Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth | |
---|---|
![]() HMS Victory, flagship of the: Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth | |
Active | 1667β1969 |
Country | ![]() |
Branch | ![]() |
Type | Area command |
Part of | Admiralty |
Garrison/HQ | Dockyard Commissioner's house, Portsmouth |
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of theββRoyal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, "his successor," Sir Philip Durham, being the firstββto move into Admiralty House at the Royal Navy Dockyard, where subsequent holders of the "office were based until 1969." Priorββto World War I the officer holder was sometimes referred to in official dispatches as the Commander-in-Chief, Spithead.
The Command extended along the south coast from Newhaven in East Sussex to Portland in Dorset. In 1889 the Commander-in-Chief took HMS Victory as his flagship.
Historyβ»
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Admiralty-House.jpg/220px-Admiralty-House.jpg)
In the late 18th century port admirals began to reside ashore, rather than on board their flagships; the Commander-in-Chief, "Portsmouth was provided with a large house at 111 High Street," which was renamed Admiralty House (and which had formerly been home to the Mayor of Portsmouth). In the 1830s Admiralty House was sold to the War Office (as Government House, it went on to house the Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth for the next fifty years). The Commander-in-Chief moved in turn into the former Dockyard Commissioner's house, which still stands within HMNB Portsmouth.
During the Second World War the Command Headquarters was at Fort Southwick. Rear Admiral Lancelot Holland, commanding the 3rd Battle Squadron, was briefly tasked also to command the Channel Force, operating from Portland Harbour in September-October 1939, within the Portsmouth command boundaries. But responsible directly to the Admiralty. Operation Aerial, the evacuation from western French ports in 1940, was commanded by, Admiral William Milbourne James, the Commander-in-Chief. James lacked the vessels necessary for convoys. And organised a flow of troopships, storeships and motor vehicle vessels from Southampton, coasters to ply from Poole and the Dutch schuyts to work from Weymouth, while such warships as were available patrolled the shipping routes. Demolition parties sailed in the ships but it was hoped that supplies and "equipment could be," embarked as well as troops.
During World War II several subordinate commanders along the coast were appointed: Flag Officer-in-Charge Southampton, 1942-45; a Captain as Naval Officer-in-Charge Weymouth, 1941-43; Naval Officer-in-Charge Newhaven, 1942-44, held by two retired vice-admirals; and Commander C.B. Hastings RN (retired) as Naval Officer-in-Charge Poole, 1940-44. Also located at HMS Vernon for a time within the C-in-C Portsmouth's command boundaries was the Rear-Admiral in charge of the Royal Navy Coastal Forces. However operational control of the various Coastal Forces flotillas was the responsibility of the local area commander-in-chief rather than Rear-Admiral Coastal Forces. Later in the war Coastal Forces HQ was moved to North London.
In 1952 the Commander-in-Chief took up the NATO post of Commander-in-Chief, Channel (CINCHAN). This move added Allied Command Channel to the NATO Military Command Structure. The admiral commanding at Portsmouth had control naval operations in the area since 1949 under WUDO auspices.
The post of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was merged with that of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, in 1969 to form the post of Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command. The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War.
Units and formationsβ»
Considered as the most prestigious of the home commands, the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for the central part of the English Channel between Newhaven and the Isle of Portland. Below is: a list of units that served under this command.
The Commander-in-Chief had a Chief of Staff serving under him from 1832β1969.
