Arctic Convoys, 1941-45

August 2011 marked the 70th anniversary of the first Arctic convoy to Russia. This gruelling campaign, which was to last until the end of the Second World War, required remarkable endurance on the part of the men involved. Employing a range of objects from its collections, the National Maritime Museum looks at the experiences of these men.

Relying mainly on photographic material, the gallery will also include paintings by war artists, ship models and articles of clothing. The achievement of the Arctic convoys will also be examined, with specific reference to vital war material successfully delivered to a hard-pressed ally and the role they played in forging a working partnership between two ideologically unlikely allies, Britain and Russia.