Yeovilton sailor receives top award
EXCEPTIONAL character and professional performance singled out Leading Air Engineering Technician (LAET) Aarron Clayton (27) as HMS Heron’s most deserving recipient of the Merchants Taylors’ Military Award for 2014.
On Tuesday, 11 November - Remembrance Day - LAET Clayton and his wife Michelle attended the Merchant Taylors' Company, Military Affiliates’ Awards Dinner. HMS Heron is one of 6 military units affiliated to The Company and the Air Stations award winner and his wife accompanied the Commanding Officer, Commodore Jock Alexander OBE, to represent HMS Heron at the dinner in London. Prior to the dinner, LAET Clayton was presented the traditional military affiliates award, a silver hipflask, by The Master of The Merchant Taylors’ Company, Mr Peter Watkins. Following the dinner, LAET Clayton said,
“It was a great honour to be selected as HMS Heron’s nominee for this award. I thoroughly enjoy my work maintaining Lynx helicopters for 815 Squadron and working in the Fleet Air Arm. My wife Michelle and I had a great evening with The Merchant Taylors in London.“
The formal nomination by HMS Heron highlighted LAET Clayton’s impressive, committed and enthusiastic performance while serving on the Lynx Wildcat Maritime Force at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. He is currently employed as an engineering supervisor within 815 Naval Air Squadron’s Maritime Counter Terrorism section where he maintains this small section’s Lynx aircraft that are permanently on call. Throughout the year, Clayton volunteered to participate in all deployments and exercises undertaken by the Maritime Counter Terrorism section, showing a spirit that inspired both his colleagues and subordinates.
The Commanding Officer of RNAS Yeovilton, Commodore Jock Alexander, said,
“It is an immense pleasure to see a young naval rating’s outstanding performance acknowledged at such a prestigious event. Aarron was singled out by 815 Squadron as an outstanding individual whose positive ethos and devotion to the Fleet Air Arm is witnessed on a daily basis. Our appreciation for an opportunity to recognise military excellence goes to The Merchant Taylors’ Company with whom we have a very close affiliation.”
LAET Clayton was born in Southampton but his family roots are in Cheshire. He joined the Royal Navy in 2004 and has served at RNAS Yeovilton and on Her Majesty’s Ships Montrose and Edinburgh. He and his wife Michelle live in Martock, Somerset with their young daughter Elizabeth Rose.