Colleagues have opened a special fund to cover the medical expenses of a stalwart Navy veteran in Gibraltar – although they will continue to provide all his clothing and food, as they have done ever since he joined 11 years ago.

Anyone who has served at Windmill Hill Signal Station, also known as Lloyds Signal Station, will remember shipmate Flloyd, who performs and behaves quite like no other – proud, faithful and utterly loyal to the Service, with never a word of complaint.

Flloyd, by the way, is a dog – but no ordinary dog. He bears the rank of Petty Officer (Dog), and joined the Royal Navy on May 5, 1992 as a young pup.

His Service record and promotion certificate are all proudly displayed at the station, where he is employed as a key member of the small, industrious Royal Navy team.

He was promoted Leading Hand (Leading Paw?) in 1994, and subsequently made Petty Officer – and his pride in promotion saw an immediate increase in the expulsion of gulls from the Windmill Hill area, part of his basic duties.

One memorable incident in 2001 showed Flloyd at his best – but could have caused a blemish on his glittering career.

During an exercise an ‘invasion force’ was attempting to infiltrate Gibraltar’s defences, and was in the process of landing a helicopter when PO Flloyd, tired of his day’s rat-catching and seagull-chasing duties, happened to pass by the training area.

Realising that the fall of the Rock to enemy forces was imminent, he set about fending off the invaders single-handedly, preventing the helicopter from landing and thereby averting the possible loss of MOD property.

The reason that medals were not forthcoming for his quick-thinking and bravery was the fact that PO Flloyd had neglected to fill in the ‘ashore on duty’ book when he left the station, and was therefore technically absent without leave – although under the circumstances this transgression was overlooked.

Flloyd is now fast approaching his teens, and although relatively fit, he needs the occasional visit to a vet for upkeep and maintenance. These visits currently cost around £150 a year, paid for by his shipmates, who also provide his food and uniform at no cost to the Crown.

But the Windmill Hill team are becoming a little anxious as Flloyd enters the twilight of his career that his needs will still have to be met after they have moved on to other postings.

As possibly the last official Naval Dog they would like to ensure that his medical bills do not become a burden to someone.

So to ensure the bills are met, Windmill Hill Station has opened a dual signatory bank account for PO Flloyd, and is seeking contributions to support him.

All funds raised for Flloyd will be deposited into the account for the specific purpose of meeting the vet’s bills alone – his diet and uniform requirements will continue to be met by his shipmates.

Please send any donations to the Chief of the Station, Windmill Hill Signal Station, FPO Rook, BFPO 52. Cheques should be made payable to Lloyds Signal Station.

Pictures by Cpl Martin Sadler (RAF)