Nigel Turner – HMS Fife

Nigel Turner, HMS Fife

Picture taken onboard HMS Fife, a D20 County Class Destroyer. I joined on the 4th of March 1972 and stayed on her for just over 18 months.

This was my first seagoing draft since joining the RN after basic training at HMS Raleigh, Cookery training at HMS Pembroke and learning my trade at HMS Collingwood for 15 months. Quite exciting first sea draft and seeing the world (or a bit of it). 

There were still Maltese chefs on board when I joined, but on a later visit to Malta they were all disembarked because of the political tension between Dom Mintoff and the British Government.

The picture is of the wardroom galley staff (me on the left) as we were rotated between the main galley to get all round experience. Little did I know at this stage of my career that it would stand me in good stead later in my postings. The leading cook on the right, John Stratford, later went on to be Commissioned as a Supply Officer and I met up with him many years later whilst a short spell at HMS Nelson. From Fife, I went to HMS Beagle, an inshore survey boat. Quite a change in size of ship and not just a cook!

Nigel Turner

You can read more of Nigel’s stories from: