A military funeral has been held at St Mary’s Church in Nantwich for a local man who was serving in the Navy at the time of this death.
Tributes have been paid to Chief Petty Officer Gavin Dickie, who has died at the age of 47.
The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. The funeral was held at St Mary’s as his family still lives in the Nantwich area.
Gavin’s coffin was carried into St Mary’s draped in the Union Jack flag as is the norm for a military funeral.
Colleagues from the Navy and former colleagues from the army in which he served for more than 20 years were in attendance.
A spokesperson for the Royal Navy told Nantwich News: “Chief Petty Officer Gavin “Gav” Dickie was, in every sense, a consummate professional.
“He embodied that familiar phrase, “does exactly what it says on the tin.”
“He was military through and through, steadfast in upholding the regulations, utterly reliable, and unwavering in his standards.
“Yet he also possessed that rare ability to interpret those same regulations with fairness and compassion, ensuring that his colleagues, peers, and subordinates were never disadvantaged.”
CPO Dickie began his military journey in November 1999, joining the British Army and serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
His Army career took him from Catterick to Paderborn in Germany, and forward on multiple deployments, first to Iraq in 2005, then to Afghanistan in 2008.
On these operational tours, he specialised in programmed maintenance and the recovery of combat vehicles, often working on vehicles that had sustained battle damage.
After four years as a Staff Sergeant, and having completed a 24-year Army career, he chose to take on a new challenge.
In October 2023, he transferred to the Royal Navy as a Chief Petty Officer.
The Navy spokesperson added: “His arrival was memorable. Due to an administrative hiccup, he was mistakenly assigned to Royal Navy Police Headquarters.
“His Divisional Officer had to intervene swiftly to prevent the Naval Police arresting him for being “absent from his place of duty” on his very first day at HMS SULTAN.
“CPO Dickie took the episode in good humour, setting the tone for the months to come.
“Once the paperwork dust had settled, He began his first Marine Engineering course in January 2024.
“He embraced the challenge of transferring his considerable Army expertise into the Naval environment, quickly earning the respect and camaraderie of his fellow sailors.
“In 2024, CPO Dickie sustained an injury and with characteristic grit, he fought tirelessly to regain his health, and to get back to his training.
“A surgeon Captain commented directly to him ‘CPO Dickie, You have not only caught up with your training, but you have also set an example that I will use for all injured Service personnel on their recovery pathway’.
“Gav responded in his typical understated way, with a wry smile and quiet thanks.
“He went on to complete his qualifying course as the top student, earning the Captain’s Academic Award.
“With a forthcoming draft to the Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, CPO Dickie’s loss has been deeply felt across HMS SULTAN, particularly among his fellow Senior Rates.
The White Ensign flew at half mast yesterday (March 30) at HMS SULTAN in tribute to Chief Petty Officer Gavin “Gav” Dickie.
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