ROYAL Naval Air Station Yeovilton said a fond farewell to civil servant Andy Cross today (Friday, October 11). 

RNAS Yeovilton’s Commanding Officer Captain Duncan Thomas was thrilled to present Andy his Certificate of Valedictory for his incredible 45-year service to the Ministry of Defence.

Andy started his career back in 1978 as a Junior Stores Assistant for the Royal Navy Supply and Transport Service at Portland Dockyard. Andy quickly learned the ropes and it wasn’t long before he was thinking of a life of adventure on board ship.

May 1982, Andy detached to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) on the Merchant Navy Ship MV Avelona Star, at the time the ship was commandeered to the MOD for the Falkland campaign.  

Andy said: “I couldn’t wait to see what life was like on ship. It was a steep learning curve supporting the Royal Navy in the Falklands campaign. But I quickly learned how to replenish warships at sea, whether that was food, clothing or even bombs!”

On return to shore in October 1982, Andy said: “I came back home, and I think my mother thought it was out of my system. She was quite shocked when I was only home for a couple of weeks before my next detachment on the RFA Ship Resource. But I was loving life on ship and spent the next 10 years at sea, with only short stints at home.”

After 10 years at sea, Andy returned to the Portland Dockyard; however, unfortunately, the dockyard closed in 1995 causing Andy to shift over to the Logistics Motor Transport Department at HMS Osprey, Royal Naval Air Station Portland.

By 1999 HMS Osprey also closed.  Andy said: “I loved Portland. It was a beautiful place, and the people really made it a great place to work. It was such a shame when the dockyard closed, but I felt lucky I managed to scrape the extra 4 years out at HMS Osprey before it eventually closed too.”

It wasn’t long until Andy took the opportunity to join the Motor Transport Logistics department at HMS Heron, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, rejoining some colleagues who had already made the move from HMS Osprey.

Starting as a driver, Andy worked his way up to Chargehand, overseeing transport for front-line operations and flight moves for Wildcat Maritime Force and Commando Helicopter Force on the busy air station.

Andy said: “It’s been a great 24 years at Yeovilton, I have worked with some lovely people and will miss the good old times. It’s been a privilege to work and watch personnel excel in their careers, I can remember personnel who were once nervous young officers asking for transport who are now captains and commodores!”

A spokesperson for the RNAS Yeovilton said: “the RNAS Yeovilton wishes Andy a happy and long retirement. The depth of motor transport knowledge and experience that has been lost is vast, but Yeovilton feels incredibly lucky to have had Andy for as long as we did.”