Philip Jones (Royal Navy officer)

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Sir Philip Jones
Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones, Fleet Commander RN.jpg
Sir Philip Jones
Born (1960-02-14) 14 February 1960 (age 64)
Bebington, Wirral[1]
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Years of service 1980 –
Rank Admiral
Commands held HMS Beaver
HMS Coventry
Amphibious Task Group
Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
First Sea Lord
Battles/wars Falklands War
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

Admiral Sir Philip Andrew Jones KCB, ADC, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , (born 14 February 1960) is a senior Royal Navy officer. After service in the South Atlantic in 1982 during the Falklands War, he commanded the frigates HMS Beaver and HMS Coventry. He went on to be Flag Officer, Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland, Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff before being appointed Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. Jones took over as First Sea Lord on 8 April 2016.

Early life and education

Jones was born on 14 February 1960.[2] He is the son of Edgar Jones and Lilian Jones (née Peters).[3] He was educated at Birkenhead School, Mansfield College, Oxford and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.[4]

Naval career

HMS Fearless, the ship on which Jones saw active service during the Falklands War

Jones joined the Royal Navy as a sub-lieutenant on 1 May 1980.[5] He saw active service in the South Atlantic in the amphibious assault ship HMS Fearless in 1982 during the Falklands War[6] and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 September 1982.[7] He served as a watch keeping and navigation officer in various frigates and in the Royal Yacht Britannia from 1983 until 1988 from when he served as principal warfare officer in various frigates and with the maritime battle staff.[3] Promoted to commander on 1 February 1994,[8] he was made commanding officer of the frigate HMS Beaver in 1994 and a member of the Directorate of Navy Plans in the Ministry of Defence in 1997.[6]

HMS Coventry, a ship which Jones commanded

Promoted to captain on 31 December 1999,[9] Jones became commanding officer of the frigate HMS Coventry as well as Captain of the 1st Frigate Squadron that same month.[10] He went on to be Military Assistant to the Chief of Defence Logistics in 2002, Director of the Joint Maritime Operational Training Staff in 2003 and Assistant Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 2004.[4] Promoted to commodore on 13 December 2004,[11] he became commander of the Amphibious Task Group in August 2006.[4] Appointed an aide-de-camp to the Queen on 1 August 2006,[12] he was promoted to rear admiral on 14 February 2008[13] and made Flag Officer, Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland that same month.[14] Following his appointment as Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces in September 2008, he was given command of the European Union’s first naval task force assembled to protect international shipping in the waters off Somalia in December 2008.[15] He was made Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in June 2009.[16]

Jones was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2012 New Year Honours.[17][18] He was promoted to vice admiral[19] and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Chief of Staff Navy Command Headquarters on 13 December 2011.[20] His post was re-designated Deputy Fleet Commander in April 2012 and he became Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff on 30 November 2012.[21] It was reported on 29 January 2016 that Jones would be promoted admiral and assume the position of First Sea Lord in April 2016.[22][23] Jones handed over his duties of Fleet Commander to Vice Admiral Ben Key on 10 February 2016[24] and took over as First Sea Lord on 8 April 2016.[25]

Jones was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 Birthday Honours.[26]

Family and personal

In 1987 Jones married Elizabeth Collins; they have one son and two daughters.[3] His interests include sports, reading and hill walking.[3]

Honours and Awards

Order of the Bath UK ribbon.png Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) 2014[26]
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) 2012[17]
South Atlantic Medal BAR.svg with one clasp South Atlantic Medal 1982[6]
General Service Medal 1962 BAR.svg General Service Medal (1962) unknown
NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar.svg with one clasp NATO medal for the former Yugoslavia unknown
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon.png Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 2002
QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.png Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012

Jones also received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 1993.[27]

References

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  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Who's Who 2010, A & C Black, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4081-1414-8
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49296. p. 3971. 22 March 1983. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49344. p. 6318. 9 May 1983. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  8. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 53562. p. 1515. 31 January 1994. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  9. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 55728. p. 217. 11 January 2000. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57502. p. 15981. 21 December 2004. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  12. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58070. p. 11139. 15 August 2006.
  13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 58608. p. 2091. 12 February 2008.
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  17. 17.0 17.1 The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60009. p. 2. 31 December 2011.
  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60006. p. 24681. 28 December 2011.
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  26. 26.0 26.1 The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 60895. p. b3. 14 June 2014.
  27. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Military offices
Preceded by Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland
February 2008 – September 2008
Succeeded by
Martin Alabaster
Preceded by Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
2008–2009
Succeeded by
Peter Hudson
Preceded by Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
2009–2011
Succeeded by
Matthew Parr
Preceded by Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet
2011–2012
Succeeded by
Post disbanded
Preceded by
New post
Deputy Fleet Commander
2012
Succeeded by
Vacant
Preceded by Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
2012–2016
Succeeded by
Ben Key
Preceded by First Sea Lord
2016–
Succeeded by
Incumbent