A 25-year-old from Narberth has celebrated his formal commissioning as a Royal Navy Officer on parade at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) in Devon.

Sub Lieutenant Henry Boyde was one of 174 Officer Cadets who took part in the parade, watched by their families, friends and distinguished guests.

The guest of honour was General Sir Gordon Messenger Royal Marines, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, who inspected the parade and took the salute during the march pass.

To earn his place on the parade ground, Henry completed an intensive 30-week training course, which was split into three distinct 10-week phases.

Whilst the course predominately takes place at the world renowned College in Dartmouth, the training includes a three-week ship acquaint when Henry was assigned to HMS Ocean. The ship was deployed as part of an international task group operating in the Gulf region while Henry was on board.

Henry originally joined the Royal Navy as a Rating in 2010 and served on submarines. He will continue to serve beneath the waves on his promotion to the Officer Corps.

Henry said: “I wanted a challenging career and the stealth and capability of submarines was very appealing. This course has been tough and challenging, but also extremely rewarding. I’ve met some great people who I look forward to meeting again in the Fleet.”

With the first phase of his training complete, Henry will return to BRNC in the New Year to begin his training to qualify as a Warfare Officer.

The Royal Navy’s Initial Naval Training Course for Officers is underpinned by nine core maritime skills that are the foundations of naval life and essential to operational effectiveness. It involves maritime training on the River Dart and also uses the rugged environment of Dartmoor to teach the cadets how to operate and lead in the field. The course is progressive and designed to ensure that the cadets are equipped to undertake assignments both at sea and on land, working jointly with other parts of the UK Armed Forces and in partnership with other nations. Fitness training is delivered using a disciplined method of military fitness, which focuses on developing co-ordination and individual physical strength and endurance. Command, leadership and management training is a constant thread throughout the course with an emphasis on coaching, mentoring and development activities.

Details of career opportunities within the Royal Navy are available online at www.royalnavy.mod.uk or by calling the Recruitment Line on 08456 07 55 55.