Falklands veteran, 68, earns Archaeology degree — but he’s got a bone to pick with the Government

A Royal Navy veteran who survived the Falklands War and later built a career as a commercial diver, Sean left school at 15 with no qualifications. This summer, he graduated with a BSc (Hons)in Archaeology, proving it's never too late to start a new chapter.

Long road

"I'm really proud of myself," Sean says. "I left school with nothing. Now I've got a degree. It's been a long road, but I've packed a lot into my life - and I'm proud of this last leg of the journey."

Sean's path to university was anything but conventional. After 24 years in the Navy - including surviving a missile strike on HMS Glamorgan that killed 13 of his shipmates - he went on to run his own commercial diving company. But the trauma of war, combined with the stress of high-risk underwater work, eventually led to a breakdown.

"There wasn't really any proper recognition or support for veterans back then," he says. "I ended up self-medicating with alcohol just to sleep. It was a dark time."

Peace and purpose

Things began to change when Sean became a carer for his father, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. That sense of responsibility sparked a turning point. He discovered Breaking Ground Heritage, a charity that supports veterans through archaeology, and began volunteering on digs through the Ministry of Defence's Operation Nightingale.

"When I dig, I go into my own world," Sean explains. "It's like diving - everything else fades away. Archaeology gave me peace, purpose, and a way to heal."

TV show

That passion led him to enrol at the University of Bradford. Despite being in his mid-60s, Sean excelled academically, earning top marks and even appearing on TV shows like Digging for Britainand The Great British Dig. He also took part in a dig in the Orkney Islands and was selected for a prestigious Mitacs Globalink Research Internshipin Canada, where he worked on a project supporting veterans and first responders.

"Part of me wishes this had happened 30 years ago," he says. "But it's happened now - and you just have to crack on."

Sean now mentors other veterans through archaeological projects and hopes to continue working with Operation Nightingale.

Mission to help

"In this later stage of life, I've finally found my calling. I now have a mission - to help other veterans through archaeology."

His message to others, especially those later in life?

"Have a crack. The last thing you want is to be sitting by the fire in your slippers wondering 'what if?' It's never too late to try."

And what about that bone he wants to pick?

Sean had hoped to continue straight into a master's degree after completing his undergraduate studies but says age-related restrictions on funding have made that impossible. While he received tuition support for his bachelor's, he was denied the full maintenance grant due to being over 60 - missing out on around £5,000 in support. Now, at 68, he is ineligible for any postgraduate funding at all.

"It feels like age discrimination," he says. "Especially after a lifetime of paying taxes and serving my country in combat."