TWENTY Second World War veterans of the Arctic convoys set sail from Harwich to retrace their steps.

Escorted by the Royal Navy Patrol Ship, HMS Tracker, the veterans and families joined passengers onboard the vessel MV Discovery she she set sail for Murmansk, Russia on Sunday.

A memorial service will be held later in the voyage, on the spot off the Norwegian coast near Narvic- where the greatest loss of life occurred during the Russian convoys’ transit of the northern waters.

Veterans, who are all in their eighties, will scatter 20,000 poppies and lay a wreath commemorating their fallen comrades.

Commodore Ewan Macdonald, the Royal Naval Regional Commander for Eastern England was onboard the Discovery to see the veterans off.

He spoke of the Royal Navy’s affiliation with the veterans: “We have had a long history in support of the Russian convoys – today we have HMS Tracker escorting MV Discovery out of Harwich as a mark of Naval respect,” he said.

Veteran Geoffrey Holmes, 84, who was an Able Seaman on the Merchant Navy during the convoys, boarded the Discovery to return to Russia for the first time since 1944.

He said: “I completed three trips on the Russian Convoys, and returned.

“The point is that myself and the other veterans wanted to go back and see Russia for one last time -in November ’44 all I remember was smoke and rubble.

“It was the people there that I think about most, who I wanted to go back and see.

“When this trip was advertised, it was [the only one] following the convoy route itself, it’s going to be the real deal.”

Before sailing, the Last Post was sounded as a collection of British and American Shipping Company House Flags were hoisted, each representing the companies that operated ships as part of the convoys.

The Arctic convoys provided Russia with considerable war materials against the odds.

These supplies were carried in some 790 ships in 40 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945 supplying 5,218 tanks and 7,411 aircraft.

The total value of the military supplies dispatched amounted to approximately £308 million.

They also supplied around £120 million of raw materials, foodstuffs, machinery, industrial plant, medical supplies and hospital equipment.

Just under 3,000 British seamen were killed during the convoys and more than 100 British ships were sunk.

Royal Navy losses included two cruisers, six destroyers and eight other escorts.

The veterans sail back into Harwich at 10am on Sunday August 2.