UK: Devonport Naval Base Gets New Commodore

Commodore Little takes over from Commodore Stephen Dearden who is leaving the Royal Navy after 34 years service to take up a post with Rolls-Royce in Derby.

Commodore Little joins Devonport following a course at the Royal College of Defence Studies where he was promoted to Commodore. He joined the Royal Navy in 1984. Following an initial training route, which included a first degree at the Royal Naval Engineering College (RNEC), Manadon, he took up his first sea appointment in 1990 in the Type 42 destroyer HMS Birmingham as Deputy Marine Engineering Officer.

After the award of his Charge Qualification, and a brief time as 1st Lieutenant at Whale Island in Portsmouth, he read for an MSc in Electrical Engineering at the RNEC. In 1997 he joined Plymouth based frigate HMS Sutherland in build as the first Marine Engineering Officer, staying with the Ship until the end of its first Operational Deployment.

More recently Commodore Little was based at Abbey Wood near Bristol within the Defence Equipment & Support Organisation as the Capital Ships Team Leader, with direct responsibility for delivering operational availability, safety, complex upkeep projects and disposals.

Commodore Little said on his appointment:

“Returning to Plymouth with my family has been a long held ambition and it is the utmost privilege to be doing so in command of the Naval Base.

“Devonport is clearly a vibrant and very effective Naval Base providing excellent levels of support to current and future operations. The longer term commitment is also very evident with significant investment in modernising facilities and infrastructure to better position Devonport to support today’s Royal Navy and the modern Royal Navy of the future.

“I very much look forward to working with the city and industry partners and to have the opportunity to be part of the next phase of the Devonport story.”

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Naval Today Staff, August 2, 2012; Image: Royal Navy