Rodney Taylor
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Rodney Graham Taylor AO
(11 June 1940 – 1 September 2002) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy
, serving as Chief of Navy
from 1994 to 1997. Born in Queensland
, Taylor joined the Royal Australian Naval College at the age of thirteen. Graduating as dux of his year in 1957, he later specialised in navigation and served during the Vietnam War
. Commanding HMAS Vampire
as well as HMAS Torrens, Taylor planned and coordinated the deployment of Australian ships during the Gulf War
. Retiring from the navy in 1997, Taylor died from lung cancer
in 2002 at the age of 62.
on 11 June 1940, the second son of Len and Vera Taylor. In 1954, Taylor joined the Royal Australian Naval College at the land base HMAS Cerberus
; he was one of the last officers to enlist in the Royal Australian Navy as a thirteen year old. During his time at the college, Taylor excelled academically as well as in cricket and rugby.
in the Royal Australian Navy. Completing a period of training at sea aboard HMAS Swan
, Taylor was posted to England
for further instruction at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, from which he graduated in 1959.
Returning to Australia, Taylor joined HMAS Quiberon
. While onboard the ship, he decided to specialise in navigation. Described as "meticulous and deliberate" with "self-confidence", on one occasion Taylor, realising that the fleet would be approximately two hours late arriving at Sydney Heads, on his own initiative signalled the Fleet Navigator from Quiberon who promptly adjusted the time of arrival. Later posted aboard HMAS Anzac
, Taylor met Judy Smith, a Melbourne-born Qantas
air hostess, in 1963; the couple married the following year, and were later to have a son named Sean.
Following his wedding, Taylor proceeded to England in order to complete a long navigation course. On finishing this stint, he was allocated as navigator of the Royal Navy
's 7th Mine Countermeasures Squadron based on Malta
. During 1967, Taylor, by now holding the rank of lieutenant commander
, was posted to the United States
to serve as the commissioning navigator and operations officer of the destroyer HMAS Brisbane. During his service on Brisbane, the ship was deployed to assist in operations off Vietnam
in March 1969. Brisbanes stint during the Vietnam War
was to last seven months, for which Taylor was to receive a Mention in Despatches for his performance.
Posted back to Australia, Taylor was appointed to the staff of the Naval College at HMAS Creswell
in Jervis Bay
. Early in 1972, Taylor was returned to Britain in order to complete the advanced navigation course at HMS Dryad
. Finalising his instruction later that year, Taylor was appointed navigator aboard HMAS Sydney, which was then engaged in logistic support of Australian forces in Vietnam, and involved a month long stint in the theatre for Taylor during November. He later became navigator on HMAS Melbourne.
Promoted to commander
, Taylor received an exchange posting to the Royal Navy as commander of the amphibious warfare
section at the Joint Warfare Establishment in Old Sarum
. As his exchange stint concluded, Taylor returned to Australia and was made director of tactics and navigation at the Navy Office. Completing a course at the Joint Services Staff College, Taylor was appointed to command HMAS Vampire
in 1979. He captained the destroyer until 1980, during which time he learnt every member of the ship's company by name and was known among the crew as "Rocket Rod".
. On his return to Australia, he commanded HMAS Torrens. Reposted as Commander Third Australian Destroyer Squadron, Taylor was promoted to commodore
and became Deputy Fleet Commander. He later served a stint as Commodore Flotillas. For his services as Deputy Fleet Commander and Commodore Flotillas, Taylor was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
During 1990, Taylor was promoted to rear admiral
and made Assistant Chief of Defence Force (Operations). Taylor's appointment to this position coincided with the commencement of the Gulf War
, and as such he planned and coordinated the deployment of Royal Australian Navy ships to the Persian Gulf
for service as part of Operation Desert Storm. During this time, Taylor was required to work closely with the Australian Government and became "adept at briefing the PM, ministers and other VIP visitors to the ops room". In November 1991, he was posted as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Taylor was consequently appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1992 Australia Day
Honours List for his efforts as Assistant Chief of Defence Force (Operations) during the Gulf War.
