The Association has learned of the death of Capt Michael Dennison Booth DSC RN on 25 November 2019.
A family funeral was held in Portsmouth on 11 December, to be followed by a memorial service in Spring 2020.
Cdre Simon Thornewill writes:
Captain M D Booth DSC Royal Navy
Born 21 June 1949 Died 25 November 2019
Mike Booth had always wanted to be an aviator. By the age of 16 he had gone solo in a glider, joined the Royal Navy a few months after his 18th birthday and was training hard on helicopters by his 19th – there was a hint of his talent as he picked up the first of a few course prizes and cups along the way. He trained on the Hiller 12e and Whirlwind 7 in 705 Squadron before getting his “Wings” in May 1969 and moving on to his “junglie” training on the Wessex 5 in 707 Squadron.
Excitement and adventure was plentiful from the start of his first of front line Commando helicopter Squadrons, 848 Squadron. With many deployments ranging from the delights of the Far East in Singapore, Hong Kong and the jungles of Malaysia and Brunei to detachments to the frozen north of the Arctic in Norway which laid the foundations for his considerable flying experience serving in 848, 847, 846 and 845 Commando Squadrons operating all over the world.
One lighthearted but slightly dangerous event was the Biggin Hill airshow where Mike was chosen to dress up in drag as the Princess in danger, who escaped down the runway in front of the crowd on a small motorbike only to be hoisted on the move into the back of a Wessex helicopter at some speed along with the motorbike he was strapped to! He repeated this display at Yeovilton Airday and was known as Gloria for some time after!
Less happy times saw a move to Northern Ireland at the height of the troubles in ’71 and ’72, while working as an exchange Pilot with 664 Squadron Army Air Corps. This was a particularly busy and challenging time for Mike but clearly he did an excellent job as a few months later he found out that he had been mentioned in Despatches for his endeavours.
As the qualifications (QHI course in 1974) and experience mounted he was appointed to Naval Flying Standards carrying out flying inspections of his fellow naval aviators – these ‘inspectors’ were not very popular with many aviators and were colloquially known as ‘trappers’ in the Fleet Air Arm. However he enjoyed the job and remained current on four different helicopter types and built an excellent reputation as talented Pilot and flying Instructor.
He then moved back and forward between various squadrons, including flying with the helicopter formation team known as the ‘Sharks’ on displays across the country. He said it was great fun but somewhat hairy and I think that many of us remember a photograph of Mike in his Sharks Gazelle which appears to be inverted!
In 1982 he was returning from Northern Norway following a round of active training and exercises when Argentina decided to move the “goal posts” in the South Atlantic. At the time he was the Senior pilot and second in command of 845 Squadron and discovered that he needed to place all the squadron aircraft on various ships until eventually he was left at Yeovilton holding the proverbial baby but with no aircraft. Once it was clear more troops were going to be sent south Mike was ordered to form a totally new squadron of 22 Wessex 5s and so 847 Squadron was resurrected with Mike as the Commanding Officer. Their relatively late arrival on the scene did not detract from some of the great work that his pilots and engineers achieved in a relatively short time. Mike was honoured to be the recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.
The career ladder then intervened and he was switched from flying duties to ship duties. An appointment as Executive Officer of HMS Penelope set the scene for future ships but not before appointments as the Training Commander at HMS Raleigh, followed by a delightful two years in Naples on the NATO staff, trying and failing miserably to sort out Greek and Turkish issues in large scale NATO exercises. This was a wonderful time for Moira and Mike, before returning to the UK and his Command of HMS Scylla – a Leander class frigate and the last steam driven ship in the RN. This was followed with several deployments to the South Atlantic (always in their winter!) and many trips down to South Georgia – he always said it was his favourite island in the world and such an honour to visit it so often – some eight times.
Promotions through Commander and Captain meant another shift in career to Attaché with diplomatic appointments in Bonn for three years, followed amazingly by three years in Ottawa in Canada. Both opened up opportunities to travel widely but Canada gave both Mike and Moira the chance to explore the wider areas of the Arctic. A fabulous and fortunate end to 37 years of an extraordinarily varied and exciting career. Mike was a delightful family man and an exceptionally talented Pilot who made the most of all the opportunities in his career. He died in November 2019 after a prolonged battle with Cancer.