Duncan Potts
{{Short description|Former Royal Navy admiral}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix = Vice Admiral
|name = Duncan Potts
|honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB}}
|image= Duncan Potts parade (cropped).jpg
|image_size=
|alt=
|caption= Vice Admiral Potts in 2017
|nickname=
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1961|03|10|df=yes}}
|birth_place= Malta
|death_date=
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= Royal Navy
|serviceyears= 1979–2018
|rank= Vice Admiral
|servicenumber=
|unit=
|commands= Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces
4th Frigate Squadron
{{HMS|Marlborough|F233|6}}
{{HMS|Southampton|D90|6}}
{{HMS|Brilliant|F90|6}}
|battles= Iraq War
|awards= Companion of the Order of the Bath
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}
Vice Admiral Duncan Laurence Potts, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB}} (born 10 March 1961) is a retired senior Royal Navy officer. He served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Capability) and Controller of the Navy from 2013 to 2014,{{cite web|url=http://c69011.r11.cf3.rackcdn.com/fb24e0c67a0b40c092dc7ac8a7f1bde2-0x0.pdf|title=Biography: Rear Admiral Duncan Potts|accessdate=14 June 2014}} and as Director General of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom from September 2014 to 2018.{{cite web|title=Vice Admiral Duncan Potts takes over as Director General Joint Force Development & Defence Academy|url=http://www.da.mod.uk/da-news/vice-admiral-duncan-potts-takes-over-as-director-general-joint-force-development-defence-academy|website=News|publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom|accessdate=27 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027163245/http://www.da.mod.uk/da-news/vice-admiral-duncan-potts-takes-over-as-director-general-joint-force-development-defence-academy|archive-date=27 October 2014|url-status=dead}}
Early life
Potts was born on 10 March 1961 in Malta. He was educated at Wellington School in Somerset.{{cite web|title=Director General, Defence Academy|url=http://www.da.mod.uk/our-work/governance/board-biogs/director-general-defence-academy/|website=Governance|publisher=Defence Academy of the United Kingdom|accessdate=27 October 2014}}
Military career
Potts joined the Royal Navy in 1979.{{Cite web |url=http://www.eunavfor.eu/chain-of-command-2/ |title=EU Navy Force Somalia |access-date=26 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111205075356/http://www.eunavfor.eu/chain-of-command-2/ |archive-date=5 December 2011 |url-status=dead }} He became commanding officer of the frigate {{HMS|Brilliant|F90|6}} in 1996, commanding officer of the destroyer {{HMS|Southampton|D90|6}} in 1997 and a member of the policy and programmes cell at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in 1998 before becoming Commander Sea Training to the Flag Officer Sea Training in 1999. He was appointed commanding officer of the frigate {{HMS|Marlborough|F233|6}} as well as captain of the 4th Frigate Squadron in 2000 and deployed to the Middle East.
Potts went on to be Captain Navy Plans and then military assistant to the Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence. He was appointed commander of the Commander United Kingdom Task Group in 2007 (in which role he was deployed to the Gulf) and Assistant Chief of Staff (Crisis and Deliberate Planning) at Permanent Joint Headquarters in 2009. He became Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces in January 2011 (deployed as commander of EU maritime operations off Somalia from August 2011)[http://appablog.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/rear-admiral-duncan-potts-appointed-operation-commander-of-eu-navfor-somalia/ Rear Admiral Duncan Potts appointed Operation Commander of EU NAVFOR Somalia] and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Capability) and Controller of the Navy in April 2013.[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf Senior Royal Navy Appointments] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315105247/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf |date=15 March 2012 }} Potts was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2014 Birthday Honours,{{London Gazette |issue=60895 |date=14 June 2014 |page=b3 |supp=y}}{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/2014-birthday-honours-for-service-personnel-and-defence-civilians|title=2014 Birthday honours|publisher=UK Government|accessdate=14 June 2014}} and made director general of Joint Force Development and director general of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, with the rank of vice admiral, on 19 September that year.
References
{{reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Peter Hudson}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces|years=2011–2013}}
{{s-aft|after=Robert Tarrant}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Henry Parker}}
{{s-ttl|title=Controller of the Navy|years=2013–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=James Morse}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=Peter Watkins}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director General of the Defence Academy|years=2014–2018}}
{{s-aft|after=Edward Stringer}}
{{end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potts, Duncan}}
Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath
Category:People educated at Wellington School, Somerset