HMS Exploit

Military experience

Si Shaw was born and bred in Barrow-in-Furness, South Cumbria. He studied History at Lancaster University gaining a 2:1, and was fortunate to be sponsored by the Royal Navy with membership of Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit.

Joining Britannia Royal Naval College as a Logistics Officer, he served in the Type 22 frigate Cumberland and on exchange with the German Navy in Gorch Fock for his initial sea training. Passing out as the top Logistics Officer in his entry, Fleet Training was conducted in Type 22 frigates; Campbeltown for an Gulf deployment and Sheffield as part of NATO’s Standing Naval Force Mediterranean.

Returning to the UK for Fleetboard and professional training, he joined the Type 23 frigate Richmond as Captain’s Secretary before moving to the Outer Office of the Chief of Staff Second Sea Lord as an Executive Assistant.

Selected for transfer to the Warfare Branch, Simon joined the Hunt Class Minehunter Middleton engaged in Fishery Protection Duties in UK waters. A busy training appointment to Cumberland followed, which included a 5 month West Indies deployment, the highlight a major drugs bust off Venezuela.

After Junior Warfare Officer’s Course in 2006 and a brief exchange to the Merchant Navy, his first appointment was to the Falkland Island’s Patrol Vessel Dumbarton Castle, visiting South America and South Georgia.

Upon returning to the UK he joined the Hunt Class Minehunter Chiddingfold, taking her from refit through trials and sea training to a demanding operational tour in the.

As the Task Group Navigator, he was involved in the planning and execution of the joint UK/US Operation Tecate to remove the mine threat and historic ordnance from the Khawr Ab Allah waterway in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq. A brief assignment to Brocklesby as the Navigator in Home Waters preceded Fleet Navigators Course.

A break from the sea as an aide to the Deputy Commander in Chief Fleet in Navy Command HQ, saw him exposed to a busy headquarters. Attendance on Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College followed, before joining Bulwark as the Second Navigator which included Ex Cold Response in Northern Norway.

Taking Bulwark into refit, he joined her sister ship Albion for a high tempo two year appointment including a carrier strike/amphibious deployment to the USA, rescuing stranded holiday makers from Santander during the Ash Cloud crisis, FOST covered sea training, strike operations off Libya and the ship’s first deployment to the Middle East.

He joined HMS Exploit and Birmingham University Royal Navy Unit as CO in Apr 2012.

Simon lives in rural Shropshire with his wife, a hydrogeologist and when time allows is a keen runner and fell walker.