Born and educated in Plymouth, Lieutenant Commander Warden joined the Royal Navy in September 1959 at the age of 16, undertaking a 5 year Engineering Apprenticeship, obtaining an ONC in Aeronautical Radio and radar Technology and Electrical Engineering.

On graduating from the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1965 he commenced flying training and was awarded his wings in 1967, being awarded the best all round student of Number 126 Helicopter Specialist pilots course.

Initial appointments were spent operating from the Aircraft Carriers HMS’s Albion, Bulwark, Ark Royal and Eagle in the Far and Middle East, including operations in Borneo and Aden and Norway for Arctic Training.

Qualifications included a QHI, Qualified Flying Instructor awarded at the Central Flying School RAF Ternhill, AWI (H) Air Warfare instructor and (IRI) Instrument Rating Instructor with a Master Green instrument rating.

Over a flying career spanning 26 years he flew a total of 15 helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, including a 3 year flying exchange with the United States Marine Corps.

On return to the UK he became the Senior Pilot of 845 Squadron and saw service in Northern Ireland and on the Northern flank of NATO. This was followed by an appointment to HMS Antrim flying in the anti-submarine role and acting as the Staff Aviation Officer to the Flying Officer on a group deployment to the Far East, which included the first visit by the Royal Navy to Shanghai since the Yangtze incident in 1949.

After attending the Joint Services Staff College in India, affiliated to Madras University, where he completed his MSc in Defence Studies, he returned to the UK to command 845 Squadron, a post he held throughout the Falklands War.

Moving on to HMS Invincible, he was appointed Lt Cdr (F) *flying controlling air operations before an appointment to the Ministry of Defence in DGA (N).

He was appointed to his last job at BRNC Dartmouth as the First Lieutenant in 1989 where he was later awarded an MBE.

After retirement from the Navy he became a supporter of the Dartmouth Sea Cadets Unit, being a member of the committee for many years. He also enjoyed a time as an Exhibition Management Consultant and spent years in Hotel management for family-run hotels when owners took holidays. He finally fully retired when his wife Cate retired from her teaching career.

Throughout his career and in retirement he remained a supporter of the Fleet Air Arm Officers Association, the Fisgard Association and ARNO.