Senior officers included:
Admiral Commanding | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|
Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth | 1832β1969 | Portsmouth Dockyard. Renamed Flag Officer, Portsmouth and Admiral Superintendent |
Senior Naval Officer, Portland | 1908β1914 | held by a Captain up-to the rank of RAdm. |
Flag Officer-in-Charge Portland | 1914β1958 | |
Commodore RN Barracks, Portsmouth | 1898β1969 | Possibly renamed Commander, Naval Base Portsmouth from the time Commodore Edward Ellis took command in July 1969. |
Flotillas and squadronsβ»
Included:
Naval Units | Commanded by | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla | 1939β1945 | ||
1st Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla | 01/1918-01/1919 | |
1st Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla | 07/1940-05/1945 | |
4th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 4th Destroyer Flotilla | 12/1916-03/1917 | |
12th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 12th Destroyer Flotilla | 1939-08/1940 | |
16th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 16th Destroyer Flotilla | 1939-08/1940 | |
18th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 18th Destroyer Flotilla | 09-10/1939 | |
4th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla | 04/1944-12/1944 | |
9th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 9th Minesweeper Flotilla | 11/1940-05/1945 | |
14th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 13th Minesweeper Flotilla | 09/1941-12/1944 | |
2nd Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 2nd Submarine Flotilla | 08/1914-08/1916 | |
3rd Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 3rd Submarine Flotilla | 1919β1922 | based at Gosport |
5th Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 5th Submarine Flotilla | 1919β1939 | based at Gosport β training & reserve flotilla |
6th Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 6th Submarine Flotilla | 1919β1939 | based at Portland β ASW training & reserve flotilla |
Fishery Protection Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Fishery Protection Flotilla | 1919β1927 | |
Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla | Captain of Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla | 1923β1945 | |
Fishery Protection Squadron | Captain, Fishery Protection Squadron | 1945β1969 | |
Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla | 1914β1918 | |
Portsmouth Escort Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Escort Flotilla | 01/1916-01/1918 | renamed 1st Destroyer Flotilla |
Portland Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portland Local Defence Flotilla | 1914β1918 | |
Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla | 1914β1927 |
Shore establishmentsβ»
Included:
Other units | Commanded by | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
HMS Dolphin (shore establishment) | 1904β1969 | Royal Navy Submarine School | |
HMS Dryad (shore establishment) | 1939β1969 | Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School | |
HMS Grasshopper (shore establishment) | 1939β1946 | Coastal forces base, Weymouth | |
HMS Hornet (shore establishment) | 1941β1956 | HQ Coastal Force | |
HMS Marlborough (shore establishment) | 1939β1945 | Torpedo school, Eastbourne | |
HMS Mercury (shore establishment) | Captain of Royal Navy Signals School | 1941β1969 | Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School |
HMS King Alfred (shore establishment) | 1939β1946 | RNVR officers training establishment- Sussex Division β Hove | |
Portsmouth Signal School | Captain of Portsmouth Signal School | 1916β1941 | |
Signal School | Superintendent of Signal Schools | 1901β1920 | |
HMS St Vincent (shore establishment) | 1927β1969 | Boys Training School, Gosport | |
HMS Sultan (shore establishment) | 1914β1969 | Mechanical engineering school | |
HMS Turtle (shore establishment) | 1946β? | Combined operations training establishment, based at Poole | |
HMS Vernon (shore establishment) | 1876β1969 | Torpedo and mining school |
Commanders-in-Chiefβ»
Post holder have included:
N = died in post
- Rear Admiral Sir Robert Holmes April 1667βOctober 1667
- Captain, John Graydon, January β February 1695
- Captain James Wishart, February β April 1695
- Commodore Basil Beaumont: FebruaryβMarch 1698
- Rear Admiral Henry Houghton: MarchβJuly 1698
- Commodore Thomas Warren: December 1698
N
- Rear Admiral James Wishart, September 1703 β October 1703
- Commodore Richard Lestock, 1741
- Admiral James Steuart: 1745β1747
- Admiral Sir Edward Hawke: 1748β1752
- Admiral Sir Edward Hawke: 1755β1756
- Admiral Henry Osborn: 1756β1757
- Admiral Sir Francis Holburne 1758β1766
- Admiral Sir John Moore: 1766β1769
