TyrwhittCOMMODORE SIR REGINALD Y. TYRWHITT
In December, 1914, he was advanced to Commodore (First Class). In June, 1916, he received the D.S.O., and in April, 1917, he was appointed A.D.C. to the King, and for services rendered during the War received the K.C.B. on July 25th, 1917.
Commodore Tyrwhitt is a Commander of the Legion of Honour and Chevalier of the Military Order of Savoy.
The Western FrontDrawings by MUIRHEAD BONE"They illustrate admirably the daily life of the troops under my command."—F.M.Sir Douglas Haig, K.T.In Monthly Parts, Price 2/- net.Parts I.-V. in Volume form, with extra matter, 15/- net.Parts VI.-X. in Volume form, with extra matter, 15/- net.Mr. Muirhead Bone's drawings are reproduced in the following form, apart from "The Western Front" publication:—WAR DRAWINGSSize 20 by 15 inches.Ten Plates in each part, 10/6 net.MUNITION DRAWINGSSize 31½ by 22 inches.Six Plates in portfolio, 20/- net.WITH THE GRAND FLEETSize 31½ by 22 inches.Six Plates in portfolio, 20/- net."TANKS"Size 28 by 20¼ inches.Single Plate, 5/- net.BRITISH ARTISTS AT THE FRONTContinuation of "The Western Front"The sequel to the monthly publication illustrated by Mr. Muirhead Bone will be issued under the title of "British Artists at the Front."In size, quality of paper and style this publication will retain the characteristics of its predecessor.The illustrations will be in colours, and will be provided by various artists who have been given facilities to make records of the War.Further particulars of this publication will be sent on application to "Country Life,"Ltd., 20, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C. 2.
The Western FrontDrawings by MUIRHEAD BONE"They illustrate admirably the daily life of the troops under my command."—F.M.Sir Douglas Haig, K.T.
"They illustrate admirably the daily life of the troops under my command."
—F.M.Sir Douglas Haig, K.T.
Mr. Muirhead Bone's drawings are reproduced in the following form, apart from "The Western Front" publication:—
BRITISH ARTISTS AT THE FRONTContinuation of "The Western Front"
The sequel to the monthly publication illustrated by Mr. Muirhead Bone will be issued under the title of "British Artists at the Front."
In size, quality of paper and style this publication will retain the characteristics of its predecessor.
The illustrations will be in colours, and will be provided by various artists who have been given facilities to make records of the War.
Further particulars of this publication will be sent on application to "Country Life,"Ltd., 20, Tavistock Street, Covent Garden, London, W.C. 2.
Uniform with this publication.Generals of the British ArmyPortraits byFRANCIS DODDINTRODUCTIONI.—HAIG, FIELD MARSHAL SIR DOUGLAS,K.T., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E.,A.D.C.II.—PLUMER, GENERAL SIR H. C. O.,G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.B.,A.D.C.III.—RAWLINSON, GENERAL SIR H. S.,Bart.,G.C.V.O., K.C.B., K.C.V.O.IV.—GOUGH, GENERAL SIR H.De La POER,K.C.B., K.C.V.O.V.—ALLENBY, GENERAL SIR E. H.,K.C.B.VI.—HORNE, GENERAL SIR H. S.,K.C.B.VII.—BIRDWOOD, LIEUT.-GEN. SIR W. R.,K.C.B., K.C.S.I., K.C.M.G., C.I.E., D.S.O.VIII.—BYNG, GENERAL THE HON. SIR J. H. G.,K.C.B., K.C.M.G., M.V.O.IX.—CONGREVE, LIEUT.-GEN. SIR W. N.,V.C.,K.C.B., M.V.O.X.—HALDANE, LIEUT.-GEN. J. A. L.,C.B., D.S.O.XI.—WATTS, LIEUT.-GEN. H. E.,C.B., C.M.G.XII.—SMUTS, LIEUT.-GEN. THE RT. HON. JAN C.,P.C., K.C., M.L.A.Hudson & Kearns, Ltd., Printers,Hatfield Street, London, S.E. 1.
