HMS Ledbury

Military experience

Lieutenant Commander Anthony (Tony) Williams was born in Shropshire and joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer in 1994. Following training in HM Ships Leeds Castle and Brilliant, he embarked on his first complement appointment as the Gunnery Officer of HMS Shetland, part of the Fishery Protection Squadron, enforcing EU Legislation within British Fishery Limits.

Tony successfully completed Fighter Controller (FC) Training in 2000 and was subsequently appointed FC1 HMS Gloucester during which time the Ship deployed for 6 months, escorting HMS Illustrious in the Arabian Gulf during Op Southern Watch. He was then appointed as one of the 899 Naval Air Squadron Fighter Controllers before becoming an Instructor at the Royal Navy School of Fighter Control.

Selected for Command as a Lieutenant, Tony returned to the Fishery Protection Squadron in 2005 as the Executive Officer of HMS Tyne. Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) training followed and he qualified as a PWO (Above Water) in 2007. He was appointed to HMS Iron Duke as PWO and later as Operations Officer, emerging from refit and undertaking a hugely busy and rewarding deployment to the Caribbean and Falkland Islands in 2008. During this period, HMS Iron Duke hosted Prince William during his Naval training and rendered significant Disaster Relief support to the Turks and Caicos Islands following the devastating effects of the passage of Hurricane Ike.

Tony’s most recent appointment was to the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood where he had day to day responsibility for the operational delivery of the UK Counter Piracy effort and Counter Terrorism capacity building overseas.

He assumed Command of MCM2 Crew 7 and HMS Ledbury in April 2011.

Tony is married and has a young family. His interests include reading, history and keeping fit.