Lieutenant Commander Mike Pounder

Lieutenant Commander Mike Pounder RAN, joined the Royal Navy as a Seaman in 1979, opting for a career in the RN Hydrographic Service with postings to the HECLA Class Ocean Survey Ship HMS Hydra, the inshore survey vessel HMS Enterprise and the coastal survey vessel HMS Fawn. On promotion to Petty Officer he was posted as senior survey sailor and coxswain on Naval Party 1008 and finally the coastal survey vessel HMS Bulldog before selection for promotion to CPO (SR). Successful completion of the Admiralty Interview Board resulted in his changeover to Officer in 1990.

After officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College and staff course at the Royal Naval College Greenwich, postings followed to the fisheries protection vessel HMS Shetland and the RN warfare school HMS Dryad before returning to the world of hydrography in 1991.

Completion of the basic hydrographic course and a lengthy posting to the coastal survey vessel HMS Roebuck, culminated in his promotion to Lieutenant and selection as Survey Operations Officer onboard the RN Ice Patrol Ship HMS Endurance. Two six-month seasons of ship, and ‘detached’ surveys in Antarctica and the south Atlantic followed before a return to courses and the Long Hydrographic Course at HMS Drake. Participation in the RAN Exchange followed with a 30 month posting to Cairns, joining HMAS Shepparton as Executive Officer in May 1997. Promotion to Lieutenant Commander resulted in joining NUSHIP Melville crew, until his return to the UK in Sep 1999. His final RN posting was as Operations Officer of the ocean survey vessel HMS Scott until discharge in May 2001.

LCDR Pounder’s first RAN posting was as OIC Hydrographic Office Detached Survey Unit, with surveys completed around NSW and a final survey deployment to Mawson Station, Antarctica. A two year posting as XO HS Red started with OP RELEX II and ended with reconstitution surveys before posting as Commanding Officer HMAS Mermaid in Dec 04 until Jun 07.

A Staff Officer role focussing on ‘Capability Requirement’ at HMFEG HQ, Wollongong followed; focussing primarily on the upgrade of the PALUMA Class Survey Motor Launches, as well as trials with other aspects of new capability, including Autonomous Underwater Vehicles.

In May 2009 he took command of HS BLUE Crew and subsequently he will be promoted to Commander in Jan 2010.