By Kim Hardie
THE red carpet was rolled out in true Hollywood style at the Glasgow Hilton Hotel last weekend for the annual Submarine Service Awards, known colloquially as ‘The Submarine Oscars.’
Serving and retired Submariners, their families, friends, and affiliates all dressed up in their best bib and tucker for an evening of glitz and glamour to celebrate the best in the service.
The ballroom was at maximum capacity as 350 people enjoyed the 2023 Submarine Awards ceremony, hosted by Commodore Paul Dunn OBE Commander Submarine Flotilla.
Commodore Dunn performed the duties of Master of Ceremonies for the evening and as well as presenting the awards he did an excellent job of keeping the audience entertained.
“It was a real privilege to host the Submarine Awards and my thanks go to everyone involved in the organisation of the evening,” said the Commodore.
“Gathering so many people from the Submarine Family together to recognise those individuals who have been at the forefront of submarine operations and also supporting our serving members and families made for a very special evening.”
Sponsors and additional support were provided by The Submarine Family, Babcock, Thales, We Remember Submariners, Shearwater Marine Services, FAST-TSL, QinetiQ, Highland Park, Atlas Elektronik, Tunnocks confectionery, RB Safety and Rolls-Royce.
Awards presented during the ceremony included:
- The Valiant Trophy. Awarded to HMS Vigilant (Port) as the first crew to excel in every element of Operational Sea Training for over ten years and presented to Cdr Iain Fergusson.
- The Conqueror Trophy-For operational excellence in the underwater battlespace. Awarded to HMS Audacious.
- Naval Families Federation Award. Awarded to NFF advocates who enable naval families. Nicola Trollope won the award for continued support to all within the naval community.
- The Royal Navy Family and People Support Award. Awarded to Emer Flett, in recognition of the role as Service Pupil Advisor and providing the highest level of educational care to the children of the submarine community.
- The Thomas Tunnock award. Presented to Chief Petty Officer Iain Hamblin of HMS Triumph for providing the greatest influence of morale on board thereby generating an essential component of Operational Capability.
- Submarine Engineering Excellence Award. Awarded to the Marine Engineering department of HMS Audacious for delivering engineering excellence.
- The Sovereign Bowl. Awarded to HMS Artful Marine Engineering department for delivering a superior performance during Manoeuvring Room Training. Lieutenant Commanders Paul McElroy and Sam Cameron received the award on the night.
- The Orpheus Trophy. Sponsored by RB Safety and awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to submarine safety. Petty Officer Robert Evans received this award on behalf of HMS Ambush Weapons Section.
- The Submariners Association Award. Awarded to the Vanguard-class submarine trainee who has displayed the qualities and ethos of the submarine cadre and stood above their peers during initial training. Presented to Chef Ellie Brown for displaying determination to succeed during Submarine Qualification.
- The Molyneux Prize. Awarded to the Astute-class submarine trainee who has who has displayed the qualities and ethos of the submarine cadre and stood above their peers during initial training. Gill Molyneux presented this award to Able Seaman Jack Viner for displaying courage, loyalty, discipline, integrity, and respect for others throughout training.
- The Dean Rogers MBE Submarine Family Award. Sponsored by The Rogers Family and awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to the well-being of the submarine community. WO1 Dave Bathgate won this award for his sterling work in establishing the Military Vs Cancer charity and raising over £250,000 thus far.
Chief Petty Officer Mark Jones, the event planner said; “It’s been a pleasure to organise an event of this scale, bringing the Submarine Service, their Industrial Partners and affiliates together for a night of enjoyment whilst strengthening liaison.”
The Submarine Family also held a raffle with amazing prizes including a hamper with £600 worth of items from Bremont UK, a bespoke piece of submarine art from Military in Art, a weekend break in the China Fleet Club in Devon with one lucky individual winning a Mulberry Handbag worth over £1,000.
- Commodore Paul Dunn with all the award winners.
- Commander Iain Fergusson receives his award.
- Gill Molyneux presents AB Jack Viner with his award.
- WO1 Dave Bathgate is presented the Dean Rogers MBE Submarine Family Award.
- Everyone who attended the 2023 Submarine Oscars