Capt Rolfe Monteith, 2018

An evening of memories with two veterans of the Second World War, Admiral Robert Stephens and Captain Rolfe Monteith and, who will be in informal conversation with military historian Major General (retired) Mungo Melvin CB OBE.

This is a unique opportunity to meet these incredible gentlemen – survivors and witnesses of some of the turning points in world history. They both joined the Canadian navy on the same day as the outbreak of the Second World War as teenagers and served in the Canadian and then British forces through the major part of their lives.

Vice-Admiral Robert Stephens, 2018

Captain Rolfe Monteith went to Murmansk in 1943 as part of the Arctic Convoy mission. After graduating from the Royal College of Defence Studies as a senior officer, he realised that he was not keen to continue his military mission, so he resigned and settled in the UK with his family. Since then he has travelled the world on behalf of British industry and has become a member of the Russian Arctic Convoy Association.

Admiral Robert Stephens went to Murmansk in 1943 also served in the Korean War in 1951. He worked on the construction of nuclear submarines, headed Mechanical and Electrical at Naval Headquarters in Ottawa, Canada at HMC Dockyard in Halifax before being made a Commander of Training Command at Winnipeg, Manitoba and finally appointed as Canadian representative to NATO.

Both warriors had to face many challenges of the 20th century across the borders. They chose Britain to be their second home and now approaching their 95th anniversaries, will be looking back to the most vivid encounters of their life journeys: sharing personal experiences of joy and sadness; fame and failures; paying tribute to their brothers in arms and dear friends – for further generations to learn and fall back on while facing the challenges of a new century.

There will be also an opportunity to view original drawings by Feliks Topolski, who

Feliks Topolski – Archangel 1941

accompanied the first British convoy to Archangel in the summer of 1941 as a Polish war artist. He later became a British citizen and an acclaimed expressionist artist. His family kindly agreed to lend this collection for one evening for display during the CamRuSS event.

This event is dedicated to Remembrance Day.

‘Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.’ Albert Einstein, 1930

By Grigoriy Boyarov, 2018