A FORMER Kendal man who helped tackle piracy and terrorism in the Gulf has been awarded a prestigious medal from the USA.

Royal Navy Commodore William J. Warrender was given the Legion of Merit for exceptional service in charge of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) from March 2015 to June 2017 during a ceremony at the Pentagon.

The CMF is 32-nation naval partnership which conducts counter-piracy and counter-terrorism missions in the waters of the Middle East, Africa and South Asia.

“I am incredibly honoured," said Warrender, who was deputy commander of the CMF.

"As with many occasions when individuals are recognised, this medal is a direct reflection of the superb men and women who worked so hard to maintain maritime security and stability across 2.5 million square miles of ocean in the Gulf region.”

The award was presented by Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan, the commander of the CMF during Warrender's time as deputy commander.

"Through his dedicated leadership, task forces were able to protect the free flow of commerce, improve maritime security and to deter illicit activity in the CMF area of operations," said Donegan.

His father, Bill Warrender, who lives at Levens, was full of pride at his son's achievements.

"It's difficult to describe, I find it unbelievable," he said. "He joined the navy straight from school, he never wanted to do anything else.

"It goes to show that if you have a target, you can achieve it with sufficient application."

Now 49, he was born in India but moved to Kendal with his family in 1969 and attended Queen Katherine School.

Warrender now lives in Plymouth and is attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.

He is on promotion to Rear Admiral and will take over as Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), based in Plymouth, in June.

The Legion of Merit, the first United States decoration created specifically for award to citizens of other nations, was established by an Act of Congress of July 20, 1942.