Navy News
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Gosport Siblings-In-Arms
6 April 2016
A 19-year-old recruit from Gosport has sailed through the first stage of her Royal Navy training and is on course for a career at sea following in the footsteps of her two older brothers.
Trainee Logistician Grace Docherty joined the Royal Navy in January 2016 and was among the successful recruits celebrating the end of their 10-week initial naval training course on parade at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall.
Watching the parade from the stands were Grace’s brothers, Logistician Joe Docherty, aged 19, and 26-year-old Leading Hand Luke Docherty.
Grace is a former pupil of Bridgemary School and previously worked as a cleaner.
We are really proud of Grace.
She said: “I joined the Royal Navy for the lifestyle, to travel the world and for a job that was challenging and something different every day.
“I’ve met lots of new people during the course and overall it’s been an amazing experience that I will never forget.”
Joe joined the Royal Navy in October 2014, six years after Luke.
Joe is currently serving with the Royal Marines at 3 Commando Brigade Headquarters in Plymouth, while Luke has just returned from a posting to Bahrain.
Joe said: “We are really proud of Grace. I gave her some tips before she joined, mainly in terms of folding clothes to the required size.
“I showed her how to do that and helped her improve her fitness. She’s done really well and knowing her as well as I do I know she’ll have an amazing future in the Navy.”
For the three siblings being in the Royal Navy is in their blood.
Their nautical story began back in 1981 when their father, Stephen, joined the Royal Navy. He served until 2011 reaching the rank of Warrant Officer Writer.
With the first phase of her training complete, Grace has now transferred to the Defence School of Maritime Logistics to continue her professional training to qualify as a supply chain logistics specialist.