The Naval Staff Directorate is a military staff directorate created in 1985 as the Directorate of Naval Staff Duties. The directorate was originally part of the British Ministry of Defence (Navy Department) and is now under the Ministry of Defence (Naval Staff) as part of Navy Command. It is currently administered by the Commodore Naval Staff now based at MOD HQ.
History
The directorate was established in November 1985 when its chief responsibilities was to provide administrative support to both the Admiralty Board and the Navy Board. Oversight of the directorate was initially the responsibility of the Office of the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff which is now the responsibility of the Office of the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) as part of Navy Command.
The directorate was administered by the Director of Naval Staff Duties from inception until June 2007 when his title was changed to Director of Naval Staff until 2014 when it was changed again to Commodore Naval Staff who in other official documents is sometimes styled as Head of Naval Staff.
The Naval Staff Directorate is currently providing support to the First Sea Lord, ACNS (Policy), and the Navy Board. Circa 2014 the directorate was supported in its role by a Secretariat.
Heads of the Directorate
Included:
Director of Naval Staff Duties
- Captain Roger C. Dimmock: JanuaryâÂÂFebruary 1985
- Captain E. S. Jeremy Larken: FebruaryâÂÂApril 1985
- Captain the Hon. Nicholas J. Hill-Norton: April 1985âÂÂJune 1987
- Captain Geoffrey W.R. Biggs: June 1987âÂÂAugust 1989
- Captain Michael C. Boyce: August 1989âÂÂApril 1991
- Captain Michael P. Gretton: April 1991âÂÂJuly 1993
- Captain Alan W.J. West: July 1993 â 1994
- Commodore John H.S. McAnally: 1994âÂÂ1995
- Commodore Christopher D. Stanford: 1995âÂÂ1997
- Brigadier Robert A. Fry. RM: 1997âÂÂ1999
- Commodore David G. Snelson: 1999âÂÂSeptember 2000
- Commodore Trevor A. Soar: September 2000âÂÂAugust 2002
- Commodore Robert G. Cooling: August 2002 â 2003
- Commodore Michael Kimmons: 2003âÂÂFebruary 2005
- Commodore Thomas A. Cunningham: February 2005âÂÂJune 2007
Director of Naval Staff
- Brigadier Francis H.R. Howes. RM: June 2007âÂÂApril 2008
- Commodore Clive C.C. Johnstone: AprilâÂÂDecember 2008
- Commodore Robert K. Tarrant: December 2008âÂÂAugust 2011
- Commodore Neil L. Brown: August 2011âÂÂNovember 2013
- Brigadier Peter S. Cameron. RM: November 2013âÂÂApril 2014
Commodore Naval Staff
- Commodore James M. Lines: April 2014âÂÂFebruary 2016
- Commodore Nicholas S. Roberts: February 2016âÂÂSeptember 2017
- Commodore Iain S. Lower: September 2017âÂÂFebruary 2020
- Commodore Paul S. Beattie February 2020 â Present
Citations
Sources
- Howard, B. M. (1985). The Civil Service Yearbook: Cabinet Office. London, England: HM Stationery Office. .
- O'Donnell, Sir Gus (2007). The Civil Service Yearbook: Cabinet Office. Nowich, England: The Stationery Office Ltd. .
- Mackie, Colin (January 2019). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. C. Mackie.
- "The Navy Directory (2017) Containing Lists of Ships, Establishments and Officers of the Fleet" (PDF). royalnavy.mod.uk. London, England: Ministry of Defence United Kingdom.