Fred Atherton Arctic Star Medal

was born in Wigan in 1902 and after schooling worked in a chemists shop in Preston and then entered the Medical Branch at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness in Class 143 (see photo – Fred middle row, 4th from left). He spent almost all of his seagoing time on the Arctic runs serving in HMS Gleaner, a converted trawler Minesweeper and thankfully survived the war to end up working in the Preston dock area for ‘Watson’s’, a petrol company which morphed into Petrofina. Fred worked in the accounts department until he ‘Crossed the Bar’ in 1962. His eldest daughter Muriel only has a few wafer thin letters from Fred to his wife Minnie and all the text was very sketchy to say the least! Just in time for the 2014 Remembrance Day Service, Muriel received her Dad’s ARCTIC STAR MEDAL and proudly wore it at the Village War Memorial service.

Article by Les YEOMAN MAY 2015. Also entered in Doc RN Aug 2015. Following a submission by Keith Norton (non member).