Uniform with this publication.
Generals of the British ArmyPortraits byFRANCIS DODD
Hudson & Kearns, Ltd., Printers,Hatfield Street, London, S.E. 1.
Part II Cover
PART II.
THEfirst thing a landlubber does when he opens his mouth about the sea or about sea power is to put his foot in it; and therefore one's sense of decency in approaching this procession of illustrious admirals, headed by Sir David Beatty, compels one to put oneself in a posture of reverent trepidation and respectful humility. The man of words in time of war ought to prostrate himself before the man of action. He ought to order himself lowly and reverently before and very much below his betters. In his case judgment or even criticism is an outrageous impertinence. He knows little about war by land and even less about war by sea. Any enlargement of his knowledge is only a microscopical diminution of his ignorance. The sea is a mystery, unveiled only to those who go down to (or in) the sea in ships.
Sailors tolerate our immeasurable ignorance, for they rejoice in the sense of humour which the sea seems to enrich and expand. It is many years since a mischievous midshipman cajoled me into climbing the mast of H.M.S. "Majestic," then flying the flag of Sir Harry Rawson. Until I went up in an aeroplane at St. Omer I never drank more deeply of the cup of terror. That midshipman, for all I know, may now be one of these grave admirals with smiles lurking at the corners of their eyes and lips. It is a far cry from the naval manœuvres of the "'nineties" to the "real thing" of 1918, but the impulse to hark back to those mimic battles is irresistible. My first and last misdemeanour was the striking of a match on the paint of a casemate. The memory of it even now makes me blush from nape to heel, and warns me that nearly everything a landlubber may say about the Navy is as the striking of a match on the wrong place at the wrong time on a Victorian man o' war.
And yet those far-off days in wardroom and gunroom, on navigating bridge and quarter-deck, helped me to drink the pure milk of the Navy word. No man who has watched a blinded battle fleet keeping station on a pitch-black night, or whose head has grown giddy in the mazes of a cruiser action, or who has seen a destroyer attack pushed home in the dark, or who has seen the drifters coming in coated with ice, can fail to feel in his bones the thrill of sea-power. To such a man there comes at all moments the salt warning, "Put not your trust only in armies. For England there is but one supreme war-faith, the creed of the sea."
There is no lack of lip-service to the sea-creed in these islands. The sea-litany and the sea-liturgy and the sea-prayers and the sea-collects and the sea-psalms and the sea-proverbs are tirelessly chanted and sung and said by high and low. Line upon line, precept upon precept, sea-bible and sea-gospel and sea-hymn—we know them all by heart. Our Newbolts, our Kiplings, our Conrads, our Hurds, our Leylands—yes, and our Mahans—they are all a great cloud of witnesses to the supreme necessity of sea-power. And yet in one's lay bones one feels that our practice falls far short of our preaching, and that we as a race are not utterly single-minded in our worship of the one power who has never betrayed us, the sea. The sea is a jealous god, and in these latter days a sure instinct leads one back to the old faith taught by Nelson and his forerunners, by the great captains and admirals whose bones are dust.
Peace is a rust that tarnishes a Navy, and, as one studies these portraits and these all too brief and bare biographies, one wonders whether "the Nelson touch" is hereditary, and whether these clear-eyed, strong-lipped admirals are all chips of the old block. One wonders, I say, and yet one does not doubt, for at every meal we eat the proof of the pudding. These admirals and their men have kept the faith and held the sea against High Seas Fleet and mine and submarine. Not for many a long day will all the wonders they have wrought be known or even suspected. Few there be who are allowed to peep into the inner shrine of admiralty. The higher secrets of sea-power are guarded and will be guarded long after Britain shall have won this war.
