Sacrifices of Arctic Convoy and Bomber Command veterans recognised at last All because we were waiting for these bloody politicians who have never heard a shot in their lives to make up their minds. Mr Grenfell, from Portsmouth, said only about 200 veterans were still alive to receive the new Arctic Star medal, just a fifth of the number a decade ago. More than 3,000 British sailors and airmen died between 1941 and 1945 taking part in the convoys, a vital part of Churchill's attempts to keep Stalin in the alliance against Hitler. In 1946, the Admirality ordered that the Atlantic Star, the medal for maritime supply missions, should be awarded to those with six months" service. However, because of the harsh conditions of the Arctic Convoys, very few who had sailed to Russia served long enough to meet this criterion. There was also no political will to award a medal during the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was the enemy. There have long been calls for Bomber Command veterans to be recognised as well. Of the 125,000 airmen who served in the strategic bomber force during the war, some 55,000 were killed and another 18,000 wounded or taken prisoner, a casualty rate of 60 per cent. Douglas Radcliffe, secretary of the Bomber Command Association, said he was surprised and pleased by the announcement. He added: "It's quite an honour, and the Bomber Command Association is particularly pleased about the boys from the Arctic Convoys getting a medal." Mr Cameron said today that he had accepted the recommendations of a review into military medals carried out by Sir John Holmes, a former diplomat. The Prime Minister told the Commons: "I am very pleased that some of the brave men of the Arctic Convoys will get the recognition they so richly deserve for the very dangerous work they did. On Bomber Command, Sir John concluded that they have been treated inconsistently with those who served in Fighter Command. He has therefore recommended, and I also agree, that the heroic aircrews should be awarded a Bomber Command Clasp. The Ministry of Defence indicated that further delays of at least several months were likely while it drew up detailed eligibility criteria and practical arrangements for the award of the medal and clasp. Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative MP for Gosport, who has campaigned on behalf of Arctic Convoy veterans, urged the Government to deliver the medal as a "matter of urgency." She warned: "After years of waiting, time is no longer a luxury that these brave men have on their side."