A NINETY-SIX-YEAR-OLD Royal Navy war hero told today how he struggled to keep on an even keel after a fleet of diplomatic cars rolled up outside his home with an extra special delivery.

Shipshape Henry Tibbles was ‘taken aback’ when Russian dignitaries emerged from the shiny black vehicles to award him a medal in appreciation of his service to their country 70 years ago.

Mr Tibbles — a petty officer during The Second World War — was involved in helping escort supply convoys into the ports of Britain’s former ally against Nazi Germany.

And the efforts of the Skelmorlie man — who lives with his wife of 73 years, Muriel — have never been forgotten by the grateful Russians, who dispatched consulate staff directly to his front door.

Mr Tibbles said: “There were six of them in total, including the ambassador gentleman who had a note-taker and a photographer beside him.

“Every one had a special job to do and they didn’t put a foot wrong. I was taken aback by it all but I was very impressed.

“There was a whole host of cars outside our house — including a chauffeur-driven one for the ambassador.

“Muriel even got a kiss from him.” Mr Tibbles — who was awarded with the Ushakov Medal, named after Russia’s most acclaimed navy commander Fyodor Ushakov — added: “We hear so much about the Russians to their detriment these days but the people who visited me were thorough gentlemen — every one of them.” Henry was a crew member onboard HMS Obedient, below, based in Scapa Flow, and helped make sure convoys of food, fuel and other vital supplies reached the former Soviet Union amid treacherous u-boat infested waters.

The medal honour was personally bestowed on Mr Tibbles because he was unable to attend a major presentation ceremony for fellow veterans in Glasgow around the time of Remembrance Sunday last month.

Wiping a tear from one of his eyes, he said: “I am very proud to receive this medal but at the same time many other things come to mind as well.” Mr Tibbles added: “On every trip you always dreaded the u-boat and there was the added hazard of aircraft as well.

“The u-boats just seemed to know as soon as we left Scapa Flow. We were in constant contact with them.” Mr Tibbles — who also visited Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, India, Ceylon, Botavia and western Africa during his Navy career — told of one occasion when a Nazi sub fired on his ship.

He said: “The torpedo was coming directly for Obedient. It was when we were in the Atlantic on patrol duties.

“It was almost a very hazardous contact, but it was just by good luck or the grace of God that we weren’t hit.

“The torpedo reaches its target so quickly that you hardly have any time to take evasive action.

“It was either the inaccuracy of its firing or the skill of our skipper in taking the avoiding action which kept us safe.

“Looking back now you realise just how hazardous it all was, but we were young men at the time and we didn’t recognise the danger.

“We were more concerned about it being a rough sea that would maybe tip over our hot soup!” The war hero told how he met his Wren sweetheart Muriel, now 95, at Cragburn in Gourock, saying: “I think there have been more romances there than anywhere else in the world!

“We have been married for 73 years now.” The couple — whose daughter Wendy lives in Portsmouth — had two sons, Colin and Adrian, who have pre-deceased them.

Mr Tibbles — who went into the printing industry after the war — only has one regret about his time in the Navy.

He said: “I always wanted to go to America but I never got there in the end.

“But I have to say that getting this medal, and the way it happened, is very special to me.”