Cryptic crossword clue
  Award sailor returning to guard rear of vessel 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word BAFTA

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
B
A
F
T
A

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Award" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case award = bafta.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does BAFTA mean?

BAFTA noun
  1. A coarse material, usually of cotton, originally made in India.
  2. An imitation of this fabric.

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