Herein is the true explanation of these modest memoirs which tell so little with all their camouflage of dates and decorations. Compared with a British admiral, Tacitus was a loquacious and copious blabber and babbler. If you interrogate him, he smiles and displays a long row of ribbons or a festoon of foreign orders. "The Silent Navy" is silent because it is not safe to talk or to be talked about, and also because it is not in love with the gauds of publicity. I confess I like the austere reticence of these dull and dreary lifelets of our great admirals. It warns us that we must walk by faith and not by sight when, like Peter, we take to the stormy waters.
There is, of course, the doubting Thomas, who is "hot for certainties" in the sea affair. He whispers in my ear that there is in the higher ranks a dearth of genius as compared with the lower ranks, and he tries to support his theory by asserting that all the brilliant junior officers must pass through a narrow bottle-neck before they become captains, and that the captains, after ten or twelve years of that awful solitude which is the captain's pride and peril, are apt to suffer from the ossifying brain which rejects new ideas, from the crusted conservatism which resists reform, from deskwork and paperwork, and from all the ravages of the red tapeworm.
My answer is that the sea is a giant that refreshes itself, and that your Nelson is proof against his routine, master of his groove. The long duel with the submarine is in itself evidence of the adaptability of our seamen. Where we have failed is not on the sea but in the dim region behind the sea, where the word of the sailor is no longer dominant and where other forces and factors interlock and interplay. Many and manifold are the uses of sea-power; many and manifold also are its abuses. And it is one of the qualities of sea-power that it is inarticulate, not given to polemics or dialectics or rhetoric or oratory, a thing of profound instinct and intuition, a product of the genius of race. Napoleon never understood sea-power as the German Emperor and Admiral von Tirpitz have learned to understand it, after much patient poring over the writings of Mahan. In all humility we ought not to be surprised that some of our own great ones have been and perhaps still are in the same state of pupilage as Napoleon. But war is a schoolmaster whose lessons are learned in due time by the most backward scholars.
There is a music-hall song sung in these stern days by some witless buffoon, "If you don't want to fight, join the Navy." As if the locker of Davy Jones were not fat with the valour of our seamen and our fishermen! In the bitterness of his soul a Super-Dreadnought captain said to me, "After the war I'll not be able to walk down Piccadilly without being hissed." These are extravagances of hyperbole, but they are a reflection of the folly that asks, "What is the Navy doing?" When I hear that fatuous question I retort, "What on earth and what on the sea is the Navy not doing?" It is keeping the ring for all the armies of all the Allies, and it is waiting for the last great sea-fight of Armageddon, the fight that is bound to come.
"They were dull, weary, eventless months, those months of watching and waiting of the big ships. Purposeless they surely seemed to many, but they saved England. Those far distant storm-beaten ships, upon which the Grand Army never looked, stood between it and the dominion of the world." A greater army than the Grand Army, led by chieftains hardly less renowned than Napoleon, is battering, as I write, at the gates of the Channel Ports. Whatever may befall, we know in our bones that these admirals of ours and their seamen stand between the Emperor Wilhelm and his imperial dream of world tyranny. Sir David Beatty sitting in his deck-chair is a living symbol of sea-power, and the armchair pessimist may well emulate his nonchalant vigilance, noting the wicked twinkle in his humorous eye and the sardonic curl of his sailor-mouth.
The Kaiser has chosen to sup with the sea-devil, and he has need of a very long spoon before he sees his supper, which happens to be our freedom and the freedom of all free men.
James Douglas.
ADMIRALSIR DAVID BEATTY, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., D.S.O., was born on January 17th, 1871, and entered the "Britannia" in January, 1884. He became a Lieutenant in August, 1892. During the Egyptian War he served on the Nile in cooperation with the Egyptian Army, under the late Lord Kitchener. In the course of this campaign he rendered excellent service in getting gunboats over the Cataract, and, as second in command of the Flotilla, at the forcing of the Dervish batteries at Hafir under fire.
