Shipmate David Cutler

I joined at HMS St Vincent on a cold January morning in 1968 with aspersions of becoming a greenie, but on arrival at Collingwood my exam results put me into the ranks at the lowly position of JREM.

I spent a few years in the trade on Hampshire, Norfolk and Sheffield both being built a Barrow and 1st Commish.

In 1976 I changed from General Service to the world of the FAA as a Photographer. On the staff of CinC Fleet at Northwood I met the young Jenny who would later become my wife and soulmate and recently celebrated our 40th anniversary. 

I spent a couple of years with the Hydrographic Service taking pictures of the Welsh and Scottish shorelines and Islands. Married accompanied at Hong Kong where I worked alternate weeks for 3 years. On returning to Scotland I was drafted to FOSNI and shortly afterwards to Arbroath for 2years where I once again worked away on a fortnightly basis offshore until moving to Poole for yet  another couple of years.

I finished my service at MOD Whitehall as a Chief Photographer in 1992 after 25 years service having photographed everything from the inside of a helicopters fuel tank, oil rigs top to bottom and portraits of our Royal Family. Would I do it again? .... Where do I sign.

Shipmate Natalie Cutler

I Joined the Wrens at HMS Dauntless in May 1977, moved to HMS Mercury for my Radio Operators training. I was then posted to HMS Warrior, HMS Gannet and AMTE Teddington, during this time I met and married a matelot and left in 1981 to have the first of our 3 sons. I am still in touch with 6 friends from my original training class and some of us met up in May 2017 to celebrate our 40th wren anniversary.