Widow's special memorial is unveiled

A £20,000 memorial paid for by a widow as a tribute to sailors who risked their lives to deliver supplies to Russia during the Second World War has been unveiled.

Phyllis Coyle, aged 84, commissioned the monument and gathered with family, friends and ex-servicemen for an unveiling ceremony at the National Memorial Arboretum, in Alrewas.

Her late husband, Mick, served as stoker with the Royal Navy between 1942 and 1947 and sailed with the Russian convoys for four tours. He was disappointed there was no lasting memorial to the convoy crews.

Following his death from lung cancer at the age of 85 in November 2010, Mrs Coyle, of Derwent Close, Pensnett, decided to fulfil his wish and commission the memorial. She also paid more than £4,000 for the unveiling ceremony and organised transport for those who wished to attend.

The ceremony started with a procession led by around 20 standard bearers from armed forces associations, including the Stourbridge Royal Naval Association of which Mr Coyle was welfare officer.

The memorial stands more than 6ft tall and is engraved with a ship crossing icy waters. On the back is inscribed Winston Churchill's quote about the convoys having to endure "The worst journey in the world".