A DECORATED naval veteran who has been awarded a medal of honour from the French and the Russians has met with the Mayor of Poole.

Lieutenant Commander Geoffrey Haskins Retired was invited by Cllr Xena Dion to a private reception in the Mayor’s Parlour.

During the visit he regaled the mayor with details of his naval exploits that earned him two medals of honour.

Lt Cdr Haskins, who lives in Branksome Park with his wife, joined the Royal Navy when he was about 13-years-old starting out on their training ship HMS Conway and he remains a member of The Conway Club.

At the age of 17, he found himself sailing along the Normandy Beaches on a top secret mission for which he was subsequently awarded the Légion d’honneur, the highest French order for military and civil merits.

At 18-years old he was sent on another secret mission way above the Arctic Circle protecting an important convoy of supply ships as they sailed into Russian waters.

He was delighted earlier this year to receive a visit from the Russian Ambassador who awarded him the Ushakov Medal, their highest honour reflecting the importance of this mission.

Lt Cdr Haskins said: “I was very surprised by the visit from the Russian Ambassador as it came completely out of the blue. I was absolutely delighted to be decorated for my services after all these years.”

After leaving the Royal Navy, Lt Cdr Haskins joined the New Zealand Navy and led their navigation teams for 10 years.

During his illustrious career he has seen the incredible evolution of navigational equipment and technology and his expertise in navigation is world renowned.

Cllr Dion said: “It was a total honour to have met Lt Cdr Haskins and to have listened to his fascinating stories. We talked a lot about pre-technology navigation and particularly the abilities of the Pacific Islanders whose navigation expertise from the stars and seas is phenomenal."

Lt Cdr Haskins and his wife are about to celebrate their 70th anniversary after meeting in Bangor at a dance he had organised.