Nick was always keen on a career in the Navy and enlisted in 1962. By 1981 he was in command of  HMS Antelope which was a privilege to command as Nick says he was blessed with an excellent ship’s company and modern equipment. It comes as no surprise to Nick when they are instructed to return from training operations to prepare to travel to the South Atlantic. On the way down they practice military operations intensely. Nick is also put in tactical command of six support vessels, a supply ship, a tanker and four landing ships which increases his responsibilities significantly. They arrive at Ascension Island on 21^st April where the Antelope acts as guardship. Nick is then instructed to shepherd the support groups to the total exclusion zone and return with the tanker the RFA Tidespring which is carrying Argentinians to be repatriated. Nick was doubly worried that the conditions onboard for the prisoners did not meet the terms of the Geneva Convention but also that incredibly dangerous members of the Argentinian special forces were in the group and had to be held safely. On 23^rd May the Antelope comes under attack. Nick recalls events in incredible detail how two bombs hit them but did not explode. They are able to manoeuvre the ship to the San Carlos waters to enable bomb disposal but, tragically, the attempts fail and one of the bombs detonates, killing one, injuring more and causing significant damage to the ship. With the ship both lurching and in flames, and communication out, Nick gives the command to abandon ship. They are picked up by the QE2 where Nick is able to decompress with fellow commanding officers of  HMS Ardent and HMS Coventry, both also sunken. It was a relief to return home to family and the grand reception at Southampton. It was heartbreaking for Nick to leave the Antelope and a frustrating Board of Inquiry followed where Nick and two fellow officers were found negligent. Thankfully, the Commander-in-Chief dismissed the findings so the men did not face court martial but Nick says he didn’t feel completely vindicated until after he retired when the surviving bomb disposal expert was interviewed and said the correct decision had been made.

Catherine Avent recounts her memories of going from a university undergraduate to a beloved admin officer in charge of a one of a kind navy unit. Despite not having a naval background her romanticisation of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) spurred her to join, her naval experiences shaping the rest of her life.   Catherine’s training involved tracking Morse code and sending out warnings on the occasion of interruptions, a vital task reserved for her unit to complete. Being promoted to admin officer came with a steep learning curve due to her new found responsibilities but by the end of her naval career she left well loved by her unit. The interview highlights how accidentally lowering her unit’s morale early in her career deeply affected her, causing her goal to leave the navy having done more good than bad. She knew how lonely and boring being a part of the WRNS could be so frequently took her people to the cinema to keep them happy. Catherine felt a great responsibility to protect her unit, especially during bombings and she left the navy being very proud of them all for surviving and proud of herself for achieving her goal.