During February 1997, the position of Chief of Naval Staff was re-named as Chief of Navy, which coincided with the release of an efficiency review commissioned by the then Defence Minister. The review reduced the command responsibilities of the three service chiefs, which were instead to reside with the Chief of the Defence Force
. Just prior to his retirement, Taylor was able to lessen the impact of some of the reform proposals and advocated that the Collins class submarine
project proceed. In June, Taylor was awarded the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
from Singapore
for his "significant contributions in forging excellent ties and friendship between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)". He retired from the Navy later that month.
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
Rodney Graham Taylor AO
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(11 June 1940 – 1 September 2002) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, serving as Chief of Navy
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
from 1994 to 1997. Born in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Taylor joined the Royal Australian Naval College at the age of thirteen. Graduating as dux of his year in 1957, he later specialised in navigation and served during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Commanding HMAS Vampire
HMAS Vampire (D11)
HMAS Vampire was the third of three Australian-built Daring class destroyers serving in the Royal Australian Navy . One of the first all-welded ships built in Australia, she was constructed at Cockatoo Island Dockyard between 1952 and 1959, and was commissioned into the RAN a day after...
as well as HMAS Torrens, Taylor planned and coordinated the deployment of Australian ships during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. Retiring from the navy in 1997, Taylor died from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in 2002 at the age of 62.
Early life
Taylor was born in the Queensland town of ToowoombaToowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
on 11 June 1940, the second son of Len and Vera Taylor. In 1954, Taylor joined the Royal Australian Naval College at the land base HMAS Cerberus
HMAS Cerberus, Victoria
HMAS Cerberus is the Royal Australian Navy's primary training establishment, located adjacent to Crib Point on the Mornington Peninsula, south of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is also an official bounded locality of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula...
; he was one of the last officers to enlist in the Royal Australian Navy as a thirteen year old. During his time at the college, Taylor excelled academically as well as in cricket and rugby.
Early service
In December 1957, Taylor graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College and was awarded the Queen’s Medal as dux of his year as well as the Grand Aggregate Prize, and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenantSub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
in the Royal Australian Navy. Completing a period of training at sea aboard HMAS Swan
HMAS Swan (U74)
HMAS Swan , named for the Swan River, was a Grimsby class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy that served during World War II.-Design and construction:...
, Taylor was posted to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for further instruction at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, from which he graduated in 1959.
Returning to Australia, Taylor joined HMAS Quiberon
HMAS Quiberon (G81)
HMAS Quiberon was a Q class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Although built for the Royal Navy and remaining British property until 1950, Quiberon was one of two Q class destroyers commissioned into the RAN during World War II...
. While onboard the ship, he decided to specialise in navigation. Described as "meticulous and deliberate" with "self-confidence", on one occasion Taylor, realising that the fleet would be approximately two hours late arriving at Sydney Heads, on his own initiative signalled the Fleet Navigator from Quiberon who promptly adjusted the time of arrival. Later posted aboard HMAS Anzac
HMAS Anzac (D59)
HMAS Anzac was a Battle class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Named after the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, the destroyer was commissioned in 1951. The ship served on two tours of duty during the Korean War, and attempts to distinguish herself from British ships led to the...
, Taylor met Judy Smith, a Melbourne-born Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
air hostess, in 1963; the couple married the following year, and were later to have a son named Sean.
Following his wedding, Taylor proceeded to England in order to complete a long navigation course. On finishing this stint, he was allocated as navigator of the 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...
's 7th Mine Countermeasures Squadron based on Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. During 1967, Taylor, by now holding the rank of lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
, was posted to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to serve as the commissioning navigator and operations officer of the destroyer HMAS Brisbane. During his service on Brisbane, the ship was deployed to assist in operations off Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in March 1969. Brisbanes stint during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
was to last seven months, for which Taylor was to receive a Mention in Despatches for his performance.
Posted back to Australia, Taylor was appointed to the staff of the Naval College at HMAS Creswell
HMAS Creswell
HMAS Creswell is a shore establishment of the Royal Australian Navy, a part of the Australian Defence Force, and consists of the Royal Australian Naval College , The RAN School of Survivability and Ship's Safety, Kalkara Flight, the Beecroft Weapons Range and an administrative support...
in Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay Territory
The Jervis Bay Territory is a territory of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was surrendered by the state of New South Wales to the Commonwealth Government in 1915 so that the Federal capital at Canberra would have "access to the sea"....