On Commander Colville being wounded, Lieutenant Beatty took command of the Flotilla and fought the gunboats in front of the enemy batteries with great persistence and success, eventually dismounting their guns. For these services he was awarded the D.S.O. and mentioned in despatches.
He was also mentioned in despatches by the Sirdar for service with the gunboats employed during the Soudan operations on the Nile in 1898, which included the capture of Berber and the battles of Atbara and Khartoum. He subsequently accompanied Lord Kitchener in the advance to Fashoda, and was present at his meeting with Major Marchand. After the capture of Khartoum he was specially promoted to Commander.
When the Boxer outbreak occurred Admiral Beatty was Commander in the "Barfleur," second flagship on the China Station, and served in the Tientsin Concession throughout the siege. He showed exceptional tenacity in attempting with 200 bluejackets to capture two Chinese guns which were causing great trouble to the forces and inhabitants; after being twice wounded he continued to lead his men to the attack. He afterwards commanded the British Naval Brigade of the international force which relieved Admiral Seymour's expedition from a criticalsituation in Hsikon Arsenal. Later he commanded the Naval Brigade at the capture of Tientsin City. For these services he was specially promoted to the rank of Captain at the early age of 29, in 1900.
BeattyADMIRAL SIR DAVID BEATTY
From November, 1908, to January 1st, 1910, Captain Beatty was Aide-de-Camp to the King.
On January 1st, 1910, although not 39 years old, he became Rear-Admiral, and two years later was appointed Naval Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, a post which he held until February, 1913. During the Naval Manœuvres of 1912, Rear-Admiral Beatty commanded the Sixth Cruiser Squadron, flying his flag in H.M.S. "Aboukir."
In the following year he was appointed to command the First Battle Cruiser Squadron. In June, 1914, he was made a K.C.B., and on August 3rd was promoted Acting Vice-Admiral and given command of the Cruiser Forces of the Grand Fleet.
On August 28th, 1914, he was in command of the British Forces which proceeded into the Heligoland Bight in support of a Flotilla of Destroyers which was being hard pressed. In the action which resulted, three German Light Cruisers were sunk. No British ships were lost.
In January, 1915, he commanded the British Forces in the action off the Dogger Bank, which resulted in the sinking of the "Blucher." His flagship, "Lion," was severely damaged at a critical moment of the action and was towed back to port.
He was subsequently appointed to command the Battle Cruiser Fleet.
At the Battle of Jutland he succeeded, after very severe fighting, in drawing the enemy's fleet towards the British Battle Fleet and establishing touch between them.
For his services he was mentioned in despatches and received the G.C.B.
In November, 1916, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, with the acting rank of Admiral.
He is a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, Grand Officer of the Military Order of Savoy, and holds the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, and the Russian Military Order of St. George (Fourth Class).
ADMIRALSIR HENRY BRADWARDINE JACKSON, G.C.B., K.C.V.O., entered the Royal Navy in 1868, became a Lieutenant on October 27th, 1877, a Commander on January 1st, 1890, and a Captain on June 30th, 1896.
As Lieutenant of the "Active" he took part in the Zulu War in 1878-9, and for his services was awarded the South African Medal.
In 1882 he received the Royal Naval College prize when qualifying for Torpedo Lieutenant. He served as Senior Staff Officer of the "Vernon" from 1886 until promoted to Commander. As a Captain he was Naval Attaché from 1897-1899. In May, 1901, he was nominated a Fellow of the Royal Society for his researches in electrical physics. In February, 1902, he was appointed Assistant Director of Torpedoes, and, after further services at sea, Controller of the Navy in February, 1905.
From September 12th, 1905, to October 18th, 1906, he was Aide-de-Camp to the King, being promoted Rear-Admiral on the latter date.
On November 9th, 1906, he received the K.C.V.O., and from October 16th, 1908, to October 10th, 1910, he was in command of the Third, afterwards known as the Sixth, Cruiser Squadron.
