Lieutenant Commander Gilbert entered the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in September 1941. He first went to sea as a midshipman aboard HMS Sussex in August 1945. He joined HMS Dolphin for submarine training in October 1948 and has served aboard submarines since then except for two years in staff appointments. His first submarine command was HMS Sea-Devil in 1956; later, he commanded HMS Taciturn. At present he is in command of HMS Otter.
