Warsash celebrates Merchant Navy medal honours

A maritime lecturer from Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime School (WMS) is one of 12 exceptional British seafarers and maritime professionals to be recognised with the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service - a prestigious state honour awarded for outstanding service, devotion to duty, and heroism within the UK’s Merchant Navy and fishing fleets.

Claire Guy, Lecturer in Nautical Science at the University’s WMS, receives the medal for her services to education and training. Claire plays a vital role in the cadet education team at WMS, teaching navigation to both aspiring cadets and experienced seafarers, while also volunteering her time to inspire young people to pursue careers at sea.

On being awarded the medal, Claire says, “I am absolutely honoured and delighted to accept the award of the Merchant Navy Medal. To be nominated for such an award by my peers feels incredibly special. I am lucky that I am now in a position to help support those who are starting out on their own maritime journey. I am very passionate about promoting careers at sea and in the wider maritime sector and this award also acknowledges the volunteer work I do in this area.”

Coming from a Maritime family and growing up on mainland Cornwall with family from the Isles of Scilly, Claire was constantly surrounded by water - even taking a ferry to get to school!

She first attended Warsash Maritime School (formerly Warsash Maritime Academy) in 1988 when her brother started his Cadetship and Claire started her training there in 1991 with P&O Containers Ltd as a Deck Officer Cadet. She went on to sit her Chief Mates licence at Warsash and other ancillary training. After working in the maritime sector for many years, Claire started teaching at WMS in 2018, returning this July after a teaching break.

Fellow WMS alumni joining Claire in receiving this prestigious award include:

• Captain Philippa Bowden, Ice Pilot
• James Charles, Master Mariner and Marine Pilot
• Andrew Hair, former Director of Warsash Maritime Academy, now Warsash Maritime School

Captain Bowden is honoured for her contributions to education and safety, while James Charles and Andrew Hair are honoured for their contributions to maritime education and training.

Maritime Minister Mike Kane commented, "It is incredibly inspiring to hear about the dedication, bravery, and outstanding service of all this year’s seafarers, each of whom have gone above and beyond in their roles and are more than deserving of this special award."

The medals will be formally presented at a special event in the coming months. Warsash officer cadets traditionally take part in the medal presentation ceremony, proudly carrying the Red Ensign as part of the proceedings.

Kunal Anand, Director of Warsash Maritime School, says, “We are incredibly proud to see Claire Guy and our esteemed Warsash alumni recognised with the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal. Claire’s dedication to maritime education and her unwavering commitment to inspiring the next generation of seafarers exemplify the values we hold at Warsash. To have multiple members of our community honoured for their contributions to training and education highlights the impact Warsash continues to have across the sector. We extend our warmest congratulations to all recipients.”

A full list of the medal recipients can be found here.