JacksonADMIRAL SIR HENRY B. JACKSON
On June 23rd, 1910, he became a K.C.B., and on the 21st December of the same year was Admiralty representative at the International Conference on Aerial Navigation at Paris.
He was in command of the Royal Naval War College from February, 1911, to January, 1913, becoming a Vice-Admiral on March 15th of the first mentioned year.
During the Naval Manœuvres in July, 1912, he temporarily commanded the Seventh Squadron, hoisting his flag in H.M.S. "Illustrious." He was Chief of the War Staff in January, 1913, and was promoted to Admiral on February 10th, 1914.
He was nominated Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean in August, 1914, but on the outbreak of war was retained for special service at the Admiralty.
He was First Sea Lord from May 27th, 1915, to December 3rd, 1916, and was then appointed President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.
He became a G.C.B. on December 4th, 1916, and First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King on April 2nd, 1917.
ADMIRALTHE HONOURABLE SIR STANLEY CECIL JAMES COLVILLE, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., became a Midshipman on October 21st, 1876, a Lieutenant on November 18th, 1882, a Commander on August 25th, 1892, and a Captain on October 31st, 1896.
As a Midshipman of the "Boadicea" he landed with the Naval Brigade during the Zulu War and accompanied the Ekowe Relief Column. He was present at the battle of Ginghilovo, April 2nd, 1879, and accompanied the Brigade to Port Durnford. He received the South African Medal and clasp. As Sub-Lieutenant of the "Alexandra," during the Egyptian War, he was awarded the Egyptian Medal and Khedive's Bronze Star.
As Lieutenant of the "Alexandra" he served with the Naval Brigade landed for service in the Sudan and with the Nile Expedition for the relief of General Gordon at Khartum, 1884-5, receiving the Nile Medal and clasp.
Employed on the Nile and in the Sudan in co-operation with the Egyptian Army under the Sirdar (the late Lord Kitchener), he rendered excellent service in connection with the construction of gunboats. He commanded the Flotilla on the advance of the Egyptian Army on Dongola, at the forcing of the passage of Hafir on September 19th, 1896, when he was severely wounded, and at the taking of Dongola.
For these services he was mentioned in despatches, promoted to Captain, and made a C.B.
CovilleADMIRAL THE HON. SIR STANLEY COLVILLE
He was Naval Adviser to the Inspector General of Fortifications in 1897 and 1898; Chief of Staff, Mediterranean Station, May 1st, 1902, on June 6th of which year he received the C.V.O.
From December 4th, 1905, to November 11th, 1906, he was Aide-de-Camp to the King, being promoted Rear-Admiral on the latter date. From January, 1908, to January, 1909, he was in command of the Nore division, Home Fleet, and from February, 1909, to March, 1911, he was in command of the First Cruiser Squadron.
On April 12th, 1911, he became a Vice-Admiral, and was made a K.C.B. on June 14th of the following year.
From June 22nd, 1912, to June 22nd, 1914, he was Vice-Admiral commanding the First Battle Squadron, and on September 5th, 1914, he was appointed for special service. On September 14th, 1914, he became Admiral. In December, 1914, he was temporarily in command of the First Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet. He received the G.C.V.O. on July 9th, 1915, and was appointed Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, on February 17th, 1916.
ADMIRALSIR FREDERIC EDWARD ERRINGTON BROCK, K.C.M.G., C.B., was born on October 15th, 1854. He entered the Navy in 1868 and became Lieutenant on December 8th, 1879, Commander on January 1st, 1893, and Captain on June 30th, 1898.
From 1907 to 1908 he was Aide-de-Camp to the King, and became in the latter year a Rear-Admiral. From 1909 to 1910 he was in command of the Portsmouth Division of the Home Fleet, and from September, 1912, to October, 1915, he was Senior Officer at Gibraltar, being in 1913 promoted to Vice-Admiral. He was awarded the C.B. (Civil) on September 27th, 1912.
