Commanding Officer HMAS Creswell
Captain John Vandyke, RAN
Captain John Vandyke, RAN joined the Royal Australian Navy from Sydney in 1979 as a Senior Entry Midshipman at the Royal Australian Naval College. Following Graduation in 1981 he followed the normal seaman officer training continuum before joining HMAS Sydney, as part of the commissioning crew, in 1983. Following award of his Full Bridge Watchkeeping Ticket, he posted to HMAS Brisbane as an Officer of the Watch (OOW) in 1984 prior to undertaking the Assistant Principal Warfare Officer's Course later that year. A posting to HMAS Yarra in late 1984 as the Operations Room Officer followed, before undertaking training as an Air Intercept Controller (AIC) prior to rejoining Sydney at the end of 1985 as the AIC and OOW.
He undertook the Principal Warfare Officer's Course in 1988 and specialised as a Direction Officer in 1989, rejoining Sydney for his third posting to the ship at the end of that year, as the Direction Officer. During this posting Sydney completed three consecutive six month deployments: a circumnavigation of the globe in 1990; participation in Operation DESERT STORM; and, operations as part of the maritime interception force in the North Red Sea enforcing UN sanctions.
Following promotion to LCDR in 1992 he joined HMAS Hobart as the Direction Officer and Operations Officer and in late 1993 was posted to HMAS Watson as a member of the instructional staff at the Principal Warfare Officers' School. After nearly three years in that position he undertook the RAN Staff Course at HMAS Penguin before joining HMAS Arunta as the commissioning Executive Officer in 1997; he served for two and a half years in Arunta and was promoted to CMDR in 2000. He then spent two years working in Defence Headquarters and the Directorate of Naval Officer's Postings before undertaking a year's study at the National Graduate School of Management at the Australian National University in 2002 where he completed a Master of Management.
He took command of the ANZAC Class frigate HMAS Warramunga in June 2003. Highlights whilst in Warramunga were test firings of five Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles in Hawaii and a Southern Ocean patrol that resulted in the apprehension of a fishing vessel illegally catching Patagonian Toothfish in the Australian EEZ. After 18 months in command he was promoted to CAPT at the end of 2004 and joined the Air Warfare Destroyer Program Office as the Capability Director in 2005.
He took command of HMAS Creswell in July 2007. CAPT Vandyke is a keen golfer, a novice fly fisherman, and when time permits, enjoys reading.
