David Leonard Deakin LVO OBE RN

Wife of Mary and father of Charles, Richard and Katherine
Joined the RN as a Boy Seaman 2nd Class at HMS GANGES, Shotley, on 15 Jan. 1946.
– Survived 12 months rigorous shore training before joining HMS WRANGLER of 27th
Destroyer Flotilla, based at Rosyth, for sea training.
June ’47 to the Far East in EMPIRE TROOPER, there to join 8th Destroyer Flotilla, part of the Far East Fleet based in Hong Kong – initially HMS CONTEST then HMS CONSORT.
– Part of British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan (Hiroshima & Nagasaki)
– Detached Army service in Malaya (King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) during- ’48 Communist uprising.
– April 49, Embassy Guardship in Nanking culminating in Yangtze Incident. 195O. Sloop BIGBURY BAY, America & West Indies Station based in Bermuda.
– Spent 21st birthday 1200 miles up the Amazon river.
1952 Ocean Minesweeper RINALDO, 4th MS Flotilla based on Harwich.
– Live sweeping Baltic.
1954. HMS FINISTERRE, Whale Island firing ship, Portsmouth.
1955 Qualified for Commissioned Rank.
1956 RN Seamanship School, Portsmouth, Training Staff.
1957 HMS MESSINA. “Operation Grapple”. Nuclear Trials, Christmas Island, Pacific. 1959 – 61. HMAS MELBOURNE (RAN Exchange Service)
1961 – 63. HMS GANGES. Training Staff.
1964 – 65. HMS DAMPIER. Hydrographic surveying. Indian Ocean & South China Sea. 1966 – 67. RN Seamanship School, Portsmouth. XO.
1967 – 69. HMS ABDIEL (MCM 1) Minesweeping Support, N. Europe/Med. 197O – 72. Operations Staff, FO Malta. Port management.
1973. RN Staff Course, RN College, Greenwich.
1974 – 75 RN Seamanship School, Portsmouth, OIC.
1975 – 77. HMS ENDURANCE, Ice Patrol Ship, Antarctica.
1977 – 79 MoD Directorate of Naval Equipment. Deck/Nav. Equipment Desk Officer. 198O – 83. Defence Attaché. Accredited to Mexico, Cuba & El Salvador.
– On retirement from the RN, there followed 10 years with the Transport/Logistics company TNT where he set up and successfully developed a Government Accounts Division serving the MoD, RN, Army, RAF, USAF, FCO, MAFF, Met. Office, DHSS et al…
– Celebrated Millennium Year participating in the 1999 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers.