Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Captain Whitfield Neely. NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) over the weekend extended congratulations to Captain Whitfield Neely, who was bestowed with the honor of Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth on the Queen’s New Year’s Honors list. A member of the RBDF’s Entry 5 squad, Neely was one of 15 survivors of the ill-fated HMBS Flamingo, which was bombed and sunk by Cuban MIG jets on May 10, 1980. Every May, the country holds a memorial service in recognition of the tragic event during which four marines lost their lives.