Donald Chalmers

Donald Bruce Chalmers
Donald Bruce Chalmers
Born	29 April 1942 (age 82); Young, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Royal Australian Navy
Years of service	1958–1999
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	Chief of Navy (1997–99); Maritime Commander Australia (1993–95); Royal Australian Navy Task Group, Gulf War (1990); HMAS Perth (1981–83)
Battles / wars	Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation; Gulf War
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia; Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States); Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand

Vice Admiral Donald Bruce Chalmers, AO (born 29 April 1942) is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), who served as Chief of Navy from 1997 to 1999.

Early life

Chalmers was born on 29 April 1942 in Young, New South Wales, to Donald Lisle Chalmers and Constance (née Eagles).^[1]

Chalmers joined the RAN in 1958 and chose to specialise in navigation.^[2] He served in HMAS Yarra and HMAS Parramatta during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation in the mid-1960s and went on to command HMAS Perth from 1981 to 1983.^[1]^[2] He was awarded the National Medal in 1977.^[3] In 1988, he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.^[2] He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1992 in recognition of his services as Commander of the first Royal Australian Navy Task Group during the Gulf War.^[4] He was appointed Maritime Commander Australia in December 1993, Assistant Chief of Defence Force responsible for Australian Defence Force development and international defence relationships in April 1995, and finally Chief of Navy in July 1997.^[2] He was awarded the Legion of Merit by the United States Government in 1998 and retired in July 1999.^[2]

^ ^a ^b Singh 2010
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Defence Honours Tribunal". Archived from the original on 22 April 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2010.
^ It's an honour – National Medal
^ "It's an honour – Order of Australia". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2010.

Singh, Shivani (2010). Who's Who in Australia 2010. Melbourne, Australia: Crown Content. ISBN 978-1-74095-172-2.

Military offices
Preceded by Vice Admiral Rodney Taylor	Chief of Navy 1997–1999	Succeeded by Vice Admiral David Shackleton
Preceded by Rear Admiral Robert Walls	Maritime Commander Australia 1993–1995	Succeeded by Rear Admiral Chris Oxenbould

v t e Chiefs of the Royal Australian Navy
Director, Commonwealth Naval Forces	Sir William Rooke Creswell
First Naval Members, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board	Sir William Rooke Creswell Sir Percy Grant Sir Allan Everett Percival Hall-Thompson William Napier Sir William Munro Kerr Sir George Hyde Sir Ragnar Colvin Sir Guy Royle Sir Louis Keppel Hamilton Sir John Augustine Collins Sir Roy Dowling Sir Henry Burrell Sir Hastings Harrington Sir Alan McNicoll Sir Victor Smith Sir Richard Peek Sir David Stevenson
Chiefs of the Naval Staff	Sir Anthony Synnot Sir James Willis David Leach Michael Hudson Ian MacDougall Rodney Taylor
Chiefs of Navy	Rodney Taylor Donald Chalmers David Shackleton Chris Ritchie Russ Shalders Russell Crane Raymond Griggs Timothy Barrett Michael Noonan Mark Hammond

v t e Fleet Commanders of the Royal Australian Navy
Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet	Sir George Patey Sir William Pakenham Arthur Leveson Sir Lionel Halsey John Dumaresq Albert Addison Thomas Wardle
Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron	George Hyde Edward Evans Leonard Holbrook Robin Dalglish Wilbraham Ford Richard Lane-Poole Wilfred Custance Wilfrid Patterson John Crace Victor Crutchley John Collins Charles Nichols Harold Farncomb John Collins Harold Farncomb
Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet	John Eccles John Eaton Roy Dowling Henry Burrell David Harries Henry Burrell Galfry Gatacre Hastings Harrington Alan McNicoll Otto Becher Thomas Morrison Victor Smith Richard Peek Gordon Crabb David Stevenson William Dovers David Stevenson William Dovers Anthony Synnot David Wells Geoffrey Gladstone Neil McDonald James Willis David Leach Peter Doyle John Stevens Michael Hudson Geoffrey Woolrych Ian Knox Peter Sinclair
Maritime Commander Australia	Peter Sinclair Ian MacDougall Ken Doolan Robert Walls Donald Chalmers Chris Oxenbould Chris Ritchie John Lord Geoffrey Smith Raydon Gates Rowan Moffitt Davyd Thomas
Commander Australian Fleet	Davyd Thomas Nigel Coates Steve Gilmore Tim Barrett Stuart Mayer Jonathan Mead Mark Hammond Jonathan Earley