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Sailor honoured with sword for service
3 August 2016
Sub Lieutenant Richard Batten was recently awarded the BAE Sword during ceremonial divisions after being named Best Overall Engineering Student 2016.
Now employed as a Deputy Weapon Engineer Officer within the Type 45 Refit Support Group at HMNB Portsmouth, Richard was nominated for the award in recognition of his outstanding performance throughout training on the System Engineering and Management Course.
He was presented with the sword from Mike Howarth, BAE Director, as he attended ceremonial divisions at HMS Collingwood, Fareham.
I feel very honoured to receive this award, it’s a great achievement.
Richard joined the Royal Navy in September 2005, during his career he has served on naval warships including HMS Exeter, Westminster and Defender.
He cites visiting the Falklands in 2008 as one of the highlights of his career so far, along with having the opportunity to see countries such as India and Iceland.
Richard, who lives in Hampshire, said of receiving the sword, “I feel very honoured to receive this award, it’s a great achievement. I am now looking forward to seeing what the future holds for my career with the Royal Navy”
In his free time Richard has a keen interest in motorcycling and often explores the country on his bike. He also enjoyed spending time with his 19 month old daughter, Kaitlin.
HMS Collingwood is the home of the Maritime Warfare School which contributes to the operational capability of the Fleet by providing first class training to all officers and ratings of the Royal Navy in their professional specialisations which include, Weapon Engineering, Communications, and Warfare.
The training they receive is relevant, agile and flexible in order to keep pace with the challenging operational needs.