Eleanor Stack
people | interview
Making Waves by SIMI KAMBOJ
The sea was the last bastion conquered by women in the armed forces worldwide. Royal Navy’s Lieutenant Commander Eleanor Stack gives us a peek into life inside a frontline warship.
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hirty-five-year old Lieutenant Commander Eleanor Stack runs a tight ship. Standing tall at 6’2”, this lady from Glasgow is in charge of the minehunter HMS Quorn, commanding a crew of 45 men, which includes clearance divers who identify and diffuse mines under the sea. Eleanor, or Ellie as she’s known to colleagues, joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 2000. In course of her 13-year career, she served on warships around the world in various roles until she was elevated to the rank of Commanding Officer earlier this year. Ellie tells us about life at sea, its challenges and the rewards. Woman This Month (WTM): What made you embark on this career path? Eleanor Stack (ES): Around the age of 14, I’d gone on a school trip to the Glasgow shipyard. My hometown has a great tradition of ship building and what I saw on my visit seemed quite challenging. Besides, I’d always had a close affinity to the sea. I spent my childhood swimming off the Scottish Islands, sailing with my father and fishing with my family. WTM: How did your family react with your decision? ES: With surprise. I’m the youngest in a family of academics and up until the night before my
30 January 2014
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