Death of Lt Cdr Gerald William Stanley 'Pincher' Martin RN
25 Mar 2024 - Wendy Martin has informed me that her husband Pincher crossed the bar last Friday (22 March) at the age of 84. He passed away peacefully after a month in Queen Alexandra hospital, Cosham in the final stages of Leukaemia.
Pincher was still a Leading Seaman when he qualified as a CD1 (Clearance Diver First Class) at HMS VERNON in 1963. He appears top left in this course photo.
He was commissioned as a Sub Lt in August 1966, thus becoming a Clearance Diving Officer, and obtained his bridge watchkeeping certificate in the Leander class frigate HMS DIDO before undergoing the MCD Conversion course at HMS VERNON in 1968. There followed a variety of appointments in the MCD world including the Portsmouth & Medway Bomb & Mine Disposal Team and HMS VERNON’s instructional diving staff. Promoted to Lt in October 1972, he then served on Flag Officer Sea Training’s Clearance Diving Team at Portland, Flag Officer Scotland & Northern Ireland’s Clearance Diving Team at Rosyth, and the deep diving trials ship HMS RECLAIM. According to David Sandiford, Pincher went from HMS RECLAIM to be the first OIC of NP1007 in the chartered saturation diving ship MV SEAFORTH CLANSMAN circa 1978.
Pincher was then appointed First Lieutenant of HMS BRECON, lead ship of the Hunt class MHSCs, in which he deployed to the Falklands immediately after the conflict. After promotion to Lt Cdr in April 1983, he served at the Admiralty Research Establishment at Portland, and had jobs at HMS VERNON and the Ministry of Defence in Portsmouth before concluding his naval service in 1991 on the staff of CWTA (Captain Weapons Trials & Assessment).
Pincher was a keen supporter of the Association of RN First Class Divers (AORNFCD) and attended many functions in his later life. He was also an enthusiastic participant in the annual RN Divers’ Golf Championship as evidenced in this photo from 2004.
In accordance with Pincher’s wishes, there will be no funeral.
I’m sure all members of our community will join me in extending our sincere condolences to Pincher’s wife Wendy, his son Colin, granddaughter Samantha, brother Peter and sister Linda.