The Marine Biological Association (MBA) has been honoured with a remarkable collection of marine biology books belonging to Royal Marines veteran and scuba-diving pioneer Frank Allen.
The treasured collection; built over a lifetime of exploration and learning, has found a permanent home at the National Marine Library at the MBA in Plymouth.
To mark the occasion, Frank’s wife Jane, children Phil and Claire, and family friends were invited to a special handover celebration.
Guests were welcomed by MBA Chief Executive Professor Willie Wilson, who thanked the Allen family for their generous gift.
Phil and Claire shared reflections on the significance of the collection before visitors were given guided tours of the MBA’s laboratory facilities and Research Aquarium. The day concluded with afternoon tea and a speech from Jane Allen in the historic Common Room.
Jane said: “Without doubt, I know the resting place for his treasured book collection really would have made him happy. On my first visit to the MBA the ambience instantly felt right: the outlook from the Reading Room, HMS Victory on the windowsill. Fort Bovisand in view and the open sea all made it perfect.”
Phil said: “For me, my sister and longtime friends and diving partners of Dad, he would be extremely proud to know that his collection has found a home.”
Frank Allen: Diver, serviceman and explorer
Frank Allen was born in Guernsey 1945 shortly after the Nazi occupation ended in World War II. When not watching De Havilland Rapide aircraft at the island’s airport, Frank could be seen swimming off Guernsey’s many beaches.
Aged about ten, while on the beach with a group of friends, he found a pair of discarded goggles. Taking his first snatched glimpse beneath the waves, Frank became immediately fascinated by this new watery world.
In the 1960s Frank joined the Royal Marines and left his beloved Channel Islands, reporting for training in Deal, Kent.
Frank dived whenever he could, spending summer leave periods back in Guernsey with his young family. Unable to afford his own aqualung and with no car, he hired equipment and relied on the local bus service to transport him to new dive spots.
His family joined him on tours of duty to Singapore and Malta, but many were unaccompanied to places scattered across the globe: Cyprus, New Hebrides (Vanuatu), Italy, Norway, Northern Ireland and the Falklands conflict in 1982. Something that always accompanied him were his mask, fins and snorkel and if space permitted on board ship, his aqualung was smuggled aboard!
Later in his career in the Royal Marines he became a Physical Training Instructor. His skill at bringing out the best in pupils and instructors alike was later demonstrated during his eleven-year tenure working at the Joint Services Sub Aqua Diving Centre (JSSADC), Fort Bovisand.
A host of new courses were introduced for students, ranging from Practical Rescue Management, Dive Planning and Marshalling, Oxygen Administration, Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreather, Chartwork and Position Fixing to BSAC’s Club, Open Water and Advanced Instructor courses. These and many other courses offered were designed to encourage safer diving and to enable Service diving Clubs to become more self-sufficient.
Frank concluded that aged 70 was the time to stop diving. Throughout his retirement, Frank also provided unstinting support to his wife Jane, a serving Royal Navy officer.
Sadly, on 30 December 2020, Frank passed away. Without exception, everyone agreed Frank Allen had lived life to the full, on land, in the air and underwater.
