Change of Command Ceremony for Navy Reserve Unit

A ceremony to mark the official change of Commanding Officer for the Canterbury Branch of the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve, HMNZS PEGASUS, will be held at 7.00 pm, Monday 5 November at Montreal St, Christchurch.

Witnessing the ceremony will be the ships company of HMNZS PEGASUS, sea cadets from Training Ships’ Cornwell and Steadfast and invited guests, families and friends.

The Change of Command Ceremony is traditionally formal and impressive. It is designed to strengthen respect for authority, which is vital to any military organisation.

During the ceremony Commander Mike Goldsworthy will relinquish command of HMNZS PEGASUS and Lieutenant Commander Tim Elley will assume command.

Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Ledson, will review the ceremony.

Commander Goldsworthy, a project engineer for Meridian Energy has spent the last four years in command, a period during which the Royal New Zealand Navy Reserve has been undergoing transition in preparation for the arrival of the new Project Protector Inshore Patrol Vessels. Naval Reserve personnel will have a key supplementation role to play in the operation of the new vessels. Lieutenant Commander Elley, an IT specialist, will continue the transition process, which he admits will be a challenge, albeit, an exciting one.