TORPOINT gave a warm civic welcome to Captain Jeremy Ussher, the new Commanding Officer of HMS Raleigh, at a special reception on Monday (September 22).

Mayor Councillor Julie Martin, accompanied by her consort and mayor’s cadet, hosted the event at the council chambers, marking the start of Captain Ussher’s command of the Royal Navy’s principal training base in the South West.

The reception attracted a host of civic guests, including Honorary Freeman of Torpoint Mike Pearn MBE, Honorary Burgess John Crago, town councillors and representatives from the Royal British Legion and Royal Naval Association branches in Torpoint.

The event highlighted the town’s close connection with HMS Raleigh and the importance of maintaining strong links between the community and the naval establishment.

Captain Ussher’s appointment is a proud homecoming for the Cornish officer. Born and raised in Liskeard, he attended St Martin’s Church of England School and Liskeard School and Sixth Form College before joining the Royal Navy in 2001. His first visit to HMS Raleigh as a young aspiring officer inspired him to pursue a career in the Navy, and over the following two decades he built a distinguished record of service.

He returned to Raleigh as Commander Training between 2018 and 2020, overseeing significant modernisation of the base while navigating the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most recently, he completed the Global Strategic Programme 25 at the Royal College of Defence Studies, further strengthening his leadership and strategic expertise in preparation for his current role.

Captain Ussher succeeds Captain Jane Roe, who led HMS Raleigh for three years, continuing the base’s vital mission of training recruits and specialist personnel for service at sea and beyond.

The civic welcome celebrated both the town’s enduring relationship with HMS Raleigh and the start of a new chapter under a commanding officer with deep local roots.