A WRITER born and bred in Pembroke Dock has received a major maritime history award on board Nelson’s flagship, HMS Victory, in Portsmouth Dockyard.

Lawrie Phillips received the centenary medal of the Society for Nautical Research on Saturday, June 28.

The medal was presented by the former society’s chairman and Controller of the Navy, Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton, for long and distinguished service to the society which he joined more than fifty years ago. The Royal Patron of the Society is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Commander Phillips is author of the Navy's standard naval history reference work, 'The Royal Navy Day by Day', which is dedicated by permission to Her Majesty The Queen, and which is issued officially to every ship and establishment in the Fleet.

His most recent book was the bicentennial history of Pembroke Dockyard, 'Pembroke Dockyard and the Old Navy', which was launched in the old Dockyard Chapel last March by the former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord West.

Lawrie Phillips was born and raised in Pennar and he is an old boy of Pembroke Grammar School.

His brother Bryan, who lives in Pembroke, is a former mayor of Pembroke and a former chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council.