Ronald Rennel Lucas was born 13th January 1920 in Middlesbrough in the North Riding of Yorkshire.
An active boy with a thirst for knowledge he joined the scouts, swam winning numerous certificates/medals including waterpolo and open water swimming, camped with friends in local woods or trips further afield. He was an avid reader a trait he continued all his life. He was a highly valued member of the Middlesbrough and North East Counties Waterpolo Teams playing in the Olympic Games Water Polo Trial 14th June 1947 where the NE won against the Gt Britain basic team 6 goals to 4 with Ronald scoring one of the goals.
As the darkness of WWII spread, Ronald volunteered for the Royal Navy on 12th March 1940 aged 20. He commenced his training at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness 13th June 1940. 2 weeks later he transferred to HMS Pembroke at Chatham during this time he qualified as a Sick Bay Assistant it is nowadays hard to consider the horror of shattered bodies brought to be pieced together in the literal theatres of war.
Service record –
HMS Royal Arthur 13/6/40 – 27/6/1940
HMS Pembroke 28/6/1940 – 19/11/1940
HMS Ganges 20/11/1940 – 20/10/1941
HMS Pembroke 21/10/1941 – 1/12/1941
HMS Lanka 2/12/41 – 7/3/42
HMS Haitan 8/3/42 – 15/1/44
HMS Lanka 16/1/44 – 13/2/44
HMS Pembroke 14/2/1944 – 27/10/44
Deployed to N Russia 28/11/44 – 21/7/45. Ronald served at Vanga, Murmansk, North Russia. It was during this period he won his ‘Order of the Blue Nose’.
HMS Pembroke 22/7/45 – 31/8/45
RN Hospital Southport 1/9/45 – 5/ 7 46 then demobilised and issued with civilian clothing.
7 good conduct badges are listed on his records 1940 – 57.
He then joined the Royal Fleet Reserves 24/9/49 – 31/8/55
(His records also show a training period at HMS Pembroke 19/11/57 – 25/11/57)
After the war, Ronald rose through the ranks of Local Government to become a Chief Officer in Arts and Recreation. With his wife Lilian had 5 children. The love and thrill of water never left his life from family holidays to the lochs and coasts of Scotland with a dingy or canoe in tow to 1968 and acquiring a Folk boat made at Shepherds of Windermere. Many happy years of holidays, swimming, sailing and successful racing with the Windermere Cruising Association where Ronald’s yacht was known as ‘the flying sideboard’, such was the speed that he could harness from it. In latter years before his death Ronald spent much of his time at Windermere.