Obituary: Captain Andrew Robertson Mackie, sailor and businessman Captain Andrew Mackie, who was actively involved in the Battle of the Atlantic, Arctic Convoys and the D-Day landings, was born in Forfar in July 1920. He was the eldest of three brothers and his father was a local policeman who transferred to Dundee City Police, where the family lived in Claverhouse Road. Andrew was educated at Morgan Academy and was a very keen member of the Boy's Brigade, centred on the Mains Church near his home. After his father's death, Andrew left school earlier than planned and took up employment in a solicitor's office with a view to pursuing law as a profession. This plan was knocked off course when war broke out and Andrew joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in May 1940. After initial training he was thrown straight into the thick of battle on escort duties, criss-crossing the Atlantic in the corvette HMS Pimpernel. Even during his early training days in Sussex, Andrew experienced the war very early on when German aircraft attacked his vessel in Shoreham Harbour. His potential as Officer material was quickly recognised and, following promotion, he served as a young officer on ships large and small and saw active service during the war in the Mediterranean as well as participating in the perilous Arctic Convoys - groups of vessels which travelled from Britain to northern Russia to resupply the Soviet Union during the Second World War. The convoys were under constant threat of attack by German U-boats and aircraft and had to endure severe cold, storms and ice floes in what Winston Churchill described as "the worst journey in the world." Shortly before his passing, Captain Mackie received news that he would now be eligible for the Arctic Star medal which his family will now claim on his behalf. This follows the recent review of military decorations and the subsequent decision in February 2013 to now recognise all those who served north of the Arctic Circle in the Second World War. One of Andrew's many wartime stories included inadvertently orchestrating a strike in Liverpool Dockyard by setting his ship's company to painting the newly issued camouflage scheme before the ship sailed on for escort duties - of which the dockyard "mateys" did not approve. The Admiral eventually intervened and they moved the ship to an out-of-sight berth and carried on painting before setting sail across the Atlantic once more. Andrew was actively involved in the D-Day landings and after the war had the rare distinction of being selected to stay in service, when he became 1st Lieutenant of HMS St Angelo - the Naval Headquarters in Valletta, Malta, among other posts and locations. After a short naval career break, in 1952 he was promoted to Lieutenant with Tay Division RNR based on board HMS Unicorn. He then served for many years with the division's minesweeper HMS Montrose and a promotion to Lieutenant Commander followed in 1958. His experiences from the war, particularly in the North Atlantic, prepared him for the rigours of mine-sweeping in rough weather, as HMS Montrose and other ships attached to the division went out for weekends and longer periods of sea time to augment the Royal Navy's defence of the country. Andrew was awarded Volunteer Reserve Decoration in September 1963 and was then appointed Executive Officer Tay Division RNR as a Commander in 1965. His civilian job at the time required a relocation to Newcastle, which was rather short-lived following an invitation from William Rennie Stewart (former Captain of Tay Division RNR) to return north to become the executive officer of Tay Division RNR and take up a position as marketing director for Wm R Stewart & Sons (Hacklemakers) in Dundee. In June 1970, Andrew was promoted to Captain and appointed Commanding Officer Tay Division RNR, on taking command of HMS Camperdown, the new shore headquarters for the division, after HMS Unicorn was transferred to the Unicorn Preservation Society (the first warship in Britain to enter private preservation). With characteristic panache, the moment of the transfer of command between Rennie and Andrew actually took place on a business trip, 30,000 ft in the air in a first class cabin somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. One of the many highlights of Andrew's command was the renaming of HMS Stubbington to Montrose in 1972 when Andrew arranged for Lady Lambe (widow to Sir Charles Lambe, Admiral for the Fleet) to conduct the official renaming. Before the renaming, Andrew also orchestrated for HMS Montrose to make the journey up the River Tay to Perth Harbour. This was quite a navigational achievement as it was the only time a "Ton" got that far and the vessel even had to sit on the mud at low tide. There were other notable trips on HMS Montrose under Andrew's command, including a memorable stop at Tangiers while on a Gibraltar exercise. Andrew was awarded Clasp to the Voluntary Reserve Decoration in 1973 before retiring in 1975. With his ongoing interest in the sea, Andrew joined the Royal Tay Yacht Club and was later made a life member. Like all reservists, Andrew also had to make his way in civilian life and in his case he enjoyed considerable success. After first leaving the Royal Navy in 1947, he worked as a trainee executive at an engineering firm in Blackburn, Lancashire, where he met his wife-to-be, Audrey Cottam, the daughter of his landlady at the time. After their marriage in 1949, Andrew furthered his career with senior managerial roles north and south of the Border, with the Michelin Tyre Company and Tyre Scotland, before joining Wm R Stewart & Sons (Hacklemakers) in Dundee as marketing director. This initiated a globe-trotting role in marketing Scottish engineering to Asia and the Far East, including a trip to Hong Kong on which it is known his work was remarked on positively by Captain Andrew Waugh, Captain in Charge of Hong Kong at the time. He became a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 1980 and an elected member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. A devoted family man, Andrew was especially proud of his three children. In 1950 their son Mike was born, in 1954 a daughter Gail, and in 1968 another daughter Sarah. They enjoyed many happy memories at the various family homes in Scotland, firstly in the idyllic fishing village of Easthaven and then in Broughty Ferry. He enjoyed his travels extensively, often taking his wife Audrey with him to exotic (and not so exotic) locations. He selflessly encouraged his children to make their way in life. As an affirmation of his continued love of his wife, Andrew and Audrey went on to renew their wedding vows on their golden wedding anniversary in 1999, officiated by the late Canon John O'Farrall (Naval Padre for Tay Division RNR). In his retirement, he continued to maintain active contact with the RNR and remained a staunch supporter of the Unicorn Preservation Trust. He was a lifelong member of the Naval Club in London, the Association of Royal Navy Officers, the Britannia Association, and the Ton Class (minesweeper) Association. Andrew never lost the discipline of keeping things ship-shape, which carried on into the way he diligently cared for his homes, gardens and cars over the years. He was an avid reader and his eclectic view of the world meant he was well versed in a wide range of subjects, ranging from local Scottish and naval history, through to a wide understanding of cultures around the world. He gained the respect of many people with his personality and style - which was courteous and never lacking in humour. This enabled him to deal with many nationalities, particularly in his business life. He was a gentlemen who had respect for others, regardless of their station, which was appreciated by those who served under him and his extraordinary network of wider contacts around the world. His wife Audrey died in 2003. He is survived by his brother Bruce, his three children Mike, Gail and Sarah, six grandchildren - Jessica, Ailsa, Emma, Gordon, Sheonagh and Timothy - and great grand-daughter Sofia.