New Base Warrant Officer at Culdrose

It was all change at the top for the Base Warrant Officer (BWO) when outgoing WO 1 AET Steve Cass handed over the `BWO’s Stick’, the symbol of his authority to WO1 ACMN Paul Lofthouse at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose.

The small formal ceremony marked the end of a busy week rounding off the handover of the BWO position between the two senior Warrant Officers on the Air Station.

 WO 1 Steve Cass, the outgoing BWO relinquishes the job after two successful years in the job and moves on to greater things when he starts work in Naval Command Headquarters as the Senior Naval Warrant Officer of the Royal Navy later this year.

Proud Cornishman Steve joined the Royal Navy in 1986 as an Air Engineering Mechanic second class, spending his early years with 820 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose and onboard HMS Ark Royal on operational service east of Suez. Steve said on his departure, ‘I leave with some brilliant memories from Culdrose. I grew up and lived locally in Porthleven, to me this will always be home; I’ve had a fantastic time’.

 
Taking over as the New BWO and HMS Seahawks Warrant Officer’s and Senior Rate’s Mess President, is WO1 Aircrewman Paul Lofthouse who has Culdrose blood flowing through his veins.

WO 1 ACMN Lofthouse has spent the last four years at Naval Command Headquarters in Portsmouth as Branch manager for Fleet Air Arm Warfare ratings before moving to the career manager’s job for the Fleet Air Arm Warfare branch and RN Service Police. 

Paul has seen much of his naval career as an Aircrewman, completed his Basic flying training course in 1983/4 before converting to the single engine Wasp helicopter with 829 NAS based at HMS Osprey, RNAS Portland in Dorset; operating mainly from single spot frigates across the globe. He returned to Culdrose in 1987 for the ACMN ASW, Anti Submarine Warfare course and served on 820, 814, and 810 NAS as well as a spell at HMS Gannet, RNAS Prestwick in Scotland on 819 NAS, supporting the Naval Submarine Base at Faselane on the Clyde.

Promoted to Warrant Officer in 2006 he served at RNAS Culdrose as Squadron Warrant Officer on 814 NAS before a spell in Merlin Force HQ.

 ‘It’s great a pleasure to be taking over from Steve as the BWO of RNAS Culdrose, one of the largest helicopter stations in Europe,’ said Paul. ‘With over 3000 personnel both Military and Civilian working here it’s a big challenge and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds’.

Paul hopes he can bring some of his recent experience and knowledge working at Naval Command Headquarters to his new job as RNAS Culdrose BWO. ‘I hope to meet as many people as possible on the Base as soon as I can; and not necessarily for the wrong reasons!