THE widow of a war veteran who endured some of the toughest conditions of World War Two has received a posthumous medal in recognition of his actions.

Dennis Hartnell from Carhampton was a survivor of the infamous Arctic convoys who transported vital supplies through German blockades to the Soviet Union between 1941 and 1945.

And last month his wife of almost 60 years, Liz, received the Arctic Convoy Star - the specific and dedicated medal that Prime Minister David Cameron announced last September would be awarded to those involved.

The medal, handed out more than 70 years after the event, came too late for Mr Hartnell, who died just over two years ago, just months before he was due to celebrate his diamond wedding.

"It's a great shame that he did not live to receive it but I am very proud to have it," said Mrs Hartnell, who moved to Carhampton with her husband from Taunton in 1988.

Mr Hartnell, a motor mechanic, served on board HMS Furious during the Tirpitz operations, as well as HMS Sussex and HMS Hibiscus, escorting merchant ships into Murmansk and Archangel.

In 1983 he was honoured by the Russian Ambassador Andrei Nikiforov with a medal in recognition of the struggle against fascism during World War Two.

"The men who served in the Arctic convoys suffered terribly," said Mrs Hartnell. "The medal was well deserved."

Photo: Steve Guscott