2:50am Friday 12th March 2010
By Richard Vernalls
A FORMER school governor is helping the Royal Navy maintain security in one of the world’s trouble spots.
Able Seaman Steve Brotherton, of Evesham, is currently serving aboard the military fuel and supply tanker 37,930-tonne RFA Bayleaf in the Arabian Gulf, bordering Iraq and Iran.
A former governor and teaching assistant at St Richard’s CE First School in Evesham, he swapped the classroom for life in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2006.
The vast 170-metre ship has been on training exercises in the baking gulf theatre and backing the Royal Navy’s permanent military presence there since last year.
The father-of-four and devoted family man’s duties include keeping watch on the bridge and the daunting task of ship-to-ship refuelling, recently including mine-sweeper HMS Chiddingfold.
Mr Brotherton said: “My duties include maintaining sea survival and fire-fighting kit, driving the ship’s boats and general seamanship and ship’s husbandry.
“Anytime day or night we can be called on to fight a fire in the engine room or to plug holes in the ship’s side during exercises or a sea-going incident or attack.
“This job gives me the opportunity to travel around the world – I’ve been to more than 30 different countries, which is absolutely brilliant.”
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