David Ledson

[4] Ledson was educated at Inangahua College and Christchurch Boys' High School, and joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a cadet midshipman in January 1967.

Between January and June 1984 he attended the Royal Australian Naval Staff College in Sydney.

In November 1990 he was attached to Blohm & Voss, in Hamburg for eighteen months for duties with the ANZAC Ship project.

[citation needed] In February 1998 he was posted as Captain Fleet Support and was promoted Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, with the rank of commodore, in April 2000.

[citation needed] In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Ledson was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Ledson (right) is presented with honorary membership to the New Zealand Company of Master Mariners by the vice-regal consort, Richard Davies (centre), at the Wellington branch of the company on 8 November 2023, while the Wellington branch warden, John Mansell, watches on