Man to shave off moustache after 50 years

Rob Ewen from Okehampton first grew his moustache in 1975

A man who has been growing his moustache for 50 years is planning to shave it off to raise money for charity.

Rob Ewen, from Okehampton, Devon, said he first grew his moustache in 1975 when he completed his Royal Marines training to make him look older and because it was fashionable at the time.

Mr Ewen said he was raising money for The Royal Marines Charity and for men's health charity Movember.

He said it would be the first time his wife and two daughters would see him without his "well established tache".

"It's been part of me for 50 years," he said.

"The only group of people who can remember me without a moustache is my school mates."

Mr Ewen joined the Royal Marines in 1972 and served in 41 Commando in Malta when he was 18 years old.

Rob Ewen said he always had a "good bushy tache"

When he passed the Junior Command Course in 1975. he was promoted to Corporal, which was when he decided to grow his moustache.

"Once I passed and was promoted, I thought I needed to change my image of being a little bit of skin and baby-faced," Mr Ewen said.

He said over the years, his facial hair had changed its shape and sometimes during operations, it grew "a bit wild".

"It's a good, bushy, well established tache" he said.

Rob Ewen said his "footprint" was always in Okehampton, Devon

He moved around all the 3 Commando Brigade units during his 25 years in the regular Corps, seeing active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, and Iraq.

He retired in 1997 and then joined the Naval Career Service until 2015.

Mr Ewen said he had lived two lives as he was serving all over the country but his "footprint" was always in Okehampton.

"I went to school in Okehampton, grew up, had a house in Okehampton, played rugby in Okehampton Rugby Club alongside my three brothers that played," he added.

Mr Ewen will be shaving off his moustache at Okehampton Rugby Club on 29 November.