John Tolhurst


John Gordon Tolhurst, is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland from 1996 to 1997.

Naval career

Tolhurst joined the Royal Navy in 1961. His first command was the frigate : after that he was appointed Commanding Officer of the destroyer in 1984, Commodore of HMS Nelson, the Naval Base at Portsmouth, in 1988, and captain of the aircraft carrier in 1990. He went on to be Flag Officer Sea Training in 1992 and Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland in 1996 before retiring in 1997.
On retiring from active service, Tolhurst became senior military officer at the Defence Export Services Organisation. He subsequently set up his own defence and security consultancy business, specialising in exhibitions in those sectors. He is a Trustee of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.