East Grinstead’s MP, Nicholas Soames, will present the family of the Late Derek Crane, a former Royal Navy member of the RAF Guinea Pig Club, with his retrospective certificate of Promotion to Petty Officer, on behalf of the Royal Navy, on Friday 13th October at 1500 at East Court.

Mr Soames wrote to the Ministry of Defence on behalf of the Late Derek Crane in January and he was advised in writing by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence on the 3rd July that the belated promotion had been approved.

Mr Soames said; “The Minister and I were greatly saddened by the death of Derek Crane and that he passed away without the knowledge of his well deserved promotion. I am therefore delighted to present Mrs Crane and her family with the retrospective certificate of Promotion to Petty Officer, a POs cap badge, an epaulette and an arm badge of rank.

During the presentation Mr Soames will read out a letter from Rear Admiral R J Ibbotson DSC to Mrs Crane; “Please accept my sincere condolences on your husband’s death. He was a fine, brave man who will be fondly remembered by the Service and Guinea Pig Club alike.”

Notes

• The Late Derek Crane joined the Royal Navy on the 8th December 1942 as an Ordinary Seaman. He became a Motor Mechanic on 21 January 1943 when he was drafted to SHRAPNEL (FULHAM), and on joining ATTACK, PORTLAND on 8 December 1943 he was promoted to Leading Motor Mechanic. He was subsequently drafted to the Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) 93 at Felixstowe where he was very badly injured on 18 August 1944 following a collision off Harwich. Thereafter Mr Crane was hospitalised in the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead before being medically discharged on 20 August 1948.

• Retrospective Certificate of Promotion for John Derek Crane from Naval Secretary, Rear Admiral R J Ibbotson DSC dated 1 July 1948