COMMANDING OFFICERS

 

Peter Franklyn was born in Winchester in September 1946, was educated at King's College Taunton and joined the Royal Navy in 1963. His early experience was gained as a Midshipman and Sub Lieutenant in the Destroyers HMS Agincourt & HMS Carysfort which took him to the Mediterranean, the Far East and the South Pacific. He returned to England in 1969 to spend a year as the Assistant Navigating Officer in The Royal Yacht Britannia and from 1970 until 1972 held two further navigating appointments. 

The first involved a rewarding year on exchange with the United States Navy serving in USS Mullinix based on the eastern seaboard of the

USA and subsequently with the US Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. The second appointment, to the Frigate HMS Jupiter, was largely spent operating with NATO forces assigned to the Standing Naval Force Atlantic.

After qualifying as a Principal Warfare Officer and further specialisation in Navigation he was back at sea in 1973 in HMS Scylla and during the next 18 months visited South Africa, the Far East, New Zealand and Australia before taking up a Staff appointment closely associated with the Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Squadrons based around the British Isles.

On completion of the Advanced Navigation course in late 1976, he was appointed to The Royal Yacht Britannia as the Navigating Officer during Jubilee Year which included a World Tour, The Fleet Review at Spithead and visits to many ports in the United Kingdom and the West Indies.

There followed a seagoing appointment as First Lieutenant of HMS Ashanti in Home and South Atlantic waters and then a year serving in London as a member of The Royal Naval Presentation Team. After promotion to Commander in 1979, he was appointed in command of HMS Active a Type 21 Frigate both at home, in the West Indies and Middle East. Subsequent appointments as the Training Commander at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and Staff Operations Officer to the Flag Officer Third Flotilla followed before promotion to Captain in 1986. He served as Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord prior to taking command of HMS Bristol in August 1988.

Captain Franklyn is married with a son and a daughter and lives in Bath. Amongst his interests he includes antique furniture, old houses, general outdoor activities and water sports.

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Captain West entered the Royal Navy as an officer cadet straight from school in 1965 at the age of 17. After passing out of Dartmouth he filled a number of junior appointments prior to taking command of HMS Yarnton, on patrol in Hong Kong in 1973.

He returned to the United Kingdom in 1975 where he completed the Principal Warfare Officers' course which led to warfare appointments in two frigates. Next the Royal Navy Staff Course at Greenwich where he was
Promoted Lieutenant Commander followed by a specialist warfare course in Above Water Weapons at the Maritime Tactical School.

In 1978 he joined a guided missile destroyer as Operations Officer for a Flag deployment to the Far East and was selected for promotion to Commander in 1980. In November of that year he took command of the frigate HMS Ardent. After service in the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Atlantic the sip was sunk in 1982 during the Falklands campaign. Captain West was subsequently awarded the DSC for his part in the action.

In September 1982 he led the victory parade through the City of London and joined the MOD as a member of the Naval Plans Division. He was closely involved in the reorganisation of the Ministry in late 1984 and selected for promotion to Captain in December of that year. From January 1985 until taking command of HMS Bristol on 5th March 1987 he served as an assistant director in the Naval Staff Duties division.

Captain West was married in 1973 and has three children. He lives in Southsea and his interests include Keel Boat racing, Naval and local history and ornithology. He also enjoys swimming, cricket and tennis. His wife Rosemary is a keen 'board sailor'.

Sea Appointments in chronological order:

HMS Torquay Type 12 Frigate
HMS Burnaston MCMV
HMS Albion Aircraft Carrier
HMS Laleston MCMV
HMS Russel Type 14 Frigate
HMS Yarnton MCMV
HMS Juno Leander
HMS Ambuscade Type 21 Frigate
HMS Norfolk DLG
HMS Ardent Type 21 Frigate

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 Captain H. M. White was born in Torquay, Devon in 1939 and entered the Royal Navy in 1958. After training at the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth and an initial commission in an anti-submarine frigate, he was appointed to a series of diesel boats where he served in a variety of roles before joining the nuclear attack submarine HMS Warspite as the Navigating Officer. Returning to diesel submarines as First Lieutenant, and subsequently the Commander of HMS Oracle as Lieutenant Commander he escorted HMS Dreadnought on her way to the North Pole and carried out ice trials west of Spitsbergen.

In 1971 he was posted to the staff of the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, promotion to Commander followed, and in 1973 became the First Commander Submarine Sea Training and the new Submarine Sea Training Organisation at HMS Neptune, Faslane, Scotland.

In 1975 he took command of the frigate HMS Salisbury, carrying out two patrols off Iceland in the second Cod War. In 1976 he was appointed to the Ministry of Defence on the Staff of the Naval Secretary, Officers' Planning Section before being promoted Captain in 1978 and becoming Assistant Director (Ships) in the Directorate of Naval Plans.

In 1980 he was appointed in command of the general purpose frigate HMS Avenger as Captain of the 4th Frigate Squadron of 'Type 21s'. In 1982 this squadron became heavily involved in the Falklands campaign where two of its ships, HMS Ardent & HMS Antelope were sunk, and five of the remaining six took part in operations. HMS Avenger herself conducted several bombardments of the Argentine positions, landed special operations forces and survived a combined Super Etendard/Exocet and Skyhawk bomber attack of which she was the focus.

In late 1982 Captain White became Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in the temporary rank of Commodore, and was awarded the CBE in the New Years Honours List on relinquishing this post in early 1985. He assumed command of HMS Bristol in October of the same year. He is married, has two teenage boys and lives in Devon. His interests include travelling, sailing, reading, gardening and music.

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