User:Nickmessinger

The eldest Son of a Royal Navy Officer and an Essex farmer's daughter, I trained for the sea aboard the Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College's HMS Worcester. I was a reluctant Worcester Cadet - eventually attaining the rank of Cadet Captain, Yeoman of Signals, Cutter Coxswain and Queen's Standard Bearer for London's East End Boroughs. I cannot say, in all honesty, that I enjoyed my time aboard Worcester. Joining in 1957 at the age of 14, the ship's brutal regime was difficult to accept - particularly the bullying. My ambition, up to then, had been to follow my Grandfather into farming. Also as a Corporal, in the 4th Essex Cadet Regiment, it had been my intention to transfer to the Yeomanry at the earliest opportunity. In those far off days, however, one did as one's Father commanded. Leaving the Worcester at Easter 1961, having been demoted from Cadet Captain and given six cuts with the cane on my penultimate day, I was appointed Midshipman in Her Majesty's Royal Naval Reserve. It having subsequently been discovered that the crime for which I had been punished, bringing intoxicating liquor onboard, had in fact been committed by a fellow Cadet - a Muslim friend of mine! Joining my first P&O ship, the six blue-black stripes across my behind, caused many a chuckle from my fellow Cadets - all Pangbourne boys! Indentured to the P&O Steam Navigation Company, my first voyage was to Australia, as a Cadet aboard the company's SS Ballarat, engaged in the wool trade. During my 12 years with P&O, I served in cargo ships and passenger liners, on voyages to the Mediterranean, Far East, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific islands, Canada, Latin America, and the United States. My P&O career culminated in ss Chusan's 1972 six month World Cruise. Passing my Foreign-Going Masters'Certificate in 1970, I served as Chusan's First Officer - until the ship was sold to Taiwanese breakers, in 1972. She was a beautiful, happy ship and her passing marked the end of the era of stately main-line passenger ship and the inevitable transition to jumbo jets - and custom-built, slab-sided, aesthetically unattractive cruise ships. Joining the Royal Naval College, Greenwich,in late 1972, ten days after getting married, I completed nuclear submarine training in 1973, and joined HMS Valiant. Following sea time aboard HMS Valiant, I was awarded the Galbraith Wrightson Senior Research Fellowship at the University of Plymouth, where I wrote 'The History & Development of Deep Diving Manned Submersible Vehicles', before joining InterSub of Marseilles, a commercial submarine operator, as Operations Manager in 1975. In 1976, I set up the company's submarine operations in Dubai, in a joint-venture with Swires of Hong Kong, and in 1977 I was appointed General Manager of Kvaerner-InterSub, a joint-venture based in Norway. Recalled to the Royal Navy in 1981, lecturing at the School of Maritime Operations and Maritime Tactical School, HMS Dryad, I saw active service during the Falklands War. As a Lieutenant Commander I served throughout Operation Corporate on the Staff of the Task Force Commander, for which I received the Falklands Commendation. Transferring to Amphibious Warfare on promotion to Commander in September 1982, I served as Coastal Convoy Commodore and Senior Naval Officer (Afloat) on numerous AW exercises. I retired from Naval service in 1990 with the rank of Commander RNR. I joined the Plessey Naval Systems Company in 1984, rising to General Manager International Sales & Marketing, before being made redundant following the company's hostile takeover by GEC - Marconi.