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NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2007 19
Stockton
three
Hill top of
are still
united
medal crop
FROM nursery to nuclear, three
lads from Stockton-on-Tees
THE same solid jawline, the
have grown from boys to men
same strong mouth, the
with the Fates determined to same clear eyes – there’s
keep the trio together. no doubting the strong fam-
Michael McDonald (aged
ily resemblance between the
23), Gary Hutcheon (aged 22)
generations of the men of
and Peter Lavin (aged 22) were
toddlers together, went to
the Hill family.
primary and secondary school
And there’s no doubting the
together, even to the same
impressive history of service
college – and now all three
racked up by the Hills, who have
are serving together in nuclear
donated four generations of fam-
submarine HMS Vengeance.
ily medals to the Royal Marines
Michael said: “It is funny the
Museum in Eastney.
way things have worked out,
Great grandfather Sgt Walter
but we have known each other
Hill served as a Marine with the
all our lives.
Royal Marine Light Infantry dur-
“And we had better be
ing World War 1.
best mates because there
He was called up again for World
is nowhere to hide on a
War 2 where he was a sergeant
submarine – even one as big as
serving with DEMS – Defensively
HMS Vengeance.”
Equipped Merchant Shipping; he
The three veterans of
was killed aged 45 while serving
● PO Rick Allen, the Senior Flight Test Recorder at Culdrose, tots
Newtown Nursery, Newtown
at sea.
record fl ying hours
Primary, Grangefield Secondary,
Grandfather Walter John Eric
and Stockton and Billingham
Hill also has an impressive array
College, now work and live
of medals, notched up during his
closely together within the
time of service for hostilities only
Keep your feet
confines of the 16,000-tonne
during World War 2.
nuclear boat.
Grandfather initially started the
“Everyone around Stockton-
war as a member of the Home
on-Tees knows us and we’ve
Guard, but was called up to the
off the ground
always been pals,” added
Royal Marines after the loss of his
Peter.
father in 1942, and saw service
THERE’S been some impressive all aircraft after maintenance are
“Life on a submarine can be
with 45 Cdo, including as a land-
fl ying hours for two of the sen- working correctly. Rick’s total of
a bit funny, but it is good to
ing craft coxswain on D-Day.
ior rates, PO Rick Allen and WO 1,100 hours sets a new record for
have your mates around you.
His time in the Marines was
Dave Hollier, at RNAS Culdrose a maintainer in Culdrose.
and cello – his peacetime career ● Father Band Sgt Patrick
“But then, on a submarine
followed by a career in the
in Cornwall. Whereas the WOACMN for the
led to fewer opportunities for Hill RM, son Corp Jon Hill RM,
you are all mates. You have to
Metropolitan Police Force as a
Rick has racked up a total of Merlins of 824 NAS has logged
medal collection than his fore- great grandfather Sgt Walter Hill
be.”
traffic officer, where he retired as
1,100 hours – which may not sound up 3,000 hours of flying in a long
bears. RM (pictured on banner), and
Gary said: “When we joined
a police sergeant.
like much, but is rather impressive Naval career that spans 32 years.
Son Cpl Jon Hill has maintained grandfather Walter John Eric Hill
the Navy it was natural that
Father Band Sgt Patrick Hill
for a Flying Maintainer. It wasn’t until 1981 that he
the RM tradition with medals for – four generations of campaign
we would all go our separate
spent a full career of 25 years in
As a Senior Flight Test earned his wings, but it seems that
Iraq, Sierra Leone, Kosovo, the medals from the Hills’ family
ways but to find ourselves back
the Royal Marines Band Service,
Recorder, Rick has to ensure that he has never taken them off since.
Golden Jubilee, Afghanistan and
together is amazing.
while his two older brothers both
Bosnia (pending).
“I have known these guys
signed up for the RN.
The Royal Marine is currently
since before I can remember
Patrick joined as a Boy in 1967,
to be found at the Armed Forces
knowing them.”
and specialised in the euphonium
Careers Office in Portsmouth recu-
perating from an injury, but said:
“I am putting in for a draft with
40 Cdo. I hope to see myself back
in Afghanistan by Christmas.”
A crowd of the Hill family were
on hand to celebrate the presenta-
tion of the medals to the muse-
um’s collection.
Jon added: “It was absolutely
fantastic. I think my gran cried.
“We hadn’t told my grandfa-
ther about great grandad’s banner.
That was a total surprise. I think
there was even a tear in his eye
when he saw it.”
Friends
reunited
NAVAL people, current and
former, have been meeting each
other around the globe.
When HMS Lancaster docked
in Turks and Caicos in the
Caribbean, the frigate’s Executive
Warrant Officer Hugh Porter met
the security officer of cruise-liner
Silver Shadow.
The two had last met 20 years
ago, but their bond was forged
as LMEM Hugh Porter and AB
Sonar Alan Eling, serving togeth-
er in HMS Spartan during the
Falklands War five years before
that.
Back further in time, it was
Navy News’ Noticeboard that
brought together Albert ‘Sharkey’
Ward and Kenneth Tipper.
Although the two men had never
met before, their ships unfortu-
● Roz Savage and Jason Lyons at the Institute of Naval Medicine
Picture: LA(Phot) Chris Wenham
nately did – Ward’s HMS King
George V rammed Tipper’s HMS
Roz rows at EMU
Punjabi in thick fog in May 1942
– of the 250 crew in the destroyer
Punjabi, 201 were rescued.
The two got together in Florida,
THE Environmental Medicine Unit at the Institute of Naval Medicine the home of Kenneth Tipper for
played host to trans-Atlantic solo rower Roz Savage. the last 48 years.
The experts at the Naval unit are helping Roz prepare for her next Their meeting came about after
adventure, rowing 6,700 miles solo across the Pacific Ocean. Kenneth wrote to Navy News ask-
Dr Adrian Allsopp, head of the EMU, said: “The key elements ing that anyone who was on board
to maintaining performance for Roz and the military are the same either ship contact him.
– knowing the enemy (in this case the dangers of the environment) Kenneth said: “We spent a nos-
and being physically and mentally prepared. talgic time reliving the events of
“The institute is well placed to help”. that fateful day 65 years ago.”
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