A Chief Petty Officer from Devonport Naval Base has been awarded a very rare First Sea Lord’s Gold Valedictory certificate for a staggering 44 years’ service in the Royal Navy.
CPO Robert ‘George’ Envy was congratulated on his achievement by Naval Base Commander Devonport, Commodore Peter Coulson ADC, in the Warrant Officer’s and Senior Rate’s mess at HMS Drake where he is currently serving.
George joined the Royal Navy in May 1977, initially qualifying as a Seaman Radar operator at HMS Dryad near Portsmouth, he joined his first ship, HMS Gurkha in Rosyth Scotland.
Quickly progressed to Leading Hand on his second ship HMS Plymouth he qualified as a ship’s diver and was an Air Plot Operator during the Falklands Conflict in 1982.
“We were meant to be going to the Caribbean, but the Argentinian’s had a new task for us, and HMS Plymouth sailed to join the task group in the South Atlantic. We were straight into the action and were part of the group that took back South Georgia,” said George.
“The Commander of the Argentinian Garrison, Colonel Asdiz signed the surrender in our wardroom on HMS Plymouth. We then headed off to join the main task group in Bomb Alley at San Carlos Water. My brother Mick was also down south and at the end of the conflict I got to meet up with him onboard his ship HMS Active.”
After his Leading Seaman’s Radar course, he was keen to become a Helicopter Controller which he passed and joined HMS Andromeda. This draft took him to the Gulf twice in the mid to late eighties and was awarded the Gulf medal. He continued to progress to Petty Officer (Radar) and soon after changed branches, became a Petty Officer (Aircraft Controller), George then moved onto HMS Illustrious and was awarded an Operational Service Medal for service off the coast of Bosnia. This led him to Instruct at the RN School for Aircraft Control and was then selected for promotion to Chief Petty Officer.
His final sea draft was as an Aircraft Controller for Flag Officer Sea Training in Devonport.
He left regular service in March 2006 and immediately joined the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch working at the Joint Service Aircraft Tasking Organisation at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. During this time, he deployed and supported operations as a Reservist. In 2014 an opportunity arose as an Officer of the Watch at HMS Drake, where he has served for over seven and a half years with exemplary service.
In total George has completed 29 Years regular Service and 16 years in Reserves Air Branch, and for this he was awarded the Volunteer Reserves Service Medal and Bar. He’s travelled the world from Belize in the west to the Seychelles in the east.
“I’ve had a brilliant career. On HMS Gurkha we assisted the volcanic eruption on St Vincent in the Caribbean. On HMS Plymouth I went to the Falklands, on HMS Andromeda we escorted thousands of tons of merchant shipping through the Straits of Hormuz and carried out Anti-Piracy Patrols.
“I’d do it all again, in a heart-beat, I’m Royal Navy through and through – the best shilling I’ve ever received!”
