Medal winning Doncaster World War 2 hero dies at 91

Noah Grice, who was presented with the Red Star Medal more than 60 years after the end of the conflict, died earlier this month.

Mr Grice, who was also the founder of Doncaster electrical firm Grice and Wray, served on wartime convoys in the Baltic to keep Allied supply routes open during the Second World War.

He was presented with the medal by Russia nine years ago as a thank you for his service.

The grandfather, from Aintree Avenue, Cantley, was modest about his achievements as a teenager, saying in an interview in 2007: "We just went to do a job and did it as best we could."

Mr Grice was 18 when he served with the Baltic fleet which faced the ever-present threat of attacks from German U-boats.

His ship was also part of a decoy to lure out the Scharnhorst and Tirpitz battleships but he was docked in the port of Murmansk when the two German ships did emerge.

He added: "We had two days trouble with subs coming back from Murmansk but we only lost one ship.

"Other people had it very rough, we were losing ships left, right and centre."

Mr Grice also served in the Atlantic and was a gunner on Defence Equipped Merchant ships which reputedly had the highest death rate in the Navy.

Mr Grice worked in a quarry after being demobbed and then at Grice and Wray Electricals in Copley Road, Doncaster, before he retired in 1990.

The Order of the Red Star is a medal awarded for valour and service and for "outstanding achievements in the defence of the USSR".

Until the 2000s, the Royal Navy did not recognise the award - normally given to Russians - but ex-merchantmen were encouraged to apply and Mr Grice received his through the post.

He was also awarded Victory and Atlantic medals.

Mr Grice, a father of two, died on July 12.

The funeral service will take place at Rose Hill Cemetery on August 5 at 1pm.