Rear Admiral Davyd Rhys Thomas

Davyd Rhys Thomas was born and raised in Newcastle and joined the Navy in 1974. A graduate of the RAN College, he served as a Seaman Officer in a wide variety of platforms, including patrol boats, guided missile destroyers, destroyer escorts and guided missile frigates. As a Principal Warfare Officer (PWO), he specialised in above water warfare. Davyd Thomas had command of the guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin, for which he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) in 1997, and also HMAS Newcastle for Operation SLIPPER in the Persian Gulf, for which he was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service on Australia Day, 2003.

Davyd Thomas was promoted to Commodore in 2002, and his senior appointments included Commodore Flotillas, Maritime Commander (later re-named Commander Australian Fleet), and Commander of the Australian Defence College. Rear Admiral Thomas is a graduate of the US Naval Command College and has completed a Masters of Science (Management) at Salve Regina University, Newport RI. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2002 and promoted to an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2009 for "distinguished service as Commodore Flotillas, Maritime Commander Australia and Commander of the Australian Defence College".

Rear Admiral Thomas was appointed as the Deputy Chief of Navy in 2008 and retired from RAN in early 2011.