British Forces Gibraltar gets a new commander as outgoing commodore sets sail for home

The outgoing Commander British Forces Gibraltar, Commodore Tom Guy, has handed over the reins to Commodore Tim Davey after his four-year stretch on the Rock.

In the tradition of all departing CBFs, Cdre Guy and his wife Katie left the base with an escort from the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron. 

The farewell ceremony involved an 11-gun salute and bagpipes serenading the couple's departure on a yacht, Flower of Caithness, according to local media. 

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Cdre Guy, who is retiring from the Royal Navy, plans to sail the yacht to the UK. 

Cdre Davey said he would be getting to grips with his new role over the first few months. 

"There's a fantastic team here that have got incredible knowledge and experience working in the headquarters and working, of course, with the government of Gibraltar and the people of Gibraltar," Cdre Davey told the Gibraltar Chronicle. 

"For me, it's about learning, particularly in those first three to six months, and understanding how I can hopefully add some value to the amazing team that already work here."

The incoming CBF Gibraltar has been in charge of the maritime services' warfighting tactics and doctrine, and before taking on this role, was HMS Collingwood's Commanding Officer. 

HMS Collingwood, the Royal Navy's largest training establishment, which celebrated 85 years of service last year, has been a cornerstone of naval training, specialising in warfare and engineering to support frontline operations. 

"That was a great job, great fun, gave me lots of experience of things like infrastructure, which is a challenge in many areas across defence," he added. 

"I've got some knowledge and experience to bring to the role. 

"But as I said, most importantly, it's the other people that I'm going to learn from here."

The Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron are the Senior Service's presence on the territory. 

The squadron uses two Cutlass-class patrol vessels, HMS Dagger and Cutlass, to patrol the waters around Gibraltar.