Jun 11 - Ernest Britto Becomes RG's Newest Honourary Colonel
Colonel Ernest Michael Britto OBE ED KMCO is the new Honorary Colonel of The Royal Gibraltar Regiment in succession to Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Dennis Duarte OBE.
The Honorary Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Britto, who is probably better known for his recent political career, reluctantly joined the Regiment as a conscript in 1965, he said,‘I hated the thought of being conscripted, I hated the thought of the Army. I went to Buena Vista Barracks as it used to be then, and was determined to do as little as possible and to be as awkward as possible and to generally make a nuisance of myself for the next four to six months.
'Something must have happened throughout it, because when we finished, only I and two others were still in uniform and we signed on to serve in the Volunteer Reserve, I liked it so much that I signed on automatically’.
The Honorary Colonel served with the Regiment for the next twenty years and his culminating position was as Commanding Officer in 1982 – 1985.
During his time in the military he discovered a hidden talent for Rifle Shooting and represented Gibraltar in the Commonwealth Games in 1978 and 1982, he also went on to win the UK Regular & Volunteer Navy, Army & Air Forces Rifle Shooting Competition in 1985.
‘I started competitive shooting in the Regiment and one of the greatest experiences of my entire life was walking onto the Commonwealth Games Stadium in Edmonton in 1978, I’d never been in a stadium of that size and it was overwhelming how the crowd greeted us, the atmosphere and how they cheered for everyone’ he said.
The Honorary Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Britto balanced a busy working life as a businessman with his military commitments and in 1988 his career took a new path when he entered the world of politics. After spending eight years in opposition he became Minister for Government Services, Sport and GOG Lottery in 1996, he then went on to become the Minister for Health, Minister for the Environment, Traffic and Transport before his final position as Minister for the Environment and Tourism between 2008 and 2011.
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Britto, looking forward to his new role, added ‘It is a real privilege and I am looking forward to working with Lieutenant Colonel Lopez, I hope to bring some of my previous experience to the role and to act as a mentor and sounding board whenever needed.’
