For a boy who left school ‘without much of an education’, it was a proud moment when his name appeared in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Handbridge-born Fred Pritchard won the British Empire Medal for work in the Arab state of Qatar.

The Qatar Petroleum electrical engineer lives in the township of Dukhan with wife Helen.

The 63-year-old Chester FC fan and keen golfer was acknowledged for 23 years of voluntary service as British Embassy warden for Dukhan and for supporting the British Consul and British community.

He said: “I was surprised to receive news of my nomination and am most grateful to those involved.

“I must give a huge thank you to my wife Helen for all her help and support.

“I am unable to put into words how delighted and proud I am to receive this honour.”

He attended St Werburgh’s Infant School, Union Walk, before St Bede’s Secondary Modern, Handbridge.

Fred said: “I left school at 15 with not much of an education.

“Through the efforts of my dad Fred, who I miss dearly, and the invaluable assistance of my form teacher Kevin Kindlen, who must have seen some potential in me, I got a place at Chester College.”

By 16 he was serving a four-year electrical engineering apprenticeship at Shell, Ellesmere Port.

In 1974 he married Helen of Saltney at St Werburgh’s Church - they now have two children and four grandchildren.

His overseas career began in 1979 and by January 1991 he was in Qatar, five days before the Gulf War began.

The then British Embassy warden asked Fred to be his deputy and help him in particular with emergency procedures for the evacuation of British families during the conflict.

Three years later Fred took over as warden.

Duties included liaising between the Embassy, Consul, British passport holders, citizens of the Irish Republic and all Commonwealth Nationals – known collectively as the flock – especially in perilous times.

Consular work meant helping British nations complete official forms, official identification of the dead and repatriation.

Fred said: “All of the duties and issues I have been involved in have been rewarding and even though some have not been pleasant I am happy that I have been able to be of help and assist my country and my fellow countrymen.”