A ROYAL Navy Commander, who was made an OBE after fighting Somalian piracy, grew up in Billericay.

Gerry Northwood was named in the New Year’s Honours list for his part in the planning and execution of a counter-piracy mission off Somalia, codenamed Operation Atlanta.

Real life action man Mr Northwood, 48, grew up in Ramsden Heath and went to Billericay School.

After completing his A-Levels in 1980, he joined the Navy and has since served in a variety of missions.

These have included patrolling the waters off Northern Ireland and the Persian Gulf during the Tanker War of the Eighties.

He was also in the thick of it during the first Gulf War, has hunted down drug runners in the Caribbean and acted as head of operations and intelligence at a military base in the Falkland Islands.

During his time in the Navy, Mr Northwood has also commanded two warships, HMS Aldernay and more recently HMS Liverpool, a type 42 guided missile destroyer.

He was recently seconded to establish Operation Atlanta, which saw Mr Northwood and his crew capture 11 Somalian pirates off the coast of the African country.

A keen cricketer, Mr Northwood now lives in Southsea, Hampshire, with his wife Deborah.

He said: “I am proud and grateful for the recognition this honour confers not just on me, but most importantly on the rest of the team at Operation Atlanta.

“A talented team drawn mainly from the Royal Navy battlestaff worked exceptionally hard to create a hugely effective operation, which has become the benchmark for counter-piracy operations in the region.”

Gerry’s parents, Rod and Lilli Northwood, still live in Stock.