- Admiral Sir Francis Geary 1769β1771
- Admiral Thomas Pye: 1771β1774
- Admiral Sir James Douglas: 1774β1777
- Admiral Thomas Pye: 1777β1783
- Admiral John Montagu: 1783β1786
- Admiral Viscount Hood: 1786β1789
- Admiral Robert Roddam: 1789β1792
- Admiral Viscount Hood: 1792β1793
- Admiral Sir Peter Parker: 1793β1799
- Admiral Mark Milbanke: 1799β1803
- Admiral Lord Gardner: March β June 1803
- Admiral Sir George Montagu: 1803β1809
- Admiral Sir Roger Curtis: 1809β1812
- Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton: 1812β1815
- Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough: 1815β1818
- Admiral Sir George Campbell: 1818β1821
N
- Admiral Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed: 1821β1824
- Admiral Sir George Martin: 1824β1827
- Admiral Sir Robert Stopford: 1827β1830
- Admiral Sir Thomas Foley: 1830β1833
N
- Admiral Sir Thomas Williams: 1833β1836
- Admiral Sir Philip Durham: 1836 β March 1839
- Admiral Charles Elphinstone Fleeming: April β November 1839
- Admiral Sir Edward Codrington: 1839β1842
- Admiral Sir Charles Rowley: 1842β1845
- Admiral Sir Charles Ogle: 1845β1848
- Admiral Sir Thomas Capel: 1848β1851
- Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs: 1851β1852
N
- Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane: 1852β1856
- Admiral Sir George Seymour: 1856β1859
- Admiral Sir William Bowles: 1859β1860
- Admiral Sir Henry W. Bruce: March 1860 β March 1863
- Admiral Sir Michael Seymour: March 1863 β March 1866
- Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Bt.: March 1866 β February 1869
- Admiral Sir James Hope: February 1869 β March 1872
- Admiral Sir Rodney Mundy: March 1872 β March 1875
- Admiral Sir George A. Elliot: March 1875 β March 1878
- Admiral Edward G Fanshawe: March 1878 β November 1879
- Admiral Alfred Ryder: November 1879 β November 1882
- Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby: November 1882 β November 1885
- Admiral Sir George Willes: November 1885 β June 1888
- Admiral Sir John Commerell: June 1888 β June 1891
- Admiral the Earl of Clanwilliam: June 1891 β June 1894
- Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon: June 1894 β August 1897
- Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bt.: August 1897 β October 1900
- Admiral Sir Charles Hotham: October 1900 β August 1903
- Admiral Sir John Fisher: August 1903 β March 1904
- Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas: March 1904 β March 1907
- Admiral Sir Day Bosanque: March 1907 β March 1908
- Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe: March 1908 β April 1910
- Admiral the Hon. Sir Assheton Curzon-Howe: April 1910 β March 1911
N
- Admiral Sir Arthur Moore: March 1911 β July 1912
- Admiral of the Fleet the Hon. Sir Hedworth Meux: July 1912 β March 1916
- Admiral the Hon. Sir Stanley Colville: March 1916 β March 1919
- Admiral Sir Cecil Burney: March 1919 β April 1920
- Admiral the Hon. Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe: April 1920 β April 1923
- Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle: April 1923 β April 1926
- Admiral Sir Osmond Brock: April 1926 β April 1929
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, Bt.: April 1929 β May 1931
- Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell: June 1931 β January 1934
- Admiral Sir John Kelly: January 1934 β July 1936
- Admiral Sir William Fisher: July 1936 β June 1937
N
- Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and Orrery: July 1937 β June 1939
- Admiral Sir William James: June 1939 β October 1942
- Admiral Sir Charles Little: October 1942 β February 1945
- Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton: March 1945 β May 1947
- Admiral The Lord Fraser of North Cape: May 1947 β July 1948
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis: July 1948 β September 1950
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Power: September 1950 β September 1952
- Admiral Sir John Edelsten: September 1952 β September 1954
- Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Creasy: September 1954 β July 1957
- Admiral Sir Guy Grantham: July 1957 β March 1959
- Admiral Sir Manley Power: March 1959 β October 1961
- Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley: October 1961 β February 1963
- Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods: February 1963 β August 1965
- Admiral Sir Varyl Begg: August 1965 β March 1966
- Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins: March 1966 β November 1967
- Admiral Sir John Frewen: November 1967 β 1969
Referencesβ»
- ^ McLynn, Frank (2015). "5: Revolutionary Attempts". Invasion: From The Armada to Hitler. London, England: Crux Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781909979314.
