On the 3rd May this year, the OA Sword was presented at Ceremonial Divisions at HMS COLLINGWOOD by the Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Martin Connell CBE. We were treated to an arms display by the Guard, as well as three rifle volleys and a march past by the whole parade.

The OA Sword had previously belonged to Lt Cdr Ted Wood, born in 1921 who joined the Royal Navy in 1937 as an Engine Room Artificer Apprentice and served throughout the war, including in battleship HMS NELSON (1941-1943) during the Siege of Malta and later HMS JAVELIN (1943-1946). He retired as a Lieutenant Commander in around 1971. A huge thank you to his son, Mr Richard Wood, who very kindly donated the sword.

A beautiful slightly curved model, the sword was purchased second hand from Daufman’s Tailors of Queen Street, Portsea in the 1950s but was thought to have originally been sold in around 1900 from Matthews & Co Naval Tailors of Wickham Road, Portsea.

The Sword was awarded to Lieutenant Will Jones, for his work in the career management for all junior Warfare Officers. Many congratulations to Lt Jones for this award and we wish him well in his future career. Unfortunately, in true Naval style, Will was deployed 24 hours before the ceremony, so the sword was accepted on his behalf by Lt Cdr Gav Lowe. We hope to arrange a small ceremony when Will returns to the UK.