Emotional Royal Navy Commanding Officer steps aside from base

Emotional Royal Navy sailors bid farewell to the Commanding Officer of their Royal Navy base.

Captain Tim Davey has stepped aside from his role at the helm of HMS Collingwood in Fareham. He leaves on promotion to Commodore, having served in the role since October 2022.

A traditional ceremony was held at the Newgate Lane shore establishment to mark the handover of command to Captain John Cromie. “I would like to express my sincere thanks to every member of this outstanding training establishment,” Capt Davey said.

“It has been a privilege to lead such a dedicated, capable and resilient team – military, civil service, and contractors alike – who together deliver an operationally vital output for the Royal Navy every single day. Thank you – I wish you all continued success and send the very best wises and good luck to my successor.”

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Musicians from the Royal Marines Band Service escorted Capt Davey as he left the base for the final time. Sailors gave him a guard of honour as he departed. Following his promotion, he will assume the role of Commander British Forces Gibraltar later this year.

Captain Cromie will be responsible for enabling the primary output of the establishment, which is the delivery of Warfare and Weapon Engineering training for Royal Navy Officers and Ratings.

He said: “It is an honour to assume command of HMS Collingwood and the Maritime Warfare School. Preparing our Sailors and Officers to meet the demands of the front line is a huge privilege. I am inspired by the ability, skill, and dedication of our people and look forward to the challenges ahead.”

Here are a selection of pictures from the ceremony itself.