Merchant Navy award for Falmouth port correspondent David Barnicoat

The Department of Transport said it was for David’s “services to raising awareness of the maritime sector and supporting seafarer welfare in Falmouth.”

The UK government celebrated Merchant Navy Day by awarding 14 mariners Merchant Navy Medals – the highest medal of honour within the maritime sector. Only 20 medals can be awarded each year.

The medal is awarded annually, without bias towards age or rank, to those eligible seafarers who are judged to have made a worthwhile contribution to merchant shipping, its operations, development, personnel, welfare or safety, or who have performed an act of courage afloat.

David said: “ I am very proud and honoured to receive this award. I wish to thank the many people in Falmouth, Packet Newspapers and the port fraternity who have helped me over many years.”

Packet shipping correspondent David Barnicoat has been awarded the prestigious Merchant Navy Medal

He has been at the helm of the Falmouth Packet In Port column for nearly 35 years and has regularly contributed to various other shipping periodicals.

An avid supporter of the Mission to Seafarers his last book “Sailing Ship to Super Liner,” which celebrates the 150th anniversary of Falmouth Docks, has raised in excess of £25,000 for the Falmouth branch.

David is writing another more in depth book on the evolution of Falmouth as a port from Henrician times.

Simon Culliford and David co-wrote the History of the Falmouth Lifeboat from 1867 - 2017, all proceeds of which went to the RNLI.

When David retired in 2013 he was the the last of the former Trinity House pilots still working in the port and was the Falmouth’s longest serving pilot with 35 years service under his belt. He has been chairman of the Port of Falmouth Port User Group for the past four years.

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