Rear Admiral Ian Alexander Hunter CB Royal New Zealand Navy

Ian Hunter joined he RNZN in 1957 and trained at BRNC. After service in various RNZN ships, he specialised  in TAS. He was the Royal Navy Diving and Mine Disposal Officer for Northern Island in 1966. In 1970 he was XO of HMNZS Blackpool when she was returned to the RN. He was then part of the commissioning crew of HMNZS Canterbury in 1971 as Operations Officer. He was later XO of Canterbury in 1974-76 during her very successful deployment to Pearl Harbour and Canada. He commanded HMNZS Waikato from 1979 until 1981. Posted to Naval Staff he was DNOPs during the Falklands War and was very involved in the support the RNZN provided particularly communications through the RNZN Communications Centre at Irirangi. He also organised the first deployment of RNZN frigates to the Amarilla Patrol. He then commissioned HMNZS Southland (formally Dido) in 1982 as Captain F11. In 1985 He attended RCDS. He was promoted Commodore in 1987 as ACDS (Plans). He was Commodore Auckland from January 1988 until March 1991. Promoted Rear Admiral he was Chief of Naval Staff from March 1991 until April 1994 when he retired. In retirement he was a trustee and Chair of the Wellington Civic Trust and a trustee of the Wellington Museums Trust. He had a high intellect and was very involved in many of the plans for force development of the RNZN in the 1980’s. His oral history held by the RNZN Museum gives a very good history of this period. As a Junior Officer was a wonderful superior willing to delegate and take his officers into his confidence. He would also actively seek the opinions of his Officers and Senior Rates. When XO of Blackpool given his propensity to trip over things hence the nickname Trips or Crash, he was presented with a pair of Steaming Boots. One was painted red the other green and they were complete with Navigation lights.After he retired, I would catch up with him occasionally, before his health deteriorated, and he was always stimulating company.