A COUPLE from Grappenhall were recently honoured with a special commendation from the Royal Navy.
Les and Vera Senescall both served in the Royal Navy in the 1940s, before leaving and working right here at the Warrington Guardian.
Though Les and Vera are sadly no longer with us, they have both been honoured by the Royal Navy with a special commendation.
The crest from a King George V class battleship - the HMS Anson - had been kept secret by the couple until Vera's death in 2015.
Vera met Les when they both began working at the Warrington Guardian, and when the pair died, their children were tasked with executing their wills.
The crest of the HMS Anson was found in the couple's garage in Grappenhall, and the family decided to reunite the crest with the Royal Navy.
However, the couple's son-in-law discovered that the navy was due to name its latest submarine the HMS Anson - a remarkable coincidence.
Royal Navy headquarters, in Scotland, was contacted by the family, and this culminated in their invitation to return the crest to the navy in July this year.
As the new submarine was commissioned, in Barrow, surviving members of Les and Vera's family attended the ceremony - which was attended by then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and the Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace.
Les' cousin, a retired Royal Navy officer, presented the original crest back to the navy during the ceremony - and in return, was given one of the latest crests from the new HMS Anson.
Members of every generation of Les and Vera's family have since served in the Royal Navy.
Les and Vera's family said: "From a garage in Grappenhall to a bulkhead in Barrow, the story of this crest can only strengthen the link between those who serve in this fine vessel and people like Les and Vera whose contribution to the legacy of peace and security which we enjoy to this day."
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