Royal Navy farewells longest serving Naval Base Commander

The Royal Navy has bid farewell to a Commodore who became longest serving naval base commander “since the Napoleonic era.”

Commodore Jeremy Rigby spent six years as commander of Naval Base Portsmouth and served for 37 years in the Royal Navy.

Handing over the reins to Commodore Jim Higham who will take over the position of Naval Base Commander with immediate effect, Commodore Rigby said:

“I have had the immense good fortune to have enjoyed six years as the Naval Base Commander.

“It is the people that make this Naval Base both successful and such a great place in which to work. The future couldn’t be brighter.

“We know we have the Type 45s here; we will have at least one class of the frigates based here; the carriers will be here and we will be looking after the minehunters.”

Appointed as Captain of the Base in 2011 and promoted to Naval Base Commander (Portsmouth) in 2012, Cdre Rigby cites HMS Queen Elizabeth’s first entry to the base as his highlight in the role.

“The transformation of the Ship Hall into the Minor War Vessels Centre of Specialisation and the first minehunters going in for deep maintenance, delivering the 15 Dock regeneration project, and the work to establish the Centre of Specialisation for Frigates and Destroyers have also been significant milestones” said Cdre Rigby.

When asked what the Commodore will do next he said: “I am going to have some time off working in the garden, have a gap year and go travelling around South America and the Himalayas.

“Then I might come back and find something rewarding like a charity to work for.”