'There's been good times and bad - but the good times were some of the best!' Shrewsbury man clocks up 40 years in the Navy

Little did he know that 40 years later he would still be in “the mob”.

After initial training he joined HMS Conqueror and then Opossum where he travelled the globe on an 11-month tour. This was followed by more than 20 years serving on Trident submarines.

He is a veteran of the first Gulf War, and currently works in a tri-service team at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire.

He told the Shropshire Star: “I always wanted to join the Navy. When I set foot on my first boat HMS Conqueror after training, I pretty much didn't set foot off it again for five years.

“The best things has been the travel and the camaraderie – both really. It is quite different being on a submarine. You are quite isolated and while you know what is going on in the outside world, you have no idea of the reaction to things outside.”

He said that his wife Karen would go up to five months without speaking to him.

“While I couldn't talk to her, she could send me messages but only up to 40 words. That sort of isolation does play on your mind a bit," he said. “But I don't have any regrets: there's been good times and bad times but the good times were some of the best times.”

When asked about memorable moments during his career he recalled a month at the North Pole, spending four years on liaison duties in the Bahamas and commanding his own vessel – even if it was a navy passenger boat sailing between Portsmouth and Gosport.

But he says the navy has changed a lot in his time.

“The navy is a lot different now. I remember when briefings were done on the back of a fag packet and now you have word documents and tablets.

“My advice for any young person looking for a career in the navy is to find the right ship and get yourself a proper trade.”

After 40 years, Darren continues to serve in the Royal Navy, providing a library of weapons for warships to help them identify threats.

Working out of RAF Waddington, the petty officer is also the current chairman of the veteran's and serving members organisation the Royal Navy Association (RNA).

Darren and the RNA veterans meet on the second and last Friday of the month at the Meole Brace Bowls Club.  

The RNA welcomes serving personnel and veterans along with those who support the Naval Service. More information on the work of the RNA and getting involved is available from [email protected].