Two new takes on the Arctic Convoys

It took Merchant Navy campaigners decades to win UK government recognition for the seafarers who had taken part in the gruelling Arctic Convoys during the Second World War. The fact that Britain had been sending supplies to the USSR – then its ally – had turned into an awkward situation when the countries later became Cold War enemies, and the Arctic Convoys were little talked of.

However, in 2012 the Arctic Star medal was finally instituted for civilian and military seafarers who had served in the convoys, prompting a resurgence of interest from historians and the wider public.

This interest continues, with two books on the convoys released in recent months. Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas was the first, and as the title suggests, it looks at the WW2 campaign from the perspective of the military intelligence services based at Bletchley Park.

The Park is now a museum, and author David Kenyon is its resident historian. In his book, he assembles a wealth of previously-unpublished material showing how interception, decoding and translation of enemy messages helped to shape the course of the Arctic Convoys, while weaving in the stories of some key figures at Bletchley Park.

Allied Convoys to Northern Russia 1941–1945: Politics, Strategy and Tactics goes right to the top, looking at why Allied leaders decided the Arctic Convoys were needed, what supplies they should be carrying and how the merchant ships should be protected.

The story is largely told through a series of now-declassified communications between Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin and other governmental and military figures, and it is fascinating to read their thoughts.

Arctic Convoys: Bletchley Park and the War for the Seas
By David Kenyon
Yale University Press, £20
ISBN: 978 03002 69444

Allied Convoys to Northern Russia 1941–1945: Politics, Strategy and Tactics
By William Smith
Pen & Sword, £25
ISBN: 978 13990 54737