Alex Knight was born in the west Midlands but at an

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Lieutenant A J Knight Royal Navy Commanding Officer HMS Scimitar Alex Knight was born in the west Midlands but at an early age moved to Portsmouth where he completed secondary education at Crofton School in Fareham and Sixth Form at Peter Symonds College in Winchester. Joining the Royal Navy in November 2004, he conducted Initial Sea Training in HMS ILLUSTRIOUS before undertaking Common Fleet Time in HMS CUMBERLAND and Specialist Fleet Time in HMS BULWARK, which included the Non-Combatant Evacuation of entitled personnel from Lebanon. Following selection for navigation training on completion Initial Warfare Officer’s Course at HMS COLLINGWOOD, Alex commenced his first complement appointment as the Navigating Officer in HMS CATTISTOCK and later in HMS ATHERSTONE in October 2007. This consisted of a busy but enjoyable period conducting UK engagements before working up to a 6 month deployment in support of Operation KIPION in the Northern Arabian Gulf where ATHERSTONE had the honour of being the first warship to visit Um Qasr following the second Gulf War. Successfully completing Fleet Navigating Officers course, Alex joined the Type 42 destroyer HMS LIVERPOOL in August 2009 as the Officer of the Watch 1 and following a period of Operational Sea Training and UK exercises assumed the role of Navigating Officer in April 2010. This rewarding period initially consisted of escort duties with HMS LIVERPOOL providing the final carrier escort to HMS ARK ROYAL operating both US and UK Harriers off the east coast of the USA. In 2011 HMS LIVERPOOL was deployed to the Mediterranean in support of Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR, a wide-ranging deployment consisting of fast jet aircraft control, anti-piracy operations as well as naval fire support. In April 2012 Alex took up a role as a Staff Officer at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, influencing and training the next generation of Commissioned Officers at the very start of their Naval Careers. Alex assumed command of HMS Scimitar in July 2014 and now lives with his wife in Gibraltar.