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Stalwart Liverpool reservist Gary honoured by King Charles for his dedication
21 February 2025
Mainstay of both the Royal Naval Reserve and Liverpool’s own unit HMS Eaglet, Warrant Officer 1 Gary Doke collected a rare medal from Buckingham Palace for his long service and dedication to the nation.
Out of 30,000 reservists in the UK’s three Armed Forces, just 13 each year are deemed worthy of the King’s Volunteer Reserve Medal – one of them being the warrant officer, who received his decoration from His Majesty personally.
“Being awarded such an honour must be not just for myself but also for my family who without them I would not have been able to dedicate to the Maritime Reserves,” Gary said.
“I am extremely proud and honoured. I am so grateful to the Navy and my chain of command for allowing me to be involved with so many various aspects over my career and getting amazing recognition for it.”
In a rich and varied career – first as a full-time sailor, and for the past quarter of a century in the Reserves – Gary has done pretty much everything the Senior Service has been involved with since the now-warrant officer signed on in December 1990.
He originally joined as a mine warfare specialist, but then re-trained as a chef and logistics expert – and as a reservist that expertise has been called on frequently in time of war and peace.
He was mobilised to support operations in Iraq in 2003, the huge security mission surrounding the 2012 Olympics and as part of the military response to the Covid pandemic in 2020.
I am extremely proud and honoured. I am so grateful to the Navy and my chain of command for allowing me to be involved with so many various aspects over my career and getting amazing recognition for it.
In addition, he’s been deployed around the globe on a string of British and international exercises including Saif Sareea in Oman in 2001; the regular Bersama Lima test of allied powers in the Asia-Pacific region; a test of UN/NATO forces responded to a mock civil war in the Balkans; and training to protect ships visiting ports anywhere in the world.
His date at the Palace to receive his reservist medal wasn’t his first brush with royalty.
In 2010, Gary was one of 8,000 people invited by the late Queen to attend a garden party at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, while last autumn he represented his Service at the Royal British Legion’s
Festival of Remembrance’ in the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen.
One of his most enjoyable roles is being a member of the ‘selection team’ of the Maritime Reserve’s future leaders, advising on whether both naval ratings and junior officers are suitable for promotion.