On April 5, a dinner was held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Britannia College, Dartmouth, where all naval officers receive their initial training. The dinner was hosted by Prince Charles, the patron of the newly-formed Britannia Association.

Surgeon Rear Admiral (D) Frank Mathias was privileged to be invited, in company with 220 serving and retired admirals, the majority of whom were retired.

Frank Mathias is the youngest son of nine children of Bentley and Phebe Mathias. Bentley Mathias was a well-known solicitor, and the first clerk and chief executive officer of the Narberth Urban District Council, who had served the authority for over half-a-century. He died in 1957.

Frank was born in Narberth in 1927, and went to the Church School and afterwards to the County School.

In 1946, he went to Guy's Hospital, where he trained as a dental surgeon.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1953 in which he served until his retirement in 1985 as the Director of Naval Dental Services.

The dinner at Buckingham Palace was an event on a scale that had never happened before, not even in Nelson's day, and will never happen again!