BrockADMIRAL SIR FREDERIC BROCK
On January 1st, 1916, Vice-Admiral Brock was made a K.C.M.G.—"In recognition of services rendered in connection with Naval operations of the War."
He became an Admiral on April 2nd, 1917.
He is a Commander of the Legion of Honour.
REAR-ADMIRALHEATHCOAT SALUSBURY GRANT, C.B., born in 1864, was educated at Stubbington School, Fareham, and entered the Navy in 1877.
He has commanded H.M.S. "Diana," "Kent," "Black Prince," and "Canopus," having been in command of the latter as Guardship at Port Stanley at the time of Admiral Sturdee's action off the Falkland Islands.
He was Naval Attaché at Washington from June, 1912, to June, 1914. Rear-Admiral Grant holds the Royal Humane Society's Testimonial on Vellum for rescuing a young lad, Jervis Tylee by name, at Inverness on September 14th, 1894. While the steamer "Glengarry" was passing through Gairlochy Lochs on that date, Tylee, who was a passenger, while walking ashore, slipped into the canal. Immediately the accident was observed, Lieutenant Grant, who happened to be a fellow passenger, plunged into the canal to the rescue, and seizing hold of the lad swam with him to the side and held him up till assistance was forthcoming to help them both on shore.
As Captain of the "Diana" in 1907, Rear-Admiral Grant received the Cross of the Order of Naval and Military Merit (Second Class) from the King of Spain.
For his services in action during the operations in Gallipoli from April, 1915, to May, 1916 (being then a Captain), he received high commendation and was made a C.B.
GrantREAR-ADMIRAL HEATHCOAT S. GRANT
He became a Rear-Admiral on June 4th, 1916, having been awarded a Good Service Pension in the previous year.
Since June, 1917, he has been Senior Officer, and in charge of all H.M. Naval Establishments at Gibraltar.
REAR-ADMIRALFREDERICK CHARLES TUDOR TUDOR, C.B., is especially well known for his thorough knowledge of the limitations and capabilities of ordnance as applied to the strategical and tactical problems of modern warfare. In this particular line indeed he is an expert of undisputed authority where knowledge, besides being fortified by mental attainments of an unusually brilliant kind, is based upon a profound study of the science of gunnery, in which, it should be added, Rear-Admiral Tudor specialized during the early part of his career.
Navigation was originally the particular branch of naval knowledge to which the Admiralty directed him to devote himself, but early realising the immense part which heavy artillery was to play in modern warfare, Admiral Tudor, as a young man, eventually devoted his entire attention to the study of guns and gunnery. At no time in the history of armaments has such an important development of power, of rapidity of firing and of reliability of guns of all calibre, been known, and this being so, Officers like Rear-Admiral Tudor, who are experts in such matters, are absolutely invaluable to the British Navy.
From the very beginning of his career Rear-Admiral Tudor was recognised as an Officer possessing intelligence of a very high order.
From 1892 for two years he acted as Experimental Officer, and for a further two years as a Senior Staff Officer of H.M.S. "Excellent," passing to the Department of the Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty in January, 1896, where he remained until May, 1898. In 1902 he became a Captain, and from September, 1906, to May, 1909, he was Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance.
TudorVICE-ADMIRAL SIR F. C. T. TUDOR
As Captain of the "Excellent," to which ship he was appointed in August, 1910, Rear-Admiral Tudor did much to promote that proficiency in gunnery which is so vitally essential to the success of all modern naval operations. He held the post for nearly two years, and during that period impressed everyone who came in contact with him with the firm idea that he was the right man in the right place.
From April 12th, 1911, to January 14th, 1913, he was Aide-de-Camp to the King, on which latter date he was promoted to Rear-Admiral.
On June 12th, 1912, Rear-Admiral Tudor was appointed Director of Naval Ordnance, and on King George's birthday in 1913 he received the C.B.
