Welcome to SMQ South.

Welcome to the SMQ South blog site. This site has been set up to inform you of news and upcoming events at SMQ South.

We hope you find this site informative and enjoyable, please leave any comments you might have, to help us improve this service.

WOCOXN Dermot Roberts
SMQ(south) Training Officer

Meet the Instructors

WO(COXN) DERMOT ROBERTS.

Warrant Officer Coxn Roberts joined the Royal Navy aged 17 at HMS Raleigh an Ordinance Engineering Mechanic. On Completion of his professional course at HMS Collingwood he immediately joined HMS Dolphin for submarine training eventually receiving his Dolphins in September 1977 on board HMS Opossum. He spent the next 13 years on Oberon Class submarines and reached the rank of Petty Officer Weapons Engineering Mechanic. In 1990 he was selected for Coxswain`s course and in January 1991 took up the post of Coxswain of HMS Turbulent. In 1993 he was drafted to the SETT where he qualified as a Swim-boy and a member of Submarine Parachute Assistance Group. In 1995 he returned to Trafalgar Class Submarines and had spells as Coxn on Torbay, Tirless, Trenchent and Trafalgar as well as serving as Coxn SM2. In 2003 he was promoted to Warrant Officer First Class and was appointed to HMS Vanguard. Warrant Officer Roberts is serving now as the Training Officer at SMQ (South).

WO Coxn Roberts lives in Ivybridge, Devon with wife Deborah and his three teenage daughters. A keen sportsman Roberts enjoys; football, cricket, rugby and golf, but most of all he dedicated to his beloved Southampton Football Club.



WO2MEA "PADDY" McELROY

Warrant Officer 2 "Paddy" McElroy is the SMQ (south) Senior Instructor. WO2 McElroy joined the Royal Navy aged 20 at HMS Fisguard. During his time as an Artificer Apprentice he served on HMS Fearless before passing out at HMS Caledonia as a Leading Marine Engineering Artificer (LMEA). After a short period on HMS Turbulent he was promoted to a Petty Officer and then proceeded on Nuclear Propulsion Operations Course (NPOC) at HMS Sultan in November 1988. On completion he rejoined HMS Turbulent and qualified as a Category B nuclear watch keeper (Cat B) and then was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 1989. Having served a a Wrecker on HMS Unicorn and then as a Cat B on HMS Valiant he joined SMQ in early 1995 as the Training Officer. He then joined HMS Triumph and was promoted to Charger Chief in 1997 before a short shore draft and then back to HMS Turbulent in 2002. Whilst serving on HMS Turbulent he saw action during TLAM operations in the second Gulf War.


CPOWEA (OC) PETE CHAPPEL


CPOWEA Chappell is SMQ (South) Administration Officer. CPO Chappell joined the Royal Navy aged 16 as a junior Weapons Engineer Mechanic (JWEM). Within a year he had passed initial WEM and submarine training and joined HMS Resolution as a WEM(O). Within a short time and on completion of Leading Hand Qualifying Course he joined HMS Renown as a LWEM(O) in early 1991. On selection to Artificer he completed the course and was promoted to Petty Officer in May 1995. He was drafted to HMS Torbay in 1997 as one of the Ordnance Artificers (OA), responsible for weapons discharge system. Promoted to Chief Petty Officer in February 1998 he joined HMS Turbulent for which he has now served on twice. The second time as OA1 where he formed part of the War Patrols of Afghanistan and more recently conducted successful TLAM operations in the second Gulf War.

CPOWEA MAC BAYLISS

Chief Petty Officer "Mac" Bayliss joined the Navy as a Junior Control Electrical Mechanic at HMS Ganges. Qualifying as a CEM1 during a loan draft to HMS Gurka before joining the Submarine Service. He received his Dolphin`s om HMS Opportune as a motor room watch keeper, becoming one of the first W.E. ratings to join the Warfare Department. As a POWEA in 1985, he joined HMS Trafalgar conducting RNSH firings in Florida. He qualified as Chief Petty Office on HMS Torbay in 1989. 1993 was spent re-qualifying Arctic Warfare in Norway with 3 Commando Brigade as well as a six month exchange with the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Service. In 1997 "Mac" supported NATO in Bosnia on HMS Turbulent and then spent 2 years working at Abbey Wood in Bristol before a draft on HMS Spartan which took him to the Gulf. CPO Bayliss joined SMQ South in December 2006 as a instructor.

