Commander R.T. Derbidge MBE, RAN

Ralph's seaman officer naval career spanned 36 years from RANC (1954) to Director of Facilities Planning-Navy (1990). He spent more than half of his commissioned years afloat, specialising in ballistic bedlam and serving as the Gunnery Officer of five RAN and RN ships. He had intervening tours as a Staff Officer to the Australian Naval Attache in Washington, as Deputy Director of Surface and Air Weapons and with the Joint Intelligence Organisation. He commanded HMA Ships Stuart, Canberra and Success and the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment, HMAS Nirimba.

Post-RAN, Ralph spent an interesting and memorable eleven years in Sydney serving in turn as the Executive Director of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation (NSW), Private Secretary to the Governor of New South Wales and Manager of the Royal Australian Historical Society and History House. He retired content from the workforce in March 2002.