Naval life after the War

After being released from the Royal Navy on the 30^th of October 1947 Rod returned to civilian life and work as a Draughtsman in the Folkestone Electricity Supply Co. He moved from Folkestone Kent to Haywards Heath in Sussex in April of 1949, in May of that year he applied to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve (RNVSR). During the intervening years he attended many MTB Officers Reunions and joined the Sussex Flotilla of the RNVSR in 1958.

In September of 1961 Rod was recommended for entry into the RNR and in November was entered into the permanent RNR as a Lieutenant with adjusted seniority of 18^th September 1959. He continued to attend RNVSR lectures until the RNVSR was disbanded in 1965. As can be seen below he had a very active time during his service in the RNR. The number of “short” exercises he took part in are too numerous to mention.

The six occasions when Rod was sent to Singapore "HMS Terror" allowed him to revisit somewhere he got to know while still serving in HMS Walrus in 1946/7. His fascination with the Far East in general and Singapore in particular remained with him throughout his life. He told me many stories about his time in Singapore, by the time I managed to visit there the tale he told me about Raffles and sitting on the verandah looking at the beech just over the road was difficult to visualise as that is now a mile or so inland!

Detailed and copious notes were always kept by Rod, he recorded the timings of his flight to Singapore in 1962. The plane, a Bristol Britannia 175 – 307 G-ANCE owned by British United Airways. He mentioned that the flight was delayed because they had to wait for a Comet Door to arrive that their plane was taking to Singapore!

Rod also participated in two long Sea Training Exercises, in 1963 in the MV Cretic from Hull to Antwerp, Rotterdam, Bremen, Hamburg and returning to Newcastle. In 1968 he sailed on the MV Aaro from Hull and called in at Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus returning to Hull (Immingham Riverside Quay).

Rod being decorated with the Reserve Decoration by Rear Adml Robertson. 

Rod travelled to Australia on Naval exercises on a number of occasions being stationed at both Canberra and Sydney.

Between 1962 and 1973 Rod sailed on HMS Curzon for short sea training on four occasions. He also sailed on SS Londres, SS Brighton and SS Arromanche between 1962 and 1966.

Rod was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 1967. He was awarded the Reserve Decoration in 1972 and a Clasp to the RD in 1983. He retired in 1983 after receiving two yearly extensions from the Admiral, it was usual to retire at 60.

Rod continued to attend reunion dinners a functions right up to a few months before his death in 2003. The Navy was of the utmost importance to Rod, he was extremely proud of serving his country during and after the war.