All white for long-serving seaman Black

Royal Navy sailor from Oldham Scott Black being awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct medal – while standing on an iceberg in Antarctica.

ICEBERG Ahoy!
An Oldham-born sailor has been presented with a long service award by the Royal Navy — while standing on an iceberg in Antarctica.

Leading Seaman Scott Black, who grew up in Hollinwood and Shaw, is currently serving on the icebreaker HMS Protector and won’t see dry land for another three months.

He received the medal — for 17 years’ service — at one of the most remote places on earth, an iceberg off Detaille Island on the edge of Antarctica.

With HMS Protector gathering data about waters around the small, uninhabited island, the 33-year-old was presented with the ship’s Long Service and Good Conduct medal by HMS Protector’s commanding officer Captain Peter Sparkes.

Leading Seaman Black said: “It was great to receive this medal in such a unique way on an ice floe on top of a berg.

“Capt Sparkes and I are both from the North-West and are both Red fans — albeit he is Liverpool and Manchester is my team.

“HMS Protector has taken me to parts of the world most people will never see and it has been a fantastic part of my career.”

He joined the Navy in 1996 and served in frigates HMS Montrose and HMS Northumberland before moving to the Fishery Protection Squadron.

As an assistant fisheries boarding officer he served on a number of ships — Lindisfarne, Guernsey and Hurworth — and, during time ashore, the junior rating worked in Whitehall before moving to an appointment with Nato in Estoril, Portugal.

Scott was awarded the Admiral’s Commendation for improving operational capability within the headquarters during his Nato posting.
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