He was Third Sea Lord on the Board of Admiralty from August 11th, 1914, to May 31st, 1917, being mainly responsible for new construction during this period of immense expansion of the Fleet under war conditions.
ADMIRALOF THE FLEET, SIR GEORGE ASTLEY CALLAGHAN, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., was born on December 21st, 1852. He was in command of the "Endymion" during the operations in China in 1900; commanded the Naval Brigade during the advance with the Allied Forces for the relief of the Legations at Peking; mentioned in despatches, and received the C.B. for this service in November, 1900. He was Aide-de-Camp to the King from March 15th, 1904, to July 5th, 1905, and became a Rear-Admiral on July 1st, 1905, and was appointed Rear-Admiral in the Channel Fleet on November 16th, 1906. On April 5th, 1907, Admiral Callaghan became Rear-Admiral Commanding the 5th Cruiser Squadron, and on August 3rd of that year, on the occasion of the Review in the Solent of the Home Fleet by King Edward VII., he received the C.V.O. From November, 1908, to August, 1910, he was second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet, and was made a K.C.V.O. on April 24th, 1909, the occasion of the visit of King Edward and Queen Alexandra to Malta in the "Victoria and Albert." He was promoted Vice-Admiral on April 27th, 1910, and made a K.C.B. on June 24th the same year. He commanded the Second Division of the Home Fleet from August, 1910, to December, 1911, and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet on December 5th, 1911, which appointment he held until August 4th, 1914.
CallaghanADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR GEORGE A. CALLAGHAN
Admiral Callaghan was in command of the Home Fleet assembled for inspection at Weymouth Bay by King George V in May, 1912, and received the following message from His Majesty:—
"Before leaving I wish to express to you my satisfaction at finding the Fleet under your command in such a high state of efficiency. I was glad to have the opportunity of inspecting vessels of the latest type, and of witnessing squadron firing, an attack by submarines, and flights by aeroplanes. Will you express to the officers and men the pleasure it has given me to be again with them during the last few days?"
"Before leaving I wish to express to you my satisfaction at finding the Fleet under your command in such a high state of efficiency. I was glad to have the opportunity of inspecting vessels of the latest type, and of witnessing squadron firing, an attack by submarines, and flights by aeroplanes. Will you express to the officers and men the pleasure it has given me to be again with them during the last few days?"
Admiral Callaghan received the G.C.V.O. on this occasion; his tenure of appointment as Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets, extended to three years.
He was promoted Admiral on May 17th, 1913, and on June 23rd of the same year he received from President Poincaré the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour. Was in command of the Fleets assembled at Spithead in July, 1914, for inspection by H.M. The King. On August 4th, 1914, he was appointed to the Admiralty War Staff. He became Commander-in-Chief at the Nore on January 1st, 1915, and was made a G.C.B. in the Birthday Honours of 1916. On September 11th, 1914, Admiral Callaghan was appointed first and principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King, and promoted Admiral of the Fleet on April 2nd, 1917.
For services after the Messina earthquake in December, 1908, Admiral Callaghan was made Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy and received the Italian Silver Medal.
REAR-ADMIRALARTHUR CAVENAGH LEVESON, C.B. (Civil), C.B. (Military), was born in 1868, and after going to a private school, began his Naval education on board the "Britannia." As a young man he gained Five Firsts, the Beaufort Testimonial and Goodenough Medal.
He qualified in gunnery.
He served as Gunnery Lieutenant in the "Victoria" in 1893, and was on board when she sank after collision with the "Camperdown" off Tripoli.
He was 1st Gunnery Officer at Whale Island (H.M.S. "Excellent"), and Brigade Major to the Naval Brigade in London on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 1897, for which he received the Jubilee Medal.
He was promoted to Commander from Whale Island, and became a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.
He served as Commander for the whole of the first commission of the "Canopus," and was promoted to Captain on July 1st, 1903.
