At a ceremony held last Wednesday (July 21), at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset, Lieutenant Max Randles–Hall RN originally from Saundersfoot, received his wings from Rear Admiral Martin Connell CBE, Director of Force Generation and Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm.

Max, son of Peter and Lyndy Randles from Saundersfoot, is a past pupil of Tenby’s Greenhill School, active member of Tenby Sea Cadets and Tenby Sailing Club, before joining the Royal Navy, as a General Service Warfare Officer in 2013 at eighteen.

Undertaking his training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Max was Commissioned in October that year.

Initially spending time on mine hunter vessels, Max joined HMS PROTECTOR for an Antarctic patrol, visiting the continent of Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands.

After gaining his navigational Watchkeeping Certificate, Max was assigned to HMS DEFENDER, one of the Royal Navy’s a Type 25 destroyers on a nine-month deployment to the Arabian Gulf supporting US and French Carrier Strike Groups in the offensive in Syria.

During this deployment Max visited Gulf states, India and Sri Lanka.

Following his time at sea, Max took a position within the British Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, with the aim of building capacity within the Lebanese Navy. Over the course of this posting his role became focussed on the broader aspects of engagement with the Lebanese Armed Forces, culminating in the UK coordination of a counter Islamic State (ISIS) offensive near the Syrian border.

Returning to the UK, Max transferred to the International Policy and Strategy team at the Ministry of Defence main building in Whitehall, London, where he was lead project officer for a mentoring scheme, focussed on bilateral relationships between the UK and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During his Naval career, Max has had the opportunity to visit numerous countries and states in five of the seven continents of the World, but his ambition has always been to fly with the Fleet Air Arm, the selection process and course is extremely intense and demanding, requiring the highest physical and mental competencies.

Max successfully commenced his flying training in early 2018 at Cranwell in Lincolnshire, progressing from the Grob Tutor through the King Air Avenger and ultimately the new AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat helicopter.

Max met his now wife Lydia whilst based at the MOD and married in 2020, making their home in Yeovil and continues to be an active member of the Royal Navy Triathlon Committee, competing to a high standard in events across the UK.

Max enjoys kitesurfing when at home in Tenby and on the south coast and skiing when opportunities arise.