50 years in a blue suit for our Topsy
8 Oct 2024 - MCDOA past-Secretary David ‘Topsy’ Turner has spent the best part of the past three years as New Zealand’s Defence Attaché in South Korea. Today marks his 50th year in a blue suit including 30 years in the RN and the past 20 years in the RNZN. Although he is still proudly serving, his time in the RNZN is due to end in July 2025.
Her Excellency Dawn Bennet, New Zealand's Ambassador to South Korea, has hosted a reception at her Official Residence to celebrate the occasion. It was attended by a good number of defence attachés and their spouses, ROK Navy and US Navy guests as well as a sprinkling of friends Topsy & Yvonne have made during their sojourn in Seoul. They will be leaving South Korea in two months.
Topsy's very talented NZDF Office Manager has pulled together a very impressive 'This Is Your Life' type video from a number of photos and videos which can be watched here but have your sound on.
TOPSY's BIOGRAPHY
David 'Topsy' Turner joined the Royal Navy as a 16 year-old Junior Electrical Mechanic in 1974 and was commissioned as an officer in 1978. I was his course officer when he qualified as an MCD officer at HMS VERNON, now Gunwharf Quays, in 1984 and we worked together on the Saudi minehunter project circa 1990/91.
As an officer, Topsy's ships included the Type 12 frigate HMS RHYL and the Hunt class minehunters HMS CATTISTOCK and HMS LEDBURY before he qualified as a PWO in 1989 and went on to serve as such in the Type 42 destroyers HMS LIVERPOOL and HMS GLASGOW.
Topsy then commanded the Sandown class minehunter HMS CROMER and the Faslane-based Northern Diving Group before transferring to the RNZN in 2004. He went on to command the amphibious & military sealift vessel HMNZS CANTERBURY and the stone frigate HMNZS PHILOMEL where he also acted as the Base Commander of the RNZN Naval Base at Devonport among other high profile posts. In January 2022, he was promoted to Captain RNZN and appointed as New Zealand’s Defence Attaché in South Korea.
Topsy is looking forward to attending our Annual Dinner at HMS EXCELLENT next month, his last in naval uniform. He last attended in 2011 when the UK hosted the ABCANZ Diving Conference.
I'm sure all members of our community will join me in offering Topsy our heartiest congratulations and wishing him & Yvonne the happiest of futures together.