Sir Derek Reffell | |
|---|---|
| Born | 6 October 1928 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Controller of the Navy HMS Hermes HMS Sirius |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
| Other work | Governor of Gibraltar (1989–93) |
| Viceregal styles of Sir Derek Reffell (1989–1993) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Admiral Sir Derek Roy Reffell, KCB (born 6 October 1928) is a former Royal Navy officer and Governor of Gibraltar.
Educated at Culford School, [1] Reffell entered the Royal Navy, qualified as a Navigating Officer in 1954 and progressed through the ranks: he commanded the frigate HMS Sirius from her launch in 1966, [2] and served as captain of the commando carrier HMS Hermes from 1974 to 1976 and as Commodore, Amphibious Warfare, from 1978 to 1979. He was appointed Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff for Policy – ACNS(P) – in 1979. [3] He was promoted to Vice-Admiral, becoming Flag Officer, Third Flotilla (FOF3) in 1982. [3]
During the Falklands War Admiral Reffell was serving as Flag Officer Third Flotilla in charge of the amphibious ships and aircraft carriers. Alastair Finlan commented that Admiral Reffell was the obvious choice for in-theatre commander but was not selected. [4] Commodore Michael Clapp later expressed his surprise at this decision, and, what was more, the fact that Reffell was barred access to the Northwood Headquarters so that his advice was not available. [5] He did however become senior officer in-theatre (aboard Bristol for a period) from 1 July 1982 after Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward had returned home. [6]
He became Controller of the Navy in 1984 and was Governor of Gibraltar 1989–1993. [3]
Admiral Sir John Forster "Sandy" Woodward, was a senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the Task Force of the Falklands War.
Admiral Sir Victor Alexander Charles Crutchley was a British naval officer.
The Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET) was the admiral responsible for the operations of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the British Royal Navy from 1971 until April 2012. The post was subordinate to the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Naval Service. In its last years, as the Navy shrank, more administrative responsibilities were added.
Admiral of the Fleet John David Elliott Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse, was a Royal Navy officer. He commanded five submarines and a frigate before achieving higher command from the 1970s. Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentine forces in April 1982, Fieldhouse was appointed Commander of the Task Force given responsibility for "Operation Corporate", the mission to recover the Falkland Islands. The campaign ended in the surrender of Argentine forces in June 1982. He became First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in December that year and, in that role, persuaded the British Government to fund the replacement of ships lost in the Falklands War. He went on to be Chief of the Defence Staff from 1985 until his retirement in 1988.
Admiral of the Fleet Terence Thornton Lewin, Baron Lewin, was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the Second World War and then commanded a destroyer, the Royal yacht, two frigates and an aircraft carrier before achieving higher command. He was First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in the late 1970s and in that role he worked hard to secure a decent wage for servicemen and helped win them a 32% pay rise. He went on to be Chief of the Defence Staff during the Falklands War, serving as chief war planner and as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's chief advisor during the war. He was also the first Chief of Defence Staff to act as professional head of the Armed Forces rather than just Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Conyers Leach, was a Royal Navy officer who, as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff during the early 1980s, was instrumental in convincing the British prime minister Margaret Thatcher that retaking the Falkland Islands from Argentina was feasible. On account of the determination he showed in the matter, journalist and political commentator Andrew Marr described him as Thatcher's "knight in shining gold braid".
British Forces Gibraltar constitute those elements of the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopover for aircraft and ships en route to and from deployments East of Suez or in Africa.
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The Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) formerly the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation and Carrier Strike) is a senior Royal Navy appointment responsible for naval aviation. The post is also the successor to the Royal Navy's Flag Officer for naval aviation in the British Isles, established since 1939.
Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1970 to 1979. However, its antecedents date to 1931.
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The Commander Littoral Strike Group (COMLSG) is a senior British Royal Navy Amphibious warfare appointment. COMLSG, who is based in Stonehouse Barracks, Stonehouse, Plymouth, reports to Commander United Kingdom Strike Force. It was first established in 1971 as Commodore Amphibious Warfare.
Commodore Michael Cecil Clapp, is a retired senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the United Kingdom's amphibious assault group, Task Group 317.0, in the Falklands War.
Rear-admiral Sir Peter George Valentin Dingemans, was a former Royal Navy officer who was captain of HMS Intrepid during the Falklands War and went on to become Chief of staff to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet.
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