John Tolhurst
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
John Gordon Tolhurst CB
(born 22 April 1943) is a former Royal Navy
officer who became Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
.
in 1961. His first command was the frigate
HMS Berwick
: after that he was appointed Commanding Officer of the destroyer
HMS Exeter
in 1984, Commodore of HMS Nelson, the Naval Base at Portsmouth
, in 1988 and Captain
of the aircraft carrier
HMS Invincible
in 1990. He went on to be Flag Officer Sea Training
in 1992 and Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
in 1996 before retiring in 1997.
On retiring from Active Service, he became senior military officer at the Defence Export Services Organisation
. He subsequently set up his own Defence and Security consultancy business, specialising in exhibitions in those sectors. He is a Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Association.
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
John Gordon Tolhurst CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(born 22 April 1943) is a former Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who became Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
.
Naval career
Tolhurst joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1961. His first command was the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Berwick
HMS Berwick (F115)
HMS Berwick was a Rothesay or Type 12I class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 1 June 1961....
: after that he was appointed Commanding Officer of the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
HMS Exeter
HMS Exeter (D89)
HMS Exeter was a Type 42 destroyer, the fifth ship of the Royal Navy to be named Exeter, after the city of Exeter in Devon.Exeter was the first of the slightly modified 'Batch 2' Type 42 destroyers. This was a mid-build consideration with her later sister ship, HMS Southampton sporting a similar...
in 1984, Commodore of HMS Nelson, the Naval Base at Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
, in 1988 and Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (R05)
HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when...
in 1990. He went on to be Flag Officer Sea Training
Flag Officer Sea Training
Flag Officer Sea Training is a Royal Navy training organisation responsible for ensuring that Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels are fit to join the operational fleet. FOST certifies crews and vessels as being sufficiently prepared for any eventuality through rigorous exercises and...
in 1992 and Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
in 1996 before retiring in 1997.
On retiring from Active Service, he became senior military officer at the Defence Export Services Organisation
Defence Export Services Organisation
The Defence Export Service Organisation is a UK government department within the Ministry of Defence which promotes arms exports by arms companies based in Britain....
. He subsequently set up his own Defence and Security consultancy business, specialising in exhibitions in those sectors. He is a Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Association.