Chris Baldwin initially served in Destroyers EDINBURGH, NEWCASTLE and SOUTHAMPTON. He completed the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officers’ Course and enjoyed a challenging 3 years as Officer in Charge of Fleet Diving Unit One, leading the Team providing IEDD support for maritime operations. He was PWO(A) in HMS MARLBOROUGH, an appointment encompassing Caribbean and Gulf deployments, highlights of which included the seizure of 10 tonnes of cocaine off the Columbian coast and assisting USS COLE, after she had been attacked in Aden. He was appointed as Second-in-Command HMS CORNWALL and HMS MANCHESTER and deployed to the Mediterranean, with Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR, followed by a WESTLANT work up with the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Battle Group.

Promoted Commander, he served as MoD Superintendent of Diving before leaving to join the International Marine Contractors’ Association as one of its technical advisers. He also joined the RNR as head of its Diving Specialisation. As a Reservist he started his current role of NSRS Operations Officer in late 2017 and is the Senior Rescue Element Commander. He was heavily involved in the UK response to the Titan submersible disaster during its ill-fated dive to the Titanic in 2023.