The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of Rear-Admiral Derek Graham Satow, CB, RN (E 37), who has died on 10th February 2016, aged 92.

Arctic convoys

Derek was a prominent and influential post-war naval engineer who joined the Royal Navy as a Special Entry Cadet in 1941. His wartime engineering training included a term at sea aboard HMS Belfast covering the Arctic convoys to Murmansk.

From 1945-46, Derek saw service in the light cruiser HMS Ceylon in the British Pacific Fleet and the British East Indies Fleet and saw the surrender of Japanese forces at Penang and the liberation of Malaya in September 1945.

Postwar development work

Postwar, Derek was involved in the development of the beam-riding Seaslug anti-aircraft missile system at RAE Farnborough (1949-51). The missile, which equipped the Royal Navy’s County class destroyers, was complex to launch and fire and had mixed results; it was last fired in anger during the Falklands war of 1982.

By 1959, Derek was Director of Engineering at RNEC and later served as marine engineer officer abourd the cruiser HMS Tiger. Promoted to the rank of captain in 1964, he became an advocate of the replacement of steam machinery by marinised gas turbines.

Derek went to be appointed captain of the RNEC at Manadon, later becoming Director of Naval Officer Appointments (Engineering), Chief Staff Officer (Engineering) to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet (1974-76), and Deputy Director General Ships at Bath (1977-79. He was appointed CB in 1977.

In his later years, with the support of his wife, Pat, Derek became actively involved with a variety of local groups and causes local to him in Somerset. He served as chairman of the Diocesan Board of Finance at Wells Cathedral and on the parish council of South Stoke. He was also a keen patron of the Bath Bach Festival and deeply passionate about preserving his local countryside to the benefit of all.

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