Serving navy and police officers helped to make WWII veteran and former Essex policeman Ron Underwood’s 100th birthday on May 21 even more special.
Born in Brightlingsea in 1925, the former police sergeant was presented with a custom-made epaulettes featuring his former collar numbers by Tendring District Commander, Chief Inspector Stuart Austin (pictured below). And to mark his status as one of the last surviving airmen to have flown in Swordfish aircraft during the war, Warrant Officer 1 Ronnie Rendall from the Royal Navy presented him with a gift made from part of a decommissioned Swordfish.
Ron joined the navy at the age of 17 and after initial training was selected for flying duties and sent for training in Nova Scotia, which saw him crossing the Atlantic on the Queen Mary.
As a Telegraphist Air Gunner he learnt to send morse messages and fire the swivel machine gun at the rear of the Swordfish biplane. After a couple of months he once again crossed the Atlantic and joined a Swordfish squadron on MAC Ships – merchant ships with a flight deck welded over the normal deck. With these ships he escorted North Atlantic convoys to and from the US and Canada, and some to Archangel in Russia, flying ahead of the ships to sink U-boats or report their position.
He became a leading airman, gaining medals for his service in Italy, France, Germany, the Atlantic and the Pacific.
After the war, Ron joined Essex Police in 1947, working as PC in Braintree, Grays and Colchester districts before being promoted to sergeant in 1957. He spent the final 15 years of his service in Chelmsford before retiring from the force in 1972.
One of the first members of the Brightlingsea branch of the Royal Naval Association. Ron is still an active member and is the current president. He was out with fellow veterans at the recent VE Day commemorations.
Ron was surrounded by friends and family for a party at his home in Brightlingsea, after which Ch. Insp Austin said: “It was an honour to invited to Ron’s birthday and to meet him and his family. Ron is a role model as someone who served his country and his local community, and our gift was a small show of gratitude for his dedication.”
