A VETERAN of the Second World War marked his 90th birthday with a particularly special gift - a medal from Vladimir Putin.

Ken Barron, from Darlington, received the commemorative medal in recognition of his service as part of the Arctic Convoys, which provided essential supplies to the Soviet Union to aid in its fight against the Nazis.

Mr Barron served as an able bodied seaman for four years during the war, primarily aboard the HMS Loyalty.

He celebrated his birthday today (Thursday, August 27) surrounded by family and friends at the Riverside View Care Home, where he now lives after suffering strokes.

It was a far cry from the conditions he endured during his service – routes operated in close proximity to German occupied territory, meaning there was a constant danger of attack, while temperatures were incredibly cold.

On one occasion, Mr Barron’s ship was torpedoed, and he spent two hours in the water waiting for rescue.

Dot Barron, his wife of 68 years, said that his experiences in the war had a profound effect on him.

Mrs Barron added: “In retrospect, he loved his time in the Navy, but it was very difficult for him – his boat sank and that was an awful experience for him to go through.”

After leaving the Navy, Mr Barron spent the rest of his life working at E.D Walker and Wilson Newsagents and King & Co. Ironmongers, but was greatly influenced by his service and maintained a strong connection to the British Legion.

Although he has always questioned why there was so much conflict in the world, it was only recently that he began to open up about his experiences during the war, explained his son, Paul Barron.

He said: “It’s only in the past few years that he has started to talk about what happened; when I was growing up he never spoke about it.

“He told us how bitterly cold it was and said only the other day that he had been scared stiff – that was the first time he’d admitted how traumatic it had been.

“He’s a very quiet person but was thrilled to get the medal, it’s been a long time coming and he appreciated it.”