Miles Roderick Eden-Smith (S 54-57) a retired Merchant Navy Captain, died on 9th November 2021 aged 81. He left a widow Sue and two sons Ross and Alex. His funeral is scheduled to take place at 2:00pm on 16th December at Christ Church, 2 Cottenham Park Road, West Wimbledon SW20 0RZ. Robin Batt (61-64) will represent the OP Society.

Miles always regarded himself as “a simple sailor” and was happiest when at sea (in retirement he enjoyed ocean cruising) or yarning with sea-going friends and contemporaries.

At the Nautical College, he was in Hesperus division and in the MN Form, won the prestigious Maitland Cup for Seamanship in 1957 awarded each year by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, achieved nine ‘O’ levels and was a member of the 1^st X1 Hockey team in 1957 and Fencing teams in 1956 and 1957.

Following the NCP, Miles joined Alfred Holt/Blue Funnel Line and served three years 1957-60 with that company as a Midshipman. In 1960 he moved to the Royal Mail Lines and stayed with it through 1968, eventually rising from 4^th Officer to 2^nd Officer. At the end of 1968 he passed the exams necessary to become an Extra Master Mariner. Seeking command, in 1969 he moved to the Furness Withy Group and remained with the company to 1983 becoming Flight Deck Training Officer, Chief Officer, and Captain.

At this point, aged 43, Miles decided to swallow the anchor and come ashore. For the next dozen years, he worked in the City of London specialising in shipping litigation with a firm of solicitors called Lovell White Durrant. In 1995 he retired and spent the remainder of his life in Wimbledon, southwest London. Sadly, he suffered from ill health in his later years, involving frequent hospital visits.

Throughout his life, Miles remained true to his sea-going roots. From 1957-92 he was an officer in the RNR, rising to the rank of Commander at the end of 1978. He was also a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, the Nautical Institute and the Shaw Savill Society.

For five years 2001-06 he was a committee member of the OP Society. For many years, come rain or sun, he dutifully represented the OP Society at the annual Remembrance Sunday service at the MN memorial at Tower Hill, laying a wreath on behalf of all OPs who had gone to sea in the Merchant Navy.