Advisory Board Member

Rear Admiral D.R. Thomas AM, CSC, RAN
Deputy Chief of Navy

Davyd Thomas was born in Newcastle NSW and joined the RAN College from that city in 1974. After gaining a Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in 1978 he served as Executive Officer of HMAS AWARE, a Darwin based patrol boat.

Promoted to Lieutenant in 1979 he commenced his warfare training and served in HMAS BRISBANE before a short stint on the staff at the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment prior to professional warfare specialist training in the United Kingdom during 1983. Upon return to Australia, he served as the Operations Officer HMAS VAMPIRE and in HMAS PERTH as Gunnery Officer. He then completed the RAN Staff Course in 1987 and was subsequently employed as the Surface Weapons Trials Officer at the RAN's Test and Evaluation Centre in Sydney.

He was then posted as Executive Officer of HMAS ADELAIDE, FFG 01, and participated in the first RAN contingent to the Persian Gulf in 1990 as part of Operation Desert Shield. He was awarded the Australian Service Medal and promoted to Commander in December 1990.

He then served in Western Australia as the Operations Officer at Fleet Base West. In September 1994, Commander Thomas assumed command of HMAS DARWIN, FFG 04, based on the West Coast.

In July 1996 he attended the US Naval Command College, as part of NCC Class of 1997, and then completed a Masters of Science (Management) at Salve Regina University, Newport RI. He was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross on Australia Day 1997 and was promoted to Captain in July of that same year. Captain Thomas returned to Australia in January 1998 to take up his posting within the Strategic Command Division of ADHQ as the Director of Joint Planning. March 1999 saw him posted as Director of Naval Officers' Postings until assuming command of HMAS NEWCASTLE, FFG 06, in March 2001.

As the Commanding Officer of NEWCASTLE during OPERATION SLIPPER in the Persian Gulf Captain Thomas conducted maritime interdiction in support coalition forces enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq. For this he was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in June 2003, and received the Australian Active Service Medal in February 2002 as part of the International Coalition Against Terrorism.

He was promoted to the rank of Commodore and made a Member of the Order of Australia mid 2002. Appointed to the position of Director General Navy Capability Performance and Plans at Russell Offices Canberra in August 2002, he was also appointed Head of the Surface Warfare Community later that year.

CDRE Thomas assumed the position of Commodore Flotillas and Commander Deployable Joint Force Headquarters (Maritime) in February 2004.

He was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed to the position of Maritime Commander Australia in July 2005, prior to becoming the Commander Australian Fleet 01 February 2007. In August 2007, he was appointed as the Commander, Australian Defence College in Canberra, ACT.

Rear Admiral Thomas was appointed as Deputy Chief of Navy on 6 June 2008.