PO(WSM) "HARRY" HARRIS

PO "Harry" Harris joined the Royal Navy aged 17 as a junior Weapons Engineering Mechanic (JWEM). Within a year he had passed initial WEM training and volunteered to become a submariner. He joined his first submarine, HMS Trenchent in early 1992 and within a short time successfully passed his promotion board for Leading Hand. After leaving this draft in 1995 he was a member of the Royal Naval Display team. January 1996 he joined HMS Trafalgar, which circumnavigated the globe as part of "Ocean Wave 97". 1999 saw him drafted at short notice to join HMS Splendid was the first submarine to fire TLAM in anger during NATO operations in the former Yugoslavia. Returning to the UK late 1999 he joined Turbulent and remained on board until being drafted to his present position. During his time on HMS Turbulent he was promoted from OM(WSM) to LOM(WSM) and onto PO(WSM) in May 2003. He left HMS Turbulent as the Torpedo Instructor (TI), responsible for a team of 8 operating the Weapons Discharge System.

On leaving HMS Turbulent in September 2005 he joined SMQ(South) as an Instructor.

PO(WSM) ANDREW CLARKE


Petty Officer "Nobby" Clarke joined the Royal Navy aged 23 as Weapons Engineer Mechanic (WEM). Within a year he had passed initial WEM training and volunteered to become a submariner . Joining his first submarine, HMS Renown in late 1988 he formed part of the "Forends Team" responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Weapons Discharge System. Drafted to HMS Resolution in 1993 he quickly qualified as a Leading Hand and promotion followed before leaving to join HMS Dolphin in 1994. With newly launched HMS Vigilant saw him join this Trident Class submarine as a Missile Section Leading hand, now responsible for the UK`s nuclear deterrent. In 2000 he was posted to Talisman in HMS Drake, were he assisted in the maintenance of the Submarine Trainer used for training fire control and Advanced Warfare courses. Returning to sea on HMS Torbay in 2002 he returned to the Weapons Discharge Team, were he was selected for promotion to Petty Officer.

On leaving HMS Torbay in April 2006 he joined SMQ(South) as an instructor.

CPOMEA "STEVE" McGOWAN

Chief Petty Officer "Steve" McGowan joined the Royal Navy aged 29 at HMS Raleigh. During his time as an Artificer he served on HMS Intrepid before passing out at HMS Raleigh asa Leading Marine Engineering Artificer (LMEA). After a short period on HMS Tirless he was promoted to Petty Officer and then proceeded on Nuclear Propulsion Operators Course (NPOC) at HMS Sultan in November 1992. On cmpletion he rejoined HMS Tireless and qualified as a Category B nuclear watch keeper (Cat B) and then was promoted to Chief Petty Officer in 1993. A draft to HMS Tirless as a cat B followed. Completing "Wreckers course" he has since seen drafts on HMS Tireless, HMS Trafalgar and HMS Trenchant as the wrecker.

Now with just two years until leaving he has joined SMQ south as an Instructor.

POMEM TERRY COGLEY

Petty Officer Cogley joined the Royal Navy aged 18 as a Marine Engineer Mechanic (MEM). On completion of mechanics course he volunteered to join the submarine service. After submarine training he joned HMS Churchill, which was in refit in Chatham, he volunteered to join a sea going boat HMS Conqueror in 1981. He served in Conqueror till 1988 where he qualified for Leading Hand. He joined HMS Sultan for Leading Hands course followed by leadership course and was drafted to Devonport, where he worked in the hydraulic workshop in HMS defiance. He was drafted to HMS Tirless in 1989 and visited the North Pole in 1991. On completion of this draft he worked as a member of the air purification shop in HMS Defiance. In 1993 he joined HMS Talent till 1996 and was promoted to Petty Officer. From then he has sinced on HMS Trenchent and HMS Trafalgar. Petty Officer Cogley who is a keen rugby player first came to SMQ in April 2002 for a short period before joining HMS Tireless later that year. Serving for 3 years on HMS Tireless he returned to SMQ as an Instructor once again.

Petty Officer Cogley lives in Plymouth area with his wife and has two children.

SMQ South`s London Run.

GUZ to Westminster Run:

In November, to tie in with the Submariners Memorial Service in London, five instructors and five students intend to run from Devonport Dockyard to Westminster Bridge, in aid of "The South West Children`s Heart Circle."

We need your support! If you wish to sponsor this epic voyage please either contact SMQ(S) on 01752 555396 (MT 9375 65396) or click the link in the right hand corner. EVERY BIT COUNTS.