. Early in 1972, Taylor was returned to Britain in order to complete the advanced navigation course at HMS Dryad
HMS Dryad (establishment)
HMS Dryad was a stone frigate . It was the home of the Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School until 2004.Originally the school was based in Portsmouth Dockyard. The establishment took its name from the ship used as its tender, the fourth HMS Dryad. During World War II it was moved to Southwick House...
. Finalising his instruction later that year, Taylor was appointed navigator aboard HMAS Sydney, which was then engaged in logistic support of Australian forces in Vietnam, and involved a month long stint in the theatre for Taylor during November. He later became navigator on HMAS Melbourne.
Promoted to commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, Taylor received an exchange posting to the Royal Navy as commander of the amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
section at the Joint Warfare Establishment in Old Sarum
Old Sarum
Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. The site contains evidence of human habitation as early as 3000 BC. Old Sarum is mentioned in some of the earliest records in the country...
. As his exchange stint concluded, Taylor returned to Australia and was made director of tactics and navigation at the Navy Office. Completing a course at the Joint Services Staff College, Taylor was appointed to command HMAS Vampire
HMAS Vampire (D11)
HMAS Vampire was the third of three Australian-built Daring class destroyers serving in the Royal Australian Navy . One of the first all-welded ships built in Australia, she was constructed at Cockatoo Island Dockyard between 1952 and 1959, and was commissioned into the RAN a day after...
in 1979. He captained the destroyer until 1980, during which time he learnt every member of the ship's company by name and was known among the crew as "Rocket Rod".
Senior command
Over the following twelve years, Taylor held a series of appointments that held the main focus on operations. Initially serving as fleet operations officer, he was later posted as director of naval development. In 1985, Taylor attended the National Defence College of CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. On his return to Australia, he commanded HMAS Torrens. Reposted as Commander Third Australian Destroyer Squadron, Taylor was promoted to commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
and became Deputy Fleet Commander. He later served a stint as Commodore Flotillas. For his services as Deputy Fleet Commander and Commodore Flotillas, Taylor was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours List.
During 1990, Taylor was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and made Assistant Chief of Defence Force (Operations). Taylor's appointment to this position coincided with the commencement of the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and as such he planned and coordinated the deployment of Royal Australian Navy ships to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
for service as part of Operation Desert Storm. During this time, Taylor was required to work closely with the Australian Government and became "adept at briefing the PM, ministers and other VIP visitors to the ops room". In November 1991, he was posted as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Taylor was consequently appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 1992 Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honours List for his efforts as Assistant Chief of Defence Force (Operations) during the Gulf War.
Chief of Navy
In 1992, Taylor was promoted to vice admiral and appointed Chief of Naval Staff. During his service as head of the Navy, Taylor supervised several major reforms to the service, including the withdrawal of British-built ships and Royal Navy manned submarines in favour of American-built destroyers and Australian frigates and submarines. He also implemented reforms concerning pay, conditions and rank structure as well as leading the Royal Australian Navy to become more tolerant towards homosexuals and women at sea.During February 1997, the position of Chief of Naval Staff was re-named as Chief of Navy, which coincided with the release of an efficiency review commissioned by the then Defence Minister. The review reduced the command responsibilities of the three service chiefs, which were instead to reside with the Chief of the Defence Force
Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
. Just prior to his retirement, Taylor was able to lessen the impact of some of the reform proposals and advocated that the Collins class submarine
Collins class submarine
The Collins class is a class of six Australian-built diesel-electric submarines operated by the Royal Australian Navy . The Collins class takes its name from Australian Vice Admiral John Augustine Collins; all six submarines are named after significant RAN personnel who distinguished themselves in...
project proceed. In June, Taylor was awarded the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera)
The Pingat Jasa Gemilang , is awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links with overseas forces....
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for his "significant contributions in forging excellent ties and friendship between the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)". He retired from the Navy later that month.