Philip Jones (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Philip Jones
Sir Philip Jones
Born	(1960-02-14) 14 February 1960 Bebington, Wirral[1]
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1980 –
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	First Sea Lord Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland Amphibious Task Group HMS Coventry HMS Beaver
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

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

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

References

First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy
First Naval Lords (1828–1904)	Sir George Cockburn Sir Thomas Hardy The Hon. George Dundas Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir Charles Adam Sir George Cockburn Sir William Parker Sir Charles Adam Sir James Dundas The Hon. Maurice Berkeley Hyde Parker The Hon. Maurice Berkeley The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas William Martin The Hon. Sir Richard Dundas The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey Sir Alexander Milne Sir Sydney Dacres Sir Alexander Milne Sir Hastings Yelverton Sir George Wellesley Sir Astley Key Sir Arthur Hood Lord John Hay Sir Arthur Hood Sir Richard Hamilton Sir Anthony Hoskins Sir Frederick Richards Lord Walter Kerr
First Sea Lords (1904–present)	Sir John Fisher Sir Arthur Wilson Sir Francis Bridgeman Prince Louis of Battenberg The Lord Fisher Sir Henry Jackson Sir John Jellicoe Sir Rosslyn Wemyss The Earl Beatty Sir Charles Madden, Bt Sir Frederick Field The Lord Chatfield Sir Roger Backhouse Sir Dudley Pound The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope Sir John Cunningham The Lord Fraser of North Cape Sir Rhoderick McGrigor The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Sir Charles Lambe Sir Caspar John Sir David Luce Sir Varyl Begg Sir Michael Le Fanu Sir Peter Hill-Norton Sir Michael Pollock Sir Edward Ashmore Sir Terence Lewin Sir Henry Leach Sir John Fieldhouse Sir William Staveley Sir Julian Oswald Sir Benjamin Bathurst Sir Jock Slater Sir Michael Boyce Sir Nigel Essenhigh Sir Alan West Sir Jonathon Band Sir Mark Stanhope Sir George Zambellas Sir Philip Jones

United Kingdom Chiefs of Staff Committee
Sir Stuart Peach (Chief of the Defence Staff) Sir Gordon Messenger (Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff) Sir Philip Jones (Royal Navy) Sir Nick Carter (British Army) Sir Stephen Hillier (Royal Air Force) Sir Christopher Deverell (Joint Forces Command)