The Maritime and Coastguard agency were today congratulating, recently retired winchman Terry Short of the Lee on Solent Coastguard flight, on the award of the Member of the British Empire (MBE).

The citation has been made for public and voluntary service.

Terry retired from global helicopter operator CHC, which had taken over the SAR contract from Bristows, earlier this year having reached the age of 65.

Terry Short joined Bristows Helicopters as a search and rescue (SAR) crewman at Sumburgh in Shetland in April 1984, after having served for 24 years in the Navy with the Fleet Air Arm, 18 years of which was spent as a search and rescue diver serving at RNAS Lossiemouth, Portland, Culdrose, and Yeovilton, and forming the SAR flight at Lee on Solent in 1973 when the RAF moved out. He also served as an SAR diver on HMS Eagle, Ark Royal, Bulwark (845 Squadron) Hermes (846 Squadron) Intrepid (846 Squadron).

Terry saw active service during the Falklands on Hermes with 846 Squadron before being transferred to HMS Intrepid with 846 Squadron for the start of the conflict to carry out night insertions, and rescuing sailors from HMS Coventry and also troops from a landing craft which had been attacked by enemy aircraft.

In 1988 Terry moved from Shetland to Lee-on-the-Solent to form the flight there as Senior Aircrewman, where he spent the next 21 years carrying out an enormous amount of rescues.

CHC’s UK SAR Manager Ian McLuskie said:

“Terry was a stalwart figure in search and rescue work and a terrific example to others in the profession over his many years of service. This recognition is extremely well deserved.”

Terry said of his own experiences
 
“During my time in the Fleet Air Arm I was rescued twice. Once in 1969 when I crashed whilst carrying out a SAR training flight at Portland, and again in 1974 when in the plane guard position on HMS Ark Royal when we were forced to ditch in the South Atlantic off the coast of Rio De Janeiro. So I know from personal experience how good it is to see a helicopter coming to the rescue!”

I was honoured with an MBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list on June 13th 2009 and am going to Buckingham Palace on the 30th October for the investiture.