Sultan celebrates proud sibling milestone on base
THERE was a proud family milestone at HMS Sultan as AB2 Elliott Gover passed out as a qualified Survival Equipment Technician (SET), where he followed in the footsteps of his sister, Petty Officer (Survival Engineering Technician) Emily Gover into the Royal Navy’s Survival Equipment branch.
Elliott was among twelve technicians to complete the 29-week Survival Equipment Technicians Qualifying Course (SETQC) 25/001 delivered by the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival Equipment School (RNAESS). This equips ratings with the knowledge and skills to maintain survival and aircrew equipment, which is the kit that keeps aviators alive.
Elliott said: “It’s pretty cool. It’s great to think we might work together and learn from what she’s done. It shows anyone can do it.” He credits Emily’s career, particularly her time on the carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, as a key influence on his branch choice.
He will now join RNAS Culdrose, where Emily herself was recently based before completing her Petty Officer course. Her advice to her brother was simply: “Be sociable, make friends, and enjoy your time in Cornwall.”
For Emily, now an instructor at RNAESS, the day was one of enormous family pride: “The Navy runs in our family, our dad is ex-Navy, our sister is a medic in the Navy. It’s great to see Elliott join the branch.” With two younger brothers potentially following suit, she says the tradition is already well established.
The graduating class of twelve disperses to front-line air stations, with seven heading to RNAS Culdrose and five to RNAS Yeovilton. RNAESS trains approximately one third of the Royal Navy’s Air Engineering and Survival Equipment branch each year, preparing technicians for deployment across naval air squadrons, ships and demanding operational environments worldwide.
PICTURED BY LEADING PHOTOGRAPHER BAZ SWAINSBURY: Survival Engineering Technicians AB2 Elliott Gover and PO Emily Gover sit together to mark proud family milestone at HMS Sultan recently.
