DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6265 3343, Fax: 02 62656946
MSPA 331/08
Monday, 13 October 2008
LORD NELSON SWORD OF EXCELLENCE CEREMONY
Lieutenant Commander David Graham has today been awarded the Royal Australian
Navy’s (RAN) Lord Nelson Sword of Excellence, during a ceremony at HMAS
Stirling in Western Australia.
The Lord Nelson Sword of Excellence was presented by Commander Australian
Fleet, Rear Admiral Nigel Coates AM RAN, on behalf of the Chief of Navy.
This annual award is presented to an officer of the Australian fleet who has
continually displayed a degree of leadership consistent with the high standards set by
Horatio Lord Nelson. The Chairman of the Nelson Society of Australia, Mr Mike
Sargeant, also participated in today’s ceremony, awarding a Nelson Society Medallion
to Lieutenant Commander Graham.
Lieutenant Commander Graham joined the RAN in 1992 and has most recently served
as the Commanding Officer of an Armidale Class Patrol Boat, based in Darwin.
Lieutenant Commander Graham has continually performed at an extremely high
standard. During his command, he and the ship’s company won the prestigious Kelly
Shield in 2007, awarded annually for overall proficiency within the Patrol Boat Force
Element Group.
Lieutenant Commander Graham was previously based in Western Australia and
served aboard Collins-class submarines. He will soon assume a position in the United
Kingdom, with the Royal Navy Sea Training Group.
The Sword, formally known as the ‘Vice Admiral Viscount Lord Nelson K.B.
Perpetual Sword of Excellence’, was presented to the RAN in 2005 by the Nelson
Society of Australia, reiterating the close links between the RAN and the Royal Navy.
Lord Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar in 1805 ensured the British Empire’s seagoing
supremacy for the next hundred years and enabled its exploration and colonisation of
many distant territories.
Media Note:
Still imagery from the event will be available from the Defence website after 2:00pm
today.
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
