Royal Navy Medic United With Top Russian Medal

Eight years is a while in anyone’s language and for Medical Assistant Alan Jackson he has watched two Royal Navy postings come and go, completed a full four-year degree and moved house.

But in 2001, when he was employed as a medic with the Royal Navy’s search and rescue unit at HMS Gannet in Prestwick, Scotland, he was part of a five-man crew which took part in a mission to save the life of an acutely ill Russian sailor.

Something which the Russians have never forgotten and for which they have been trying to seek the 29-year-old out for the last eight years.

On October 29, 2001, the HMS Gannet duty crew was called to the outer limits of its coverage area – 200 miles into the Atlantic north west of Ireland.

After an emergency appendectomy aboard Russian Navy ship the Vasily Tatishev, the sailor developed a post-operative infection and became critically ill.

The only hope of saving his life was to have him airlifted off the warship and taken to hospital where he could receive specialist medical treatment.

Gannet’s crew was alerted and, in atrocious conditions, flew the more than 250 miles from their Ayrshire base, to medically evacuate the sailor to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry.

It involved expert flying and plenty of stamina, as well as a forced refuel, due to the distances involved. But, ultimately, the persistence and resilience of the crew paid off, and they delivered the sailor to the Northern Irish hospital, where he was cared for and nursed back to health.

All five members of the crew were awarded the Russian medal for Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms.

“The conditions were absolutely awful,” remembers Alan, who now lives in Portsmouth. “And big seas made the rescue doubly hazardous.

“The vessel was pitching and rolling around in a heavy swell and the sailor was in a critical condition. After a tricky winch transfer, the aircrewman and I gave immediate treatment, which I then maintained during the bumpy flight to hospital. We also took an interpreter on board at the same time.

“We knew what we had to do and I made sure he was as comfortable as possible during the flight before handing over to the hospital.

“Obviously I feel greatly honoured to be recognised in this way for my part in the rescue, but we were all just doing our jobs and we just tried for the best outcome possible – which we did manage to achieve.”

And so, just over eight years after Alan was airborne above the Atlantic doing his bit to ensure that a fellow sailor stood the best chance of life-saving treatment, he was in the presence of the Defence and Military Attache of The Russian Federation Embassy to Great Britain, Major-General Nikolay Koval, at the Russian Embassy in London, finally being recognised for his acts.

“After the rescue we all learned that we were to be honoured by the Russian Navy,” explained theatre anaesthetic practitioner Alan, who still serves with the Royal Navy, working at the Ministry of Defence Hospital Unit (MDHU) Portsmouth, collocated with the newly-refurbished Queen Alexandra Hospital. “Which was amazing. But I then left my post at Gannet and moved on to start a degree course. And I think everyone just lost track of where I’d gone.

“In 2005, though, I did get a letter saying that I was to be awarded the medal, and then it went quiet again.

“So I was really surprised when it all suddenly re-emerged. I think it’s quite amazing that it hasn’t been forgotten about and that the Russian Navy has continued to seek me out.”

By Royal Navy