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A winning Storey – sailor Charlotte triumphs at awards for crucial intelligence work
26 November 2024
“It feels very surreal to have been awarded amongst an amazing bunch of women.”
The words of Petty Officer Charlotte Storey, singled out from scores of female military and civilian personnel across UK Defence for her ‘outstanding contribution’ to the security of our nation.
The senior rating was announced by newsreader and Question Time/Antiques Roadshow presenter Fiona Bruce as winner in front of contemporaries and VIP guests at the annual Women in Defence Awards.
Charlotte took the ‘outstanding contribution to Defence’ title for her work as Special Intelligence Office Manager serving with HMS Lancaster’s starboard crew in the Gulf/Middle East region.
The work of the cryptological technician and her team aboard the frigate on patrols of the Indian Ocean/Gulf and the information provided to the command team was described as “exceptional” by Commander Chris Chew, the Red Rose frigate’s Commanding Officer.
The nature of her role as Lancaster’s Special Intelligence Office Manager in a challenging part of the world with tensions at their highest in many years means Charlotte was routinely been awake for 24 hours on duty – all the while, says Cdr Chew, demonstrating “incredible rigour” as well as cheerfulness in the face of adversity and total commitment to the mission.
His nomination for PO Storey was one of more than 480 pored over by the awards’ 25 judges – senior and middle-ranking military personnel, civil servants and business leaders – before the 30 finalists gathered in London for the awards evening last month.
It feels very surreal to have been awarded amongst an amazing bunch of women.
For Charlotte the occasion was surreal, but also eye-opening and inspiring. “It was great to see so many people being recognised for their achievements in vastly differing areas and it’s something I will be spreading awareness of moving forward,” she said.
She’s been in the Navy for eight years, joining at the age of 22 after finishing university and “at a loss” as to what career to choose.
“I decided to sign up and have never looked back,” she says. “The aim of joining was to travel and I have managed to do multiple deployments to various areas of the world and met some amazing people along the way.”
Not to mention making a difference to front-line operations with vital intelligence supporting extremely varied tasking involving Lancaster over the past year, from counter-narcotics operations to two very-short-notice transits of high-risk waters around the Arabian Peninsula at a period of heightened tensions and threat due to the actions of Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Working with the ship’s warfare department, the senior rating carried out significant analysis of threats facing HMS Lancaster, and what indicators and warnings her team could provide to help the ship avoid or master them.
The various scenarios were then played out repeatedly by the ship to ensure they could respond in an instant where required.