Warrant Officer 1 Baz Firth MBE RNLA EWO
Warrant Officer 1 Baz Firth MBE joined the Royal Navy in 1990 qualifying as an Air Engineering Mechanic on Mk3 Lynx at 829 Sqdn, RNAS PORTLAND, deploying in HMS GLASGOW for Armilla Patrol and Far East operations. Following field selection for Artificer in 1994 he continued his time on 815 and 702 Sqdns before joining HMS SULTAN in 1996. Successfully completing Artificer training in 1999 he returned to the Lynx circuit now based at RNAS YEOVILTON. Promoted to PO in 2000 he joined 219 Flight and HMS NOTTINGHAM, deploying on operations including Saif Sareea 2 and Five Powers Defence Agreement (FPDA). The FPDA deployment onboard HMS NOTTINGHAM was curtailed due to the incident off Lord Howe Island after which he returned to the UK and joined HMS GLASGOW deploying on Atlantic Patrol Task (South).
In 2003 he was the Seaspray Radar Test Facility Manager at RNAS YEOVILTON and was promoted to CPO in 2004. Attaining his Aircraft Charge Certificate in 2007 he assumed the Flight Senior Maintenance Role for 219 Flight, deploying in HMS YORK, HMS CHATHAM and in RFA LARGS BAY for Atlantic Patrol Task (North). In Jun 2010 he joined the Lynx Project Team as a Project Manager delivering engineering capability, special projects and Urgent Operational Requirements across all marks of Lynx. He successfully managed the integration of comms and weapons equipment capability for Op OLYMPIC security operations and was key to the recovery of a failing £26M, pan industry Common Defensive Aids Suite Technology Demonstrator Programme. He also managed the introduction, qualification and delivery of the Lynx Mk 8 Dual Control capability enabling the Lynx Force to continue to train pilots following the Lynx Mk3 out of service date.
Promoted to Warrant Officer in 2013 he was employed as the Deputy Engineering Training Officer for the Engineering Training School at RNAS YEOVILTON overseeing Phase 2B Sea King, Lynx, Merlin and Wildcat training. Following this he joined the Quality Support Team as the Deputy Quality Support Manager in 2015 and then in Jan 2017 assumed the role of Station Quality Support Manager before being selected for the Executive Warrant Officer (EWO) role at 1710 Sqdn in Sept 2017. As EWO and Command Advisor, he was responsible for the Moral Component of Operational Capability, discipline and welfare of 176 Squadron personnel and following a successful and fulfilling time at 1710 NAS he was selected as the Base Warrant Officer for YEOVILTON and 4500 personnel in Jan 2019. With just shy of three years as the BWO he joined the Royal Naval Leadership Academy as the EWO in Oct 2021
Married to Caitlin, a Deputy Head at a local Primary School, they have one son and lives locally in Yeovil. Outside of work he is the South West Regional Organiser for the Sporting Bears Motor Club raising money for children’s charities and organises ‘bucket list’ days for terminally ill children. A previous Vice Chair of Governors for a local primary school, he is currently a Trustee of the Spirit of Normandy Trust who provide support and welfare to those surviving Normandy Veterans and was recently appointed as the Patron for the Bluesky Retreat charity, whose primary focus is to support bereaved parents following the loss of a child. His work within the Lynx PT and his charitable efforts was recognised by being invested to MBE in 2013.
