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Seeing as lots of people seemed interested in my late father's medals, I thought I would do a thread of his service in the @RoyalNavy Dad was born in Yorkshire, but made in the Royal Navy...
It all began in 1963 when 15 year old Alan turned up at the infamous boys training establishment, HMS Ganges. Where, over the course of a year, he was turned into a 16 year old Junior Marine Engineer.
16 year old Alan then flew out to Singapore to join HMS Victorious, where he was selected to be a "badger" part of the flight deck drew handling the steam catapults.
While serving on Victorious he visited Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines. He also supported operations in Malaya and Borneo, qualifying for the General Service Medal with Malay Peninsula clasp.
Between 1967 and 1968 he served aboard the Type 12 Whitby Class Frigate, HMS Torquay.
In 1970 he was promoted to Leading Marine Englineering Mechanic and he joined the shiny, brand new, County Class Destroyer, HMS Norfolk. He served aboard her until 1972. It was an eventful draft and dad maintained it was one of the best of his career.
The big event for HMS Norfolk was the arrival a certain Sub-Lt, to join the deployment, HRH the Prince of Wales...
Dad also manged to become the star of a recruitment film (4m 26sec in).
1972-74 found him aboard the Tribal Class Frigate, HMS Ashanti. Highlights included time as the West Indies Guardship and dad playing ALOT of cricket. He was also "lucky" enough to take part in the Cod Wars (one for @war_student).
In 1976 he was promoted to Petty Officer and joined the Type 12M Rothesay Class Frigate, HMS Berwick. Dad said this was his worst draft. The ship was falling apart and the Marine Engineering Department lacked experience.
in 1978, off the back of all his hard work keeping HMS Berwick afloat, he was promoted to Chief Petty Officer.
Between 1980 and 1982 he bounced around between HMS Intrepid and HMS Fearless where he served on the Staff of the @DartmouthBRNC Training Squadron. Because he wasn't a member of the ships company, he did not go to the Falklands in 1982, which disapointed him.
The next few years dad served at @HMS_Collingwood and @HMSsultan and spent a lot of time playing cricket for @RNCricket and @USPCricket (yep that's me sat at the front).
In 1985 he joined the brand new Type 42 Destroyer, HMS Gloucester as the Chief Stoker. Prior to that he had been ashore and where his boss told him, "I've written you up for a British Empire Medal and promotion to Fleet Chief, you will probably get one of the other..."
He ended up getting both. He was one of the last Fleet Chiefs in the Royal Navy, before they became Warrant Officers and was awarded the BEM in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours List. Unfortunately when all this happened, he was in hopsital, having slipped a disc playing cricket.
Back fixed, presented his medal by Rear-Admiral John C. Warsop, Flag Officer Portsmouth.
1986-1989 was all spent ashore at HMS Phoenix.
1989-1991 was the other great draft of his career when he joined HMS Bristol as the Warrant Officer of the @DartmouthBRNC Training Squadron Staff. Responsible for looking after young Officers Under Training, which included the global deployment, Endeavor '90.
After that he returned to @HMSsultan where he was Divisional Warrant Officer in the Mechanics Training Group, responsible for looking after Part 2 trainee stokers.
In 1994 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and had it presented by Admiral Sir John Kerr. (yes that is me with the dodgy haircut).
After this he was selected to be the Warrant Officer on the Second Sea Lord's Personnel Liaison Team.
The last few years of his career was spent at HMS Nelson and working on the team that put together the first International Festival of the Sea in Portsmouth in 1998. He didn't want to leave the Navy when he did, in 1999. But they would not extend him any longer.
After leaving the Navy he worked for the charity @age_uk in Portsmouth. In 2002 (while I was serving in Bosnia with @Int_Corps) he was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer. He fought the illness bravely until he died in March 2004, aged just 56. He is remembered at @SouthwickParkGC
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