| Commander J S M Richardson, DSO,
Royal Naval Reserve 1963-1965 |
 |
Captain J S M Richardson,
DSO RN was recalled from naval retirement and was appointed
as a Commander Royal Naval Reserve, to establish at Chatham
a Local Command Headquarters, to be staffed by local Naval Reservists
with the purpose of providing assistance to the Area Flag Officer
(F.O. Medway) during times of tension and war. He officially
took up his appointment in September 1963 and his first Reserve
Officers joined later that year. Ratings were recruited early
in 1964 and the very first New Entry Class joined on 23rd April
1964. HMS Wildfire was commissioned on 10th September 1964.
Commander Richardson was a local man from Sheerness. He also
served there as a Lieutenant in the newly recommissioned HMS
Wildfire in 1937. The September 1937 "Wildfire Magazine"
records that 'Lieutenant Richardson was one of the Officers
selected to line the streets of London, and both he and the
Captain received the Coronation Medal'. It is believed that
it was from this connection that Wildfire was taken as the ship's
name. Commander Richardson "returned" to naval retirement
in 1965 in the rank of Captain RN. Captain Richardson won the
Distinguished Service Order in 1940 for his part in the sinking
of an Italian Destroyer in the Gulf. He was also mentioned in
despatches. He served after the war as Deputy Director of Operations
at the Admiralty for 4 years before his first retirement. |
| Commander J A Stroud, RD, Royal
Naval Reserve 1965-1969 |
 |
Commander Stroud joined
the Royal Navy as a Cadet in January 1944 and saw war service
in the Far East before specialising in Communications during
1950. He then served in the Portland Training Squadron and HMS
Eagle before returning to HMS Mercury, the Royal Naval Signal
School, on the Instructional Staff, in 1954. He left the Royal
Navy in 1955 and joined London Division RNR in 1957. He transferred
to HMS Wildfire as Executive Officer in 1964. He was promoted
Commander in 1965. |
| Commander John L H Davies, VRD*,
Royal Naval Reserve 1969-1974 |
 |
Commander Davies enrolled
in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during January 1943 as
a Stores Assistant and saw full time service with the Royal
Navy in the Pacific Station, principally around Australia. He
was de-mobbed in September 1947 as a Leading Stores Assistant
and joined Solent Division RNVR in December 1948. He was promoted
Probationary Sub Lieutenant (Supply) on 26th May 1951. He was
seconded to HMS Wildfire in October 1963 as a Lieutenant Commander
(Supply) with responsibility for setting up the administration
of the new RNR Headquarters Unit. After having held various
other appointments at Wildfire he was promoted Commander in
June 1966 and succeeded to Command in 1969. He transferred to
the retired list in 1978, but has been recalled to service on
several occasions, serving as NCSO Avonmouth, Swansea and Plymouth
and as SBO London more recently. He swallowed the anchor in
1988 having been in uniform for 45 years. |
Commander Ralph G Sheffield, OBE
VRD*, Royal Naval Reserve 1974-1977
|
 |
Commander Sheffield
joined the Royal Navy at the outbreak of the Second World War
and saw seven full years of war service. Commissioned as a Sub
Lieutenant in 1940 and promoted Lieutenant in 1942 he saw service
as First Lieutenant of HM Corvettes Primrose and Amarathus.
He also saw service in HMS Klildwick (a KIL Class frigate).
He was Commanding Officer of HMS Lady Elsa (A/S Admiralty Trawler).
After the war he became a member of the RNV(S)R and was promoted
Lieutenant Commander in 1960. He was Executive Officer of HMS
Wildfire in 1973 and on promotion to Commander in 1974 he succeeded
to Command. He was awarded the OBE (Military) in 1977 in recognition
of his service to the RNR and HMS Wildfire in particular. Now
retired from his duties as the Secretary of Hambros Bank he
spends his time variously as a Director of the White Ensign
Association and as a Governor of the Royal Naval Girls School. |
| Commander David Gibbons, RD, Royal
Naval Reserve 1977-1980 |
 |
Commander Gibbons first
went to sea in 1948 as a Deck Apprentice with Alfred Holt &
Co. of Liverpool, having completed two years pre-sea training
at the Thames Nautical Training College HMS Worcester. Having
obtained his Masters Ticket in 1958 he left the sea and entered
the Ports industry as an Operation Officer for the Medway Ports
Authority, at their Port Operations Centre at Sheerness, formerly
the old Admiralty Signal Station. He joined the RNR as a Sub
Lieutenant at HMS Wildfire in 1964. He held the position of
both First Lieutenant and Executive Officer before taking command
as a Commander in February 1977. In 1965 he was appointed Harbour
Master of the Medway Ports Authority, having gained experience
as a diver in salvage work and as the Hydrographic Surveyor
of the MPA. |
| Commander Terry D. Lilley, RD*,
Royal Naval Reserve 1980-1983 |
 |
Commander Lilley was
born in South Shields and joined the British India Line as a
Cadet with "Chindwara" in 1950. On passing his second
Mates Certificate he joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1954
and transferred to the Royal Mail Lines, sailing as Fourth Officer
in the Liner RMS Andes. His period of naval training included
four months with the fast Minelayer HMS Apollo during 1957.
He qualified as a Master Mariner in 1960. On leaving the Merchant
Marine he joined London Division RNR and was involved with Mine
Counter Measures until 1970. On transfer to HMS Wildfire he
specialised in Naval Control of Shipping. After a period of
service as the Executive Officer he was promoted to Commander
and assumed command in 1980. |
| Commander Derek Stoyles, RD, Royal
Naval Reserve 1983-1986 |
 |
Commander Stoyles first
went to sea in 1950 as a Deck Apprentice with the BP Tanker
Company, having undertaken a years pre-sea training at King
Edward VII Nautical College. In 1960 having attained his Masters
Foreign Going Certificate he left the sea and entered the Ports
industry as an Operational Officer with the Medway Conservancy
Board. His duties were located in the old Admiralty Signal Station
at Sheerness. He was commissioned a Sub Lieutenant in 1966 and
joined the RNR at HMS Wildfire, the then Local Command Headquarters
Unit at Chatham. After a variety of appointments he was appointed
as First Lieutenant and subsequently as Executive Officer. He
was promoted Commander in 1982 and became Commanding Officer
in 1983. During his RNR career he has specialised as a Mine
Countermeasures Officer and a Naval Control of Shipping Officer.
His last appointment being that of SONCS Humber. In professional
life his is a Fellow of the Guild of Surveyors, and Pilotage
Manager of MPA Pilots Ltd. |
| Commander Andy Kirby, RD, Royal
Naval Reserve 1986-1989 |
 |
Commander Kirby joined
the Royal Naval Reserve in 1965 as a Stores Assistant. He was
commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant (Supply & Secretariat)
in the Tay Division RNR during 1966. On moving to Cardiff in
1968 to undertake post graduate studies at the University of
Wales he transferred to HMS Cambria, South Wales Division RNR.
On moving to Kent he joined London Division RNR, transferring
to HMS Wildfire in 1972. He transferred to the Naval Control
of Shipping Branch at that time and served in a variety of appointments
including Training Officer. During 1981 he undertook a Merchant
Navy/RN R liaison cruise in SS Canberra. He was awarded the
Reserve Decoration in 1981. During 1982 he was promoted Commander
and SONCS COMGIBMED. From 1984 to 1986 he was Executive Officer
at HMS Wildfire before taking command in May 1986. He continues
to be active in the Naval Control of Shipping World. In May
1989 he was succeeded by Commander Christopher Lee. |
.gif)
