This month’s talk is on Thursday 14 October at 1900 and ARNO members can join here.

Guest Speaker Rear Admiral Matthew Parr CB was appointed HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services in July 2017 when the remit was extended to include those services. Brought up in London, he now lives in the West Country but is responsible for the forces based in the capital, the national special forces and those in Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.

Rear Adm Parr joined the Royal Navy in 1984. He completed the Submarine Command Course in 1993 and then became Executive Officer of the submarine HMS Triumph. He became an Operations Officer at Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood in 1995 and was then given command of the submarine HMS Trafalgar in 1997.

He went on to become Commanding Officer of the frigate HMS Montrose as well as Captain of the 6th Frigate Squadron in 2001, Deputy Flag Officer Sea Training at Plymouth in 2003 and then returned to Northwood to join the Fleet Operations in 2005. He went on to be Commander, British Forces Gibraltar in May 2007, Director of Operational Capability at the Ministry of Defence in March 2009, and Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff in December 2010. He became Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in December 2011, which was re-designated Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) in April 2012, and Commander Operations and Rear Admiral, Submarines in May 2013. He retired from the Royal Navy in April 2016.