Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity honours service and sacrifice
Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) was proud to welcome Royal Navy veterans Len Chivers and Robin Boodle to HMS Excellent today for a special luncheon in the Wardroom, celebrating their 101st birthdays.
RNRMC supports the entire Naval family, and this celebration offered a heartwarming opportunity for serving personnel and veterans to come together, connect, and share their stories.
Len Chivers, from Portsmouth, joined the Royal Navy at just 15 years old and went on to serve for an incredible 35 years. His wartime service included the evacuation of Allied troops from Crete and surviving a devastating bombing of HMS Kipling in 1942, where he sustained severe burns and a fractured spine. Len underwent pioneering treatment at Rooksdown House in Basingstoke before returning to active duty. He retired as an officer in 1974 and remains a symbol of dedication to duty.
Robin Boodle joined the Navy at 16 and served in the Battle of the Atlantic, bearing witness to the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. He went on to serve for 22 years and now resides at Jellicoe House, a Portsmouth care home run by the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, supported by RNRMC.
The event at HMS Excellent offers a rare and valuable opportunity for serving personnel to meet with these veterans and hear first-hand accounts from their time in uniform.
They are joined by other WW2 Royal Navy veterans, including Ken Arkell, 98, who served aboard HMS Boxer during the Second World War. Dorothy Walsh, 98, Served in the WRNS during WW2 at Bletchley park breaking the enigma code with Alan Turing.
Peter Chivers, Len’s son said: “Today’s event run by RNRMC was really special for my Dad, and for me, to experience this, they have recognised his 101st birthday, made a huge fuss, wonderful cake, and it has been a really nice day out.”
Gay Kilshaw, Robin’s daughter said: “Taking Dad to these events opens Dad up and reminds me of Dad 20 years ago; laughing and enjoying being centre of attention… it swells my heart and makes me feel so proud to still have our dad alive and able to share these moments that are just incredibly special. I am grateful to all of you for the time and attention and love that you show Dad and me!”
“These veterans represent the very best of our nation’s history,” said Alice Farrow, Director of Marketing and Communications at Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity. “It is an honour to host them at HMS Excellent and to celebrate not only their birthdays, but also the enduring impact they’ve had on generations of sailors and Royal Marines.”
