Prince Philip’s naval career, from ‘best cadet’ to World War 2 service: A look back

“As far as I am concerned, re has never been an ‘if only’ except, perhaps, that I regret t having been able to continue a career in navy,” Prince Phillip once said, while being candid about loss of his naval calling to marry  young Princess Elizabeth. 

Duke of Edinburgh, who died on April 9 at of 99, had a love of sea and for Royal Navy despite t being able to serve after becoming consort. Had Duke of Edinburgh t married young Princess Elizabeth, some believe he would have become First Sea Lord, according to reports by Independent.

Prince Philip's wartime heroics

Prince Philip's first encounter with Royal Navy was when he was 18-month-old. Son of Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, Prince Phillip was born on idyllic island of Corfu in 1921. Later that year, baby Philip and his parents fled to Paris in a Royal Navy ship when his uncle King Constantine I was forced to abdicate. A year later, family settled in St Cloud, before moving to UK. 

Sixteen-and-a-half years later, just before outbreak of World War II in 1939, Philip Mountbatten joined Navy as a cadet. Philip started at Royal Naval College at Dartmouth, where he was named “best cadet”. He eventually took command of a frigate, HMS Magpie and was posted for six months at Indian Ocean. At of 17 Prince Philip, joined battleship HMS VALIANT, which fought in Battle of Cape Matapan. His name was later mentioned in despatches for his actions during Battle of Cape Matapan. As reported by Independent, speaking about Philip's feat, his commanding officer had said, "Thanks to his alertness and appreciation of situation, we were able to sink in five minutes two 8in gun Italian cruisers." He was also awarded Greek War Cross of Valour.

In 1942, at of 21, Philip became one of youngest officers in Royal Navy to be made First Lieutenant and second in command of a ship, – destroyer escort HMS Wallace of Rosyth Escort Force that sailed to Indian Ocean, reported Independent. Philip also served as First Lieutenant on destroyer HMS Whelp in Pacific, where he helped to rescue two airmen in 1945. Philip returned to UK in 1946. Prince Philip attended Royal Naval Staff College at Greenwich. In 1949, Philip was appointed First Lieutenant and second in command of HMS Chequers.

Navy career cut short

Two years after end of World War II, royal wedding took place. He was still a serving Naval officer when he married Princess Elizabeth in 1947. As reported by BBC, Prince Philip was progressing rapidly through ranks of navy. However, his promising naval career was cut short with premature death of King George VI on 6 February 1952. For Prince Philip, Elizabeth's accession to throne meant giving up a career in seas and Royal Navy to devote his life to royal duty

Despite an end to his naval career, Prince Philip "remained closely connected to, and actively interested in, every branch of Service life", as per royal.uk. In 1952, he was appointed Admiral of Sea Cadet Corps, Colonel-in-Chief of Army Cadet Force and Air Commodore-in-Chief of Air Training Corps. following year he was promoted to Admiral of Fleet and appointed Captain General in Royal Marines.

(Im Credit: AP)