Rear Admiral Edward Courtney (‘Ted’) Thorne CB, CBE

EC Thorne joined the RNZN in October 1941 and was one of the first four RNZN Special Entry Cadets to join Dartmouth in January 1942.  He specialised as a Communicator in 1947.He commanded the Loch Class Frigate Pukaki., the Type 12 Otago and was the first CO of Waikato the RNZN’s First Leander Class. He served on exchange with the RN as Squadron Communications Officer to MS2 in HMS Fierce and as Fleet Communications Officer for C in C Far East. He was Head of the NZ Defence Liaison Staff London between 1968 and 1972. He was Chief of Naval Staff between July 1972 and December 1975.