TV star Bear Grylls gives talk to submariners at HNMB Clyde

There was great excitement at the home of the submarine service on Wednesday, November 28 when Bear Grylls visited to take part in the final human performance lecture for this year.

Almost 500 military and civilian personnel packed into the HMS Neptune warrant officers’ and senior rates mess to listen to his interview with presenter JJ Chalmers about his life and experiences as a survival expert and television star.

Naval base commander Clyde, Commodore Sharon Malkin ADC, welcomed the survival expert to the stage where he received a warm reception from the audience.

The HMS Neptune executive team introduced the Neptune educational (NED) talks to enhance the health and wellbeing of personnel at the base and they have been hugely successful.

JJ Chalmers delivered the first one back in January of this year and this week, the former Royal Marines Reservist returned to the base to ask Bear about his experiences as a survival expert, his TV career and what has inspired him most in life.

The award-winning TV host and author talked about his dad, who was a Royal Marine, being one of his biggest influences and the main reason he joined the military when he was 19.

It was standing room only when Bear Grylls visited (Image: Daniel Bladen) He also spoke about how he recovered from the sky diving jump which went horribly wrong in 1998, breaking his back in three places.

He also told JJ that it was his life-long ambition to climb Mount Everest that got him through some of the tougher times and eventually led to his career in television.

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Sub lieutenant Edward Steven was responsible for organising the event at HMNB Clyde and was delighted that it was a success.

He said: “It was fantastic to not only have Bear Grylls at HMNB Clyde, but to welcome back JJ Chalmers who did our very first NED talk earlier this year.

“Hearing Bear talk about his resilience from breaking his back and the various challenges he has faced in his career was truly inspiring and it was amazing for so many personnel from across the one Clyde community to hear from Bear in person.

"It was a fantastic event for unit cohesion and I’m excited to see what we have in store for the NED talks next year.”

The writer and survival expert was visiting the base in his capacity as Honorary Royal Marine Colonel (Image: Daniel Bladen) The writer and survival expert was visiting the base in his capacity as Honorary Royal Marine Colonel and, as well as talking to JJ, he also spent some time with the Royal Marines of 43 Commando fleet protection group, chatting to the guys in P Squadron about their role at the naval base in support of the Continuous at Sea Deterrent.

It was there he presented the Bear Grylls Unsung Hero Award to Marine Ben Horner.

Ben was injured during commando close combat skills training back in May last year and has been through an intense period of rehabilitation. He is being recognised for showing exceptional bravery and resilience throughout this very challenging time.

The survival expert presented the award to Marine Ben Horner for his incredible bravery after being injured in May last year (Image: Daniel Bladen) Colonel Adam Whitmarsh, commanding officer of 43 Commando, said: “It is a rare and exciting privilege for us to have Bear Grylls to personally present the Bear Grylls Unsung Hero Award to a Royal Marine who has demonstrated every aspect of the Commando spirit following a life-changing injury suffered in the course of his military duties.

“Bear is an exceptional advocate of the Royal Marines to whom we are eternally grateful for his support; both to the Royal Marines Charity, and through his generous annual gift in the form of the Unsung Hero Award.”