ELEVEN former North-East servicemen will be honoured by Russia tomorrow in a ceremony marking their efforts during the Second World War.

The men served in what was known as the Arctic Convoys in bitterly cold conditions in the Soviet Union and played a pivotal role in one of the greatest political and military strategies of the war - keeping the Soviet Union in the conflict.

Perhaps the most famous incident involving the fleet was the destruction of Convoy PQ17, which sailed from Iceland with 36 vessels on June 27, 1942. It reached Archangel, in Northern Russia, on July 28 with only 11 ships.

During the summer months, the far northern Arctic latitudes brought long days with constant light, which made the convoys desperately vulnerable to almost unceasing German Luftwaffe and U-boat attack.

At the ceremony, at Gateshead Civic Centre at 2pm, the Lord Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear, Nigel Sherlock, will present recipients with a medal to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the conflict. Pavel Andreejev, of the Russian Embassy, will also attend.

Mr Sherlock said: "It is an honour to pay tribute to these 11 brave and valiant gentlemen and their colleagues, who served in this gallant, vital and perilous campaign we know as the Russian Convoys.

"They and their comrades were subject to extremes of cold and unimaginable icy conditions and it is my pleasure to present them with these commemorative medals."