Princess Royal honours RFA chef's incredible 52 years of service
The Princess Royal has presented Chief Petty Officer Martin Etwell with the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service in recognition of his impressive 52 years of service.
The medal, which was introduced in 2015, has only been awarded to four others from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) in honour of their work with the service and its association.
CPO Etwell joined the RFA in 1971 as a galley boy and half a century later is one of the most respected chefs in the Armed Forces.
He now passes on his knowledge to new cadres of Royal Navy and RFA caterers, acting as a mentor to RFA trainees at the Defence College of Logistics, Policing and Administration at Worthy Down, near Winchester.
Before stepping ashore to teach, CPO Etwell served on every class of RFA vessel in service up to the new Tide-class tankers which support UK carrier operations.
Over his lengthy career he has prepared meals in the line of fire, serving aboard RFA Fort Austin during the Falklands conflict as the ship's second cook and baker.
In 2020 CPO Etwell was serving aboard RFA Cardigan Bay, the command ship for Royal Navy minehunters in the Gulf, conducting patrols during a period of heightened regional tensions.
When the fridges of the minehunters failed, it was his skill and expertise that kept the task force fed, allowing the ship to continue its mission rather than having to return to port for repairs.
In 2011 and 2019 CPO Etwell was recognised as Chef of the Year by the Worshipful Company of Cooks.
Approved by the Queen in 2015, the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service is presented to those who have served at sea in any capacity in the Merchant Navy or fishing fleets for at least 20 years during which they have made an important contribution.
"It is a great honour to receive this prestigious award and I am very grateful to the RFA for my nomination," he said.
This year’s recipients were decorated by the Princess Royal at Trinity House in London in the presence of Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
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