At this year’s 39th Annual Tacitus Lecture, The Master and Wardens of The Worshipful Company of World Traders were delighted to award our HMS Dauntless Sailor of The Year 2025 Prize to Lt Pierce Tattersall in the presence of The Lady Mayor.
It was wonderful to welcome Lt Pierce Tattersall and Senior Warfare Officer, Lt Cdr Dominic Garner, from HMS Dauntless to join us for what was a very special award ceremony in The Old Library at London’s Guildhall. In the impressive words of Lt Cdr Dominic Garner, “the selling point for the Navigator of a ship is to get a ship anywhere on earth plus or minus 50 seconds and there is no one in the Royal Navy right now who epitomises this more than Lt Pierce, and that’s across the force.”
It was especially appropriate to be awarding this prize at this year’s Tacitus Lecture given the words of this year’s speaker, Dr Fiona Hill, who has an extensive background in defence. An acclaimed foreign affairs specialist, former advisor to three US Presidents, and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Dr Hill spoke to a title: ‘Peril and Possibility: Collapsing old order, emerging disorder or new order’.
Reflecting on the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, Dr Hill said: “We are at a point where crisis and opportunity co-exist, where there are perils but all kinds of possibilities. Those of us who want to protect what we value or hold to be true and good from the old order will have to respond with great agility this year. We will have to try to ride or tame the horse, or get out of its way as it gallops ahead.”
Address from Commander Ben Dorrington RN, Captain of HMS DAUNTLESS
Lt Pierce Tattersall was originally named as the winner of our 2025 Sailor of the Year Award last year while HMS Dauntless was representing the Royal Navy in Carrier Task Group 25 on Operation Highmast. As the time, Commander Ben Dorrington, addressed the ship to explain more about the award:
“This award recognises both outstanding performance throughout the year but also an individual who has gone above and beyond that of their TORs to improve Operational Capability.
While this individual’s performance as the head of a sub-department has been exemplary it is their commitment to supporting wholeship activities that sets them apart. Their commitment to supporting all departments during both the planning and execution phase has delivered tangible results and ultimately improved Operational Capability across the Ship; whether that be organising short notice BTX to embark vital stores, re-planning key seamanship evolutions post defect rectification or supporting Breakdown drills to endorse personnel. He has worked tirelessly, and without favor, and is ultimately one of the reasons why Dauntless is in such a materially resilient condition and deployed on Operations today.
Not only do they support activity across all departments they also engender an outstanding Coaching and Mentoring culture onboard from the newest AB2 through to senior management. The positive atmosphere generated by his leadership has created a supportive atmosphere which encourages an individual to try, without fear of failure, and ultimately delivers the best in people.
This individual has achieved all of this whilst delivering at the highest possible level. Throughout our numerous L1 assurance and FOST assessments, he has been recognised as a strength consistently and his sub-department has received GOOD or V SAT at every assessment. The administration of his sub-department has been faultless as has his execution. Acting as the Screen Commander in the absence of the Prince of Wales he was the one that cohered the multi-national taskgroup that we saw around us for the final Thursday war as we departed UK waters on Operation HIGHMAST.
An individual who demands high standards from his subordinates but even higher standards of himself, this award rightfully recognises the hard work and dedication of our Navigating Officer, Lt Pierce Tattersall.”
