Richard Thomas (Royal Navy officer)

{{Short description|Royal Navy Admiral and former Black Rod (1932–1998)}}

{{for|the British Admiral commanding the Pacific Station|Richard Darton Thomas}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|honorific-prefix = Admiral

|name = Sir Richard Thomas

|honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|KCB|KCVO|OBE}}

|image =

|imagesize =

|alt =

|caption =

|office = Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod

|term_start = January 1992

|term_end = 8 May 1995

|monarch = Elizabeth II

|predecessor = Sir John Gingell

|successor = Sir Edward Jones

|birth_name = William Richard Scott Thomas

|birth_date = 22 March 1932

|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1998|12|13|1932|3|22}}

|birth_place = Rhyl, Wales

|nickname =

|allegiance = United Kingdom

|branch = Royal Navy

|serviceyears = 1951–1992

|rank = Admiral

|unit =

|commands = Second Flotilla
{{HMS|Fearless|L10|6}}
{{HMS|Troubridge|R00|6}}

|battles = Cod Wars

|mawards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

|spouse = Paddy Cullinan

}}

Admiral Sir William Richard Scott Thomas, {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|KCB|KCVO|OBE}} (22 March 1932 – 13 December 1998) was a senior Royal Navy officer and the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (or simply Black Rod) in the British Parliament's House of Lords from January 1992 to 8 May 1995.{{cite news|last=Tomlinson|first=Richard|title=They also serve, who only ush|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/they-also-serve-who-only-ush-why-is-the-queen-followed-by-people-in-antique-clothes-richard-tomlinson-on-the-lords-ladies-women-masters-silver-sticks-and-white-staves-at-court-1564751.html|newspaper=The Independent|date=20 December 1992}}

Naval career

Educated at Downside School, Thomas joined the Royal Navy in 1951.[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-admiral-sir-richard-thomas-1193674.html Obituary, The Independent, 21 December 1998] He was given command of the destroyer {{HMS|Troubridge|R00|6}} in 1966. He went on to be Staff Officer Operations to the Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland and saw action in the Second Cod War in 1972. Promoted to captain, he took part in Polaris development at the Ministry of Defence before being given command of the assault ship {{HMS|Fearless|L10|6}}. He went on to be Director of Seaman Officers' Appointments in 1982, Naval Secretary in 1983 and Flag Officer, Second Flotilla in 1985. Promoted to vice admiral, he became Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic at Norfolk, Virginia, in 1987 and the UK Military Representative to NATO from 1989 to 1992, when he retired from the Royal Navy.

In retirement Thomas became Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod. Amongst other honours, he was awarded a papal knighthood in the Order of Pope Pius IX.

Family

Thomas was born on 22 March 1932 in Rhyl, Wales, the son of Mary Hilda Bertha "Maimie" (née Hemelryk) and Commander William Scott Thomas (who commanded {{HMS|Impulsive}} during the Second World War) and brother of Lieutenant Commander Simon Scott Thomas.{{Cite web|url=http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersT.html#Thomas_WS|title = Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945 – T}} In 1959, he married Paddy Cullinan; they had 8 children. He was the uncle of actresses Kristin Scott Thomas and Serena Scott Thomas{{cite web|url=https://www.geni.com/people/Admiral-Sir-William-Richard-Scott-Thomas-KCB/6000000011040478390|website=geni.com|title=Richard Scott Thomas}} (the "Scott" portion of their last names coming from another British naval officer, Captain Robert F. Scott, the ill-fated explorer of the South Pole).[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604192522/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/driving/features/article1903514.ece On the move: Kristin Scott Thomas] The Times, 10 June 2007