New Queen’s Harbour Master worked in NATO and Defence Intelligence

Lieutenant Commander Jon Taylor has taken over from Commander Dave Goodman as the new Queen’s Harbour Master, at HMNB Gibraltar.

Expecting to retire in 2014 he was assigned to the NATO Joint Warfare Centre, Stavanger, Norway as the Staff Training Officer where he was responsible for facilitating, coordinating, allocation and funding of individual training requirements for 250 HQ multi-national military and civilian personnel.

This year he was selected for a Career Extension to 60 and was subsequently assigned to HQBF Gibraltar.

In the past he has worked for Defence Intelligence in London having served on a variety of ships and submarines with the experience of also having served as the Submarine Communications Officer at NATO Headquarters.

Born and educated in Fareham, England Jon joined the Royal Navy in 1979 at the height of the Cold War and after initial training at HMS Raleigh and Mercury he joined the submarine service as a Radio Communicator.

Serving on Porpoise and Oberon SSK class submarines he spent the majority of the next 14 years on patrol in the North Atlantic and its connecting seas on clandestine operations against the former Soviet Union.

The only break from these operations was time spent in the South Atlantic for ‘Op Corporate’ for directed operations against Argentina post the successful restoration of British control of the Falkland Islands in 1982.

Selected for the Admiralty Interview Board in 1993 and graduating from Britannia Royal Naval College in 1994 with a commission.

On promotion to Sub-Lieutenant he served on a variety of ships and submarines including Hunt Class MCMV, T22 frigate, SSN’s and a SSBN completing Intermediate Warfare Course qualifying as a submarine navigator between assignments.

On promotion to Lieutenant and post Initial Staff Course at the Defence College Bracknell in 2000 he was assigned as the Submarine Communications Officer at NATO Headquarters, Northwood where notably he was part of the UK submarine rescue team efforts for the Russian Oscar II class submarine Kursk.

Three years later he was selected for promotion to Lieutenant Commander and assigned to Defence Intelligence in London.

Despite a desk in town most of his time was spent at sea on a plethora of UK SSN’s as the command advisor heading up a highly effective intelligence team specially embarked for I&W duties.

In 2008 he was assigned as the Executive Officer of HMS FLYING FOX, a reserve training unit in Bristol. This appointment was cut short in early 2009 when at extremely short notice he took up the post as the Executive Officer PJHQ J3 CMSA, the Royal Navy Submarine TLAM support activity.

The focus of this assignment was to provide TLAM mission planning and execution for the UK contribution to Operation Ellamy, the UK military intervention in Libya. He was responsible for the authorisation of UK missions as part of the initial UK/USA coordinated missile strike against Libya.

In 2011 he was assigned to the Naval Ocean Processing Facility, Dam Neck USA as the Operations Officer. This bi-lateral UK / US operation offered the opportunity of operating for a US Command.

He is married to Jill with three mature children from a previous marriage, his interests are family, Jaguar cars, motor racing, sailing, walking and most importantly enjoying life.