Prince Philip, Champion of British Scuba Diving, To Retire From Public Life
As a younger man Prince Philip was a keen sports enthusiast and an accomplished sailor.
In 1939, Philip Mountbatten joined the Royal Navy, graduating from the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in 1940 as "the best cadet in his course". His prize? A £20 book token. He subsequently saw active service in the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean during WWII. In 1941 Philip Mountbatten was mentioned in despatches for his service on the battleship HMS Valiant. And he was in Tokyo Bay in 1945 when the Japanese surrendered.