Military Affiliates Awards

Endeavour Award

The Company awards a prize annually to each of its Military Affiliates, to encourage outstanding service above that normally expected from a member of that unit. The exact criteria for the award are agreed between the Company and the Unit Commanding Officer at the time of the presentation. The recipient is chosen by the Unit Commanding Officer and each year the prize is presented by the Master, or one of the Court.

The current recipients of these awards are:

135 Geographical Squadron Royal Engineers (V):

LCpl Andrew Williamson

LCpl Williamson enlisted in the Army Reserve as part of A Company of the 52nd Lowland Volunteers 6th Battalion, or simply 6 Scots, in Edinburgh on the 17th of January 2015. He successfully completed his basic training with exemplary conduct, citing his ability and administration in the field as being of high calibre. In November 2018, LCpl Williamson joined 135 Geographic Sqn RE, successfully completing his combat engineering course as well as both his Geo intermediate and advanced courses. In what was also a busy period for LCpl Williamson, he was also promoted to his current LCpl status.

Highly motivated, keen, and determined, LCpl. Williamson seeks to add value at every opportunity. As a consummate team player, he has improved the operational effectiveness and morale of the 135 Sqn. He has delivered significant results in training and leadership throughout. In a somewhat challenging year, LCpl. Williamson has been instrumental in the delivery of the Individual Training Requirement (ITR), particularly in Core Combat, as well as his in-house training programme to develop recruits for basic training.

In a peer group that has continually shown excellence in their impact and input to the Sqn, LCpl Williamson’s contribution to training sets him apart from his peers and makes him indispensable. He continues to produce high-quality and engaging lessons and is able to tailor them based on his training audience. A newly qualified Countering the Explosive Ordnance Threat (CEO) Instructor, LCpl Williamson, received glowing praise and references from his CEO Coordinator. Not content with that, LCpl Williamson then attended his SA 18 (M) Course (MQUAL) to add further instructor availability to both the Sqn and the wider Regt.

LCpl. Williamson has been pivotal in the design, planning, and delivery of the recruit training programme. He displays an abundance of selfless commitment in this arena, often sacrificing his own time to facilitate this training while changing his own civilian career path. He has provided direction, guidance, and mentorship to not only his subordinates and peers but also to his own COC with his breadth of knowledge across defence. He is unwavering in his support for the squadron and indeed this squadron’s future.

In recognition of his selfless commitment to operations and training of the Squadron, his determination, enthusiasm, and outstanding support of Squadron output, LCpl Williamson is awarded the 135 Squadron Endeavour Award for 2023.

7010 Photographic Interpretation Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force:

AS1 Damien

The Endeavour Plate, donated by the Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors is presented in recognition of a Sqn member’s significant endurance or achievement during the year.

This year, the endeavour plate is presented to AS1 Damien. Damien has been a member RAF Sailing Association since 2017 and he received his RAF Colours for his participation in the challenging Inter-Services offshore sailing regatta in October 2022.

Damien is a highly experienced sailor and qualified Skipper. In addition to sailing for the RAF, he also skippers one of the yachts in the Sqn’s own annual sailing expedition in the Solent – Exercise VISION REACH. This provides an opportunity for Sqn personnel with no previous sailing experience to step out of their comfort zone, develop team skills and enjoy some sea-time. While he may be a junior rank onshore, Damien is definitely the “Master and Commander” afloat. This year he was again selected to represent the RAF in the latest the Inter- Services offshore Regatta. Thanks to his efforts, each of the 3 RAF yachts in the competition had a 7010 member in the crew. His participation in Service sport and the encouragement he gives others is worthy of the award of the Endeavour Plate this year.

Full list of RAF awards:

HMS Echo:

2021: Lieutenant Danny Finn, Royal Australian Navy

Lieutenant Danny Finn from the Royal Australian Navy is on an exchange assignment with the Royal Navy and after attaining the Category A Advanced Survey Course qualification, joined ECHO as one of two Operations Officers.

In the last year LEUT Danny Finn RAN performed as OPS2 on HMS ECHO and has successfully delivered two high profile operations in the Baltic and South Barents Seas. Both operations have significantly increased the profile of the Royal Navy, and demonstrated the capability of the Survey Vessel – Hydrographic & Oceanographic (SVHO). During operations in the Baltic ECHO conducted successful wreck investigations of the MV GOYA and WILHELM GUSTLOFF sunk in 1945 and surveyed the wreck of HMS CASSANDRA, lost in 1918. These wreck investigations were widely reported on in the media, nationally and internationally, greatly raising the profile of ECHO. In the South Barents Sea ECHO completed extensive Military Data Gathering, collecting vast amounts of valuable hydrographic and oceanographic information. During this period LEUT Finn worked tirelessly to render the detailed survey data under challenging timelines. Following the operation, ECHO was favourably mentioned by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as exemplar in the delivery of vital activity in the High North. Within the UK, ECHO has undertaken Survey Operations and passed Deployment Readiness Training, operating as the UK R2 SVHO in the Mediterranean over the Christmas period. LEUT Finn and the survey team continue to deliver and it is with the gratitude of the CO that LEUT Danny Finn is nominated for the 2021 Endeavour Award.