From August, 1903, to February, 1905, he was Naval Assistant to the Controller of the Navy.
He served as Flag Captain to Admiral Sir William May, Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, and took part in 1905 in the original initiation of the Entente Cordiale at Brest and in Paris, for which he received the Croix d'Officier of the Legion of Honour.
LevesonREAR-ADMIRAL A. C. LEVESON
He subsequently commanded H.M. Battleship "Africa" and H.M. Battle-Cruiser "Indefatigable," and received the Coronation Medal of H.M. King George V. in 1911.
In 1912 he was made a C.B. (Civil) in the first batch of Naval officers to whom the award of this honour was extended.
In 1913 he was made Aide-de-Camp to H.M. King George V., and in the same year was Commodore (First Class) on the staff of Admiral of the Fleet Sir William May, Umpire-in-Chief during the Naval Manœuvres which took place during July and August.
He became Rear-Admiral on December 1st, 1913, and Director of Operations Divisions of the Admiralty War Staff on May 1st, 1914, and served as such for the first six months of the War.
He was then appointed Rear-Admiral, Second in Command of the Second Battle Squadron, and was present at the battle of Jutland on May 31st, 1916, for which he was mentioned in despatches and received the C.B. (Military). He has also received the Order of St. Stanislaus (First Class) with swords, and the Order of the Rising Sun (Second Class).
VICE-ADMIRALSIR HUGH EVAN-THOMAS, K.C.B., M.V.O., was born in 1862 and entered the Royal Navy in 1876. He became a Lieutenant on December 31st, 1884, a Commander on January 1st, 1897, and a Captain on June 26th, 1902.
He was Flag Captain in the Channel Fleet, 1903-5, and Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty from 1905-08. Commanded H.M.S. "Bellerophon" 1908-1910.
From July, 1910, to August, 1912, he was in command of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and from February, 1911, to July 9th, 1912, Aide-de-Camp to the King, being promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on July 9th, 1912.
He was Rear-Admiral, First Battle Squadron, 1913-15, and was in command of the Fifth Battle Squadron with his Flag in H.M.S. "Barham" at the Battle of Jutland, May 31st, 1916, being mentioned in despatches. He received the C.B. on June 3rd of that year, and on September 15th, 1916, he was made a K.C.B. for his services during the Battle of Jutland. In the same month he was decorated Commander of the Legion of Honour by the President of the French Republic for his services in the war.
He also holds the Order of St. Anne (First Class) with swords, is a Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown of Italy, and has received the Order of the Rising Sun (Second Class).
He became a Rear-Admiral on April 27th, 1917.
Assumed the rank of Acting Vice-Admiral, July 9th, 1917.
Evan-ThomasVICE-ADMIRAL SIR HUGH EVAN-THOMAS
He was Aide-de-Camp to the King from December 6th, 1916, until promoted, and was awarded a Good Service Pension on January 10th, 1916.
He received the Civil C.B. on June 4th, 1917.
REAR-ADMIRALHENRY HARVEY BRUCE, C.B., M.V.O., was born in 1862, and in the early 'eighties of the last century served as a Midshipman of the "Monarch" during the Egyptian War. For his services during that campaign he received the Egyptian Medal and Khedive's Bronze Star.
As a Midshipman in the "Monarch" Rear-Admiral Bruce had a very narrow escape of losing his life by an accident. This occurred during torpedo exercises, in the course of which a steam pinnace having come alongside the ship, a light charge of a fish torpedo suddenly exploded.
The result of this mishap was that a Lieutenant was killed on the spot, while several of the crew were severely hurt. Among the latter was Mr. Bruce, whose eyes sustained injuries which happily did not turn out to be as serious as was at first anticipated.
In 1911-12 he was Captain of the "Defence" in the detached Squadron which escorted the "Medina" to India for the Durbar; he received the M.V.O. (Fourth Class) on February 4th, 1912.