ONE of the last remaining Navy officers who took part in the “worst journey in the world” has died at the age of 95.

Arthur Waddington, of Thackley, was a Royal Navy officer who worked on the treacherous Arctic convoy, which transported a total of four million tonnes of food, weapons, vehicles and other supplies to the Russian port of Murmansk during World War Two.

The electrician joined the Navy in 1943 aged 22, and worked on the convoy during his whole time in the armed forces.

Winston Churchill described the Arctic convoy as “the worst journey in the world”, as officers had to contend with extreme cold, tough conditions and the constant threat of attack from German forces.

Following the war, Mr Waddington spent the rest of his working life as an electrician in Bradford. He married his wife Nellie in 1943, and they had two children, Neil and Valerie.

His son, 69, said even when he was not at work, Mr Waddington always kept himself busy.

He said: “He was always making things, he made me a sword and when he had time off work would take apart his car engine and put it back together, even when it didn’t need fixing.

“He would get me working as well, going under his Jowett van to fix the brakes.

“As he got older he loved his garden and was a keen walker, he was always active right up until he died, and loved travelling, visiting Canada and Russia, and we even took him to the Arctic convoy museum in Scotland just last year.”

Mr Waddington’s son-in-law, Geoff Wyness, said his father-in-law had a wicked sense of humour.

“I remember when I first started courting with Val, and we went camping,” he said.

“I was in a tent with Arthur and Val and her mum were in the other, and one night he woke me up to tell me it was torrential rain outside, and we would have to go out and secure the tent pegs.

“Then he just handed me his raincoat and a mallet and sent me out into the rain while he stayed warm and dry!”

Mr Waddington was invited to VE Day celebrations on HMS Belfast in London in 2008, where he received a medal from the Russian ambassador for his work during the war, and met Prince Michael of Kent.

He also received a letter and medal from Russian President Vladimir Putin to mark the 70th anniversary of V-E Day last year.

Mr Waddington’s funeral takes place at Thackley Methodist Church at 11am on Tuesday, November 1. Donations in his memory can be made to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. He is survived by his two children, five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.