HMS Dasher

Military experience

Charles Collins was born in Birmingham and educated at Dean Close School, Cheltenham. Sponsored by the Royal Navy through University, he read Engineering in Cardiff before joining Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth as a Direct Graduate entrant in November 2004.

Early appointments included HMS Exeter on patrol in both the Baltic and carrier escort duties in the Mediterranean and HMS Pembroke as part of the NATO task group operating off Cape Verde and Sierra Leone. Completing Junior Warfare Officer Course in November 2006, he joined HMS Gloucester as an Officer of the Watch participating in the challenges of refit, subsequent trials and NATO Exercises.

Specialising in Navigation, he went on to serve in HMS Mersey conducting Fishery Protection Duties around the UK before joining the South Atlantic Corvette HMS Clyde as the Navigator in June 2009. In addition to the unique challenges of navigating in the Falkland Islands, he worked in the Joint environment with the Army and RAF overseeing the implementation and execution of HMS Clyde’s upgraded Embarked Military Forces capability.

Joining the Type 23 Frigate HMS Sutherland in early 2010 as the Navigator, he deployed to the USA with the UK Carrier Strike Group, followed by a short spell under FOST and subsequent delivery of the ship to Operation COUGAR as part of the Response Force Task Group.

On completion of Staff Course at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham he took command of HMS Raider and Bristol University Royal Naval Unit in October 2011.