A BRAVE Bridgwater sailor who took on the wild north Atlantic and German U-Boat menace during the Second World war has been honoured for his services by the Russian government.

Samuel George Woodworth, or George as he prefers, was last year awarded an Arctic Star for his Royal Navy service protecting the Atlantic convoys.

Now, 70 years since the end of the war, Vladimir Putin’s government have honoured him with a commemorative medal and certificate.

The medal marks the 70th anniversary of the victory in the ‘Great Patriotic War’ from 1941 to 1945, in which George fought.

“I volunteered for the navy when I was 17,” explains George, who was born on January 7 1925, making him 90 years old.

“I was drafted in to go on a minesweeper ship called the HMS Fly and we set sail for the Arctic.”

George and the crew landed in Iceland where they joined a convoy and headed down towards Murmansk, one of the more famous Arctic convoys of World War Two.

“We saw German aircraft but fortunately they missed us,” George says.

“We hit an air raid and I saw the flying bombs called the doodlebugs.

George was on the first ship that was part of the invasion of Sicily, where they swept the convoy in.

Once back on UK soil, George decided to train as a Navy electrician.

“I became a leading torpedo officer,” remembers George.

“I was drafted onto an LST 200 ship that carries tanks.”

At the end of the war. George was offered a position in Rhodesia as a cattle and tobacco farmer.

His parents came out to join him in Rhodesia, leaving behind a chain of Woodworth shops in the West Midlands area of England. The shops still survive today.

George then joined the government as a land development officer before being transferred to Mozambique as a group officer, where he met his beloved wife Evelyn.

“We were married for 56 years and had four children together; Helen, Georgina, Penelope and Malcolm Clive,” said George.

“We moved to Umtali in Zimbabwe and that’s when the ‘Terrorist War’ began. It was a terrible time and a very unpleasant war.

“We hid when bullets were going over the top of us. Some were fired at us.”

George and Eve then bought a farm in South Africa.

“It was here that Eve got cancer,” added George.

“I looked after her but she unfortunately died 11 years ago.

“We had to get her birth certificate from miles away from where we lives and she was cremated without me knowing. I didn’t even get to attend her funeral.”

After George was mugged, nearly losing his whole ear, his daughter Helen, stepped in and decided enough was enough. George came back to England eight years ago.

On a day out to Bridgwater, George spotted a narrow boat called Dorian Grey for sale and set up home on the water. He now lives in a house in the area.

“I feel very humble to have received my Arctic Star and my letter signed by Mr Putin. I didn’t think I would get it because there were sailors that are so much more deserving than me.

I’m very surprised.”