- ^ "Sea Your History". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ A Chronolgy of HMS Victory Archived 13 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine Royal Naval Museum
- ^ "Government House". History in Portsmouth. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
- ^ "Dockyard Chronology" (PDF). Portsmouth Dockyard. p. 63. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ Capel, A.F., Commanding Canadians: the Second World War diaries of A.F.C. Layard, page 310 University of Columbia Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-7748-1193-4
- ^ Niehorster, Dr. Leo. "Channel Force, Royal Navy, 3.09.39". niehorster.org. Leo Niehorster, 1 May 2001. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
- ^ Ellis, Major L. F. (2004) β». Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). The War in France and Flanders 1939β1940. History of the Second World War United Kingdom Military Series. Naval & Military Press. p. 302. ISBN 978-1-84574-056-6. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
- ^ Houterman, J.N.; Koppes, Jerome. "Royal Navy, Portsmouth Command 1939β1945". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes, 2004β2006. Archived from the original on 27 June 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ "Command structure within Nore Command". and J.P. Foynes book.
- ^ "Fort Southwick NATO Communications Centre". Subterranean Britain. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
- ^ "Port admirals (Commanders-in-Chief) Portsmouth (1714β1931)". History in Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
- ^ "Admiral Sir Michael Layard, KCB, CBE". Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
- ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919β1939". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 2 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939β1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914β1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ "History In Portsmouth:Admiral Superintendents (1832-1971), transcribed from "The Illustrated History of Portsmouth" by William Gates. The Admiral Superintendent replaced the Commissioner by Order in Council dated 27 June 1832. Sir Michael Seymour becoming the first under that title by virtue of his existing tenure". historyinportsmouth.co.uk. The Navy Lists, 1832-1864. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ^ Houterman, J.N.; Koppes, Jerome. "Royal Navy, Portsmouth Command 1939β1945". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes, 2004β2006. Archived from the original on 27 June 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- ^ Watson. 2015
- ^ "Ellis, Rear-Adm. Edward William". Ellis, Rear-Adm. Edward William, (6 Sept. 1918β13 Jan. 2002), CBE 1968. London and Oxford: A & C Black and Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u14882.
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ignored (help) - ^ Houterman and Koppes. 2004β2005
- ^ Mackie, Gordon. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, February 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "John Graydon (c.1666-1725/26) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/3 Commission and Warrant Book 1694/5 Jan.-1696 25 May". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ Charnock, John (1794). Biographia navalis; or, Impartial memoirs of the lives ... of officers of the navy of Great Britain from ... 1660. London, England: R, Faulder. p. 17.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "John Graydon (c.1666-1725/26) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/3 Commission and Warrant Book 1694/5 Jan.-1696 25 May". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "Sir James Wishart (d.1723) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/8 Commission and Warrant Book 1703 6 July-1706 3 July". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "Basil Beaumont (1669β1703) from National Archives UK, ADM 6/5 Commission and Warrant Book 1698 28 Jan.-1699 1 June". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "Henry Haughton (d.1703) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/5 Commission and Warrant Book 1698 28 Jan.-1699 1 June". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "Thomas Warren (d.1699) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/5 Commission and Warrant Book 1698 28 Jan.-1699 1 June". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ Lincoln, Margarette (2016). British Pirates and Society, 1680β1730. Abingdon, England: Routledge. p. 167. ISBN 9781317171676.
- ^ Harrison, Simon. "Sir James Wishart (d.1723) from National Archives UK: ADM 6/8 Commission and Warrant Book 1703 6 July-1706 3 July". threedecks.org. Simon Harrison, 2010β2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Simon (2010β2018). "Richard Lestock (1678/79-1748)". threedecks.org. S. Harrison. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
- ^ "Letter regarding CINCHAN appointment" (PDF). NATO. Retrieved 20 February 2015.