New face in charge on the Rock

There’s a new name in charge of British forces in Gibraltar after Commodore Tim Henry handed over reigns on the Rock to his successor Commodore Steve Dainton.

The former Commanding Officer of HMS Ocean and Portland stood down after 22 months in the UK’s Mediterranean bastion, to take up a senior post at NATO’s headquarters in Belgium.

A socially-distanced supersession ceremony involving military and civilian personnel at Gibraltar’s historic Tower headquarters as the new commander was welcomed and inspected the Royal Gibraltar Regiment’s Guard of Honour.

Commodore Henry left The Tower aboard patrol boat HMS Sabre with his wife and daughter aboard, waved off by staff and escorted by Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron vessels HMS Scimitar, Pursuer and Dasher, plus boats from the Gibraltar Defence Police maritime section.

Commodore Dainton arrives on the Rock after attending the Royal College of Defence Studies and, before that, commanding the RN’s key operations in the Middle East as UK Maritime Component Commander for two years, dealing with terrorism, piracy and maritime security operations.

“I am delighted to have arrived in Gibraltar, taking over as Commander British Forces,” he told his new staff. “It is an honour and a privilege to be here and I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”