Lieutenant Commander Alan Parton

Lieutenant Commander Alan Parton is from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England and was born in 1961. He left school in 1977 and joined the Royal Navy, aged 16 years and 9 days, as a Junior Marine Engineer Mechanic. After basic training and trade school Alan served on several ships including HMA Amazon, HMS Peterel, HMS Herald and HMS Egeria before transferring category to Clearance Diver in 1986. Postings to HMS Bronington, HMS Nurton and HMS Chiddingfold followed along with shore postings to several Clearance Diving teams including Fleet Diving Unit 2 the worldwide operations team.

In early 1997 Alan was successful in selection for transfer to Special Duties Naval Officer and attended Britannia Royal Naval College that same year graduating in December as a Sub Lieutenant. Sea postings to HMS Orkney and HMS Invincible saw Alan gain his Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate before undertaking specialist Mine Warfare Officer training at HMS Dryad and subsequent appointment as Operations Officer on HMS Bridport and as Executive Officer on HMS Bangor with an additional operational relief posting as Executive Officer to HMS Penzance.

In 2007 Alan left the Royal Navy and joined the Royal Australian Navy where he has served as Executive Officer HMAS Gascoyne and, after a posting ashore with a brief operational relief posting to HMAS Diamantina, he returned to serve as Commanding Officer of HMAS Gascoyne where again serving an operational relief posting to HMAS Diamantina as temporary Commanding Officer.

Post HMAS Gascoyne Alan served ashore as Superintendent of Diving, located within the MCDGRP, before his selection for command of HMAS Huon in January 2018.

Alan has served in several theatres of operation both at sea, conducting WWI and WWII mine disposal and action in the Second Gulf war; and ashore, most notably a NATO secondment to Kabul, Afghanistan.