A Royal Navy reservist from Crook in County Durham is setting sail for London for a very important meeting.
Lieutenant Commander Ian Berry has been awarded the MBE for his part in operations in the Gulf and he is looking forward to meeting Her Majesty the Queen.
Lt Cdr Berry, who is based at HMS Calliope on the banks of the Tyne at Gateshead, has been a reservist for nearly 30 years. His nautical career has had many highlights including time spent in command of minesweepers and fast patrol boats, being a full time trainer for reservists and a Principal Warfare Officer on board a Type 42 destroyer.
The MBE has been awarded however, in recognition of his sterling service with Royal Navy and US Navy forces in the Gulf.
Although awarded the MBE in 2011, Lt Cdr Berry has been unable to collect the honour due to operational requirements in the field including the Libyan crisis where he was deployed with NATO on board an Italian warship and a period conducting anti-piracy duties off the coast of Somalia.
“I’ve had a fantastic career as a reservist and I’ve been to parts of the world that I never thought imaginable,” he said. “I am honoured that my work has been recognised in this way and pleased that I have been able to bring my front line skills and experiences back to HMS Calliope to incorporate into the training of other reservists. The Royal Navy is all about teamwork and without my shipmates and colleagues help, there would be no MBE. I’ve simply been doing my job with my team.”
The RNR are now actively recruiting at HMS Calliope. Anyone interested should contact the unit on a Monday evening on 0191 477 2536 and ask to speak to Lieutenant Commander Pauline Jones, or telephone through the week to express an interest, your details will be passed on.