| Sir Toby Frere | |
| Birth Name: | Richard Tobias Frere-Reeves[1] |
| Birth Date: | 4 June 1938 |
| Birth Place: | Marylebone, London |
| Allegiance: |  United Kingdom |
| Serviceyears: | 1955–1997 |
| Rank: | Vice admiral |
| Branch: | Royal Navy |
| Awards: | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath |
Vice Admiral Sir Richard Tobias Frere (born Frere-Reeves; 4 June 1938 - 5 March 2020[2]) was a Royal Navy officer who ended his career as Chief of Fleet Support.
Frere was born in London, the son of publisher Alexander Stuart Frere-Reeves and Patricia Marion Caldecott Wallace. His mother was the daughter of writer Edgar Wallace.[3] J. B. Priestley was his godfather.[4] He was named after his great-grandfather Henry Tobias Frere, a first-class cricketer. When he was 1, his father legally dropped Reeves from their surname.[4]
He was educated at Eton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.[3]
Frere joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve through National Service in 1955 and was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1958.[5] During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, as a submariner based at Halifax, he was involved in setting up a barrier patrol with American air support off Newfoundland.[6]
He commanded the submarines HMS Andrew, HMS Odin and HMS Revenge before taking charge of the frigate HMS Brazen.[5] Promoted to Rear-Admiral, he was appointed Director-General, Fleet Support (Policy & Services) in 1988[7] and then Flag Officer, Submarines and Commander Submarines for the Eastern Atlantic in 1991[8] before becoming Chief of Fleet Support in 1994 and retiring in 1997.[5]
In retirement, he became the First Chairman of The Prison Service Pay Review Body[9] as well as Chairman of the Governors of Oundle School.[10]
In 1968, he married Jane Barraclough; they had two daughters.[5]