson, Herbert Twiddy and James Whyte.
The medal was also awarded posthumously to Francis Cursiter, James Ireland and William Smith.