Youngsters ensure great-grandfather's heroic naval service is honoured

Two youngsters have ensured their great-grandfather's heroic deeds during the Second World War have finally been recognised.

A family summer holiday project led brother and sister Edward and Alice Botting to uncover the story of John Townsend, who served in the Royal Navy on the Arctic escort routes to northern Russia.

The route was described by Winston Churchill as 'the worst journey in the world' and John's service has only now been recognised thanks to the intrigue of his great-grandchildren, with him being awarded the Arctic Star.

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John's medal was formally presented to the children by Commodore Jo Adey at HMS President in London, the headquarters of the Royal Naval Reserve.

Edward and Alice said: "People who served in the Arctic had to face very tough conditions, so they must have been very brave.

"We are very pleased that our summer holiday project helped our great-granddad to get this medal for what he did.

"We never had the chance to meet him, but we think he'd be very proud.

"It was a privilege to have the medal presented to us at HMS President, and a really memorable occasion."

John Townsend, from Herne Hill in London, joined the Royal Navy in 1940 and was commissioned into the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1941. After the war, he joined the Navy full-time and later became a Lieutenant Commander.

It was only in 2012 that the Government awarded the Arctic Star to veterans who served on the convoys.

Nearly two decades after John passed away, his great-grandchildren came across his story and records at the family homes in London and Gosport.  

They identified that their great-grandfather had served on the cruiser HMS Naiad and battleship HMS King George V inside the Arctic Circle.

They submitted their research, supported by documentary evidence, to the Ministry of Defence, which agreed that Lt Cdr Townsend qualified for the Arctic Star.

Commodore Adey said: "This is an incredible story spanning generations of the Botting and Townsend families' history. 

"That two young people were able to produce such irrefutable evidence that their great-grandfather had served in the Arctic Convoys and then make the Ministry of Defence take action 80 years later is wonderful. 

"The Royal Naval Reserve – and the ship's company of HMS President – are honoured to be able to present the Arctic Star to recognise John Townsend’s service, and to reward our young detectives for their work."