British Admirals of the Fleet

by T A Heathcote

  McGRIGOR

  Sir RHODERICK ROBERT, GCB, DSO (1893–1959) [100]

  “The Wee McGrigor”, as he was commonly known in allusion to his diminutive stature, was born in York on 12 April 1893, the only son of an officer (later a brigadier-general) in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. After spending his childhood in South Africa he attended the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth and passed out at the head of his intake. He was promoted to midshipman on 15 September 1910 and was appointed to the battleship Formidable in the Atlantic Fleet in April 1911. He joined the battleship Africa in the Home Fleet in May 1912, from which he became an acting sub-lieutenant on 15 January 1913, at the beginning of his promotion courses. In October 1913 McGrigor was appointed to the battleship Agamemnon in the Home Fleet and in March 1913 joined the destroyer Foxhound in the Mediterranean Fleet. After the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 he was promoted to lieutenant on 15 October 1914 and served in the Dardanelles campaign of 1915. He was subsequently appointed to the battleship Malaya in the Grand Fleet, in which he took part in the battle of Jutland (31 May–1 June 1916).

  After the conclusion of hostilities in November 1918 McGrigor served in the light cruiser Highflyer from June 1919 to 1921. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander on 15 October 1922 and in September 1923 went to the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, for the War Staff Course. After qualifying as a torpedo specialist, he was appointed flotilla torpedo officer in Montrose, leader of the First Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet, in February 1925. He was promoted to commander on 31 December 1927 and joined the staff of the Tactical School at Portsmouth. In August 1930 he became Staff Officer (Operations) to the C-in-C, Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship Nelson. McGrigor married in 1931 the widow of a major in the Grenadier Guards. They later adopted twin boys. Between August 1932 and January 1933 he commanded the destroyer Versatile in the Home Fleet. He was promoted to captain on 31 December 1933 and joined the Training and Staff Duties Division at the Admiralty in August 1934. He returned to sea in September 1936 as Captain (Destroyers) of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in the Home Fleet, successively in the flotilla leaders Campbell and Kempenfeldt. McGrigor was promoted to commodore, second class, on 26 August 1938, and was appointed chief of staff to the C-in-C, China station, in the flagship Kent, where he was serving on the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939.

  McGrigor returned home late in 1940 to become flag captain of the battle-cruiser Renown, flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir James Somerville [93], commanding Force H, based at Gibraltar. He took part in several actions in the Eastern Atlantic and Western Mediterranean, including the bombardment of Genoa (9 February 1941) and the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck (26–27 May 1941) and was commended for his staff work and his ship-handling in combat. After being promoted to rear-admiral on 8 July 1941 he was appointed to the Admiralty as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Weapons). Eighteen months later McGrigor was given command of an amphibious force in the Mediterranean, and took part in the capture of the island of Pantelleria (11–12 June 1943) and the invasion of Sicily (10 July 1943), for which he was awarded the DSO. After serving as Flag Officer, Sicily, he became Allied naval commander, Southern Italy, and chief Allied liaison officer to the Italian Navy, which had become a co-belligerent force.

  In March 1944 McGrigor was given command of the First Cruiser Squadron in the Home Fleet, with his flag successively in the cruisers Kent and Norfolk. He remained there until the end of the war in 1945, taking part in several operations off the coast of Norway and escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. He was appointed second-in-command of the Home Fleet on 8 April 1945 and promoted to vice-admiral on 15 April 1945, with the award of the KCB. Sir Rhoderick McGrigor was appointed to the Board of Admiralty as Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff in October 1945, with the primary task of implementing the Navy’s transition to post-war conditions. He was promoted to admiral on 2 September 1948 and served from January 1949 to January 1950 as C-in-C, Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship Duke of York. Between March 1950 and October 1951 he was C-in-C, Plymouth.

  In December 1951 McGrigor became First Sea Lord in the Board headed by J P L Thomas in Winston Churchill’s second administration. In the face of demands for post-war defence economies, and an entirely new strategic situation arising from the emergence of nuclear weapons, McGrigor pressed strongly for a powerful, balanced fleet. He argued that the Navy would continue to play an essential part both in limited conventional conflicts and in the period of “broken-backed warfare” that was expected to follow any nuclear exchange. His major achievement was a successful defence of the fleet carrier against those who believed that this type of ship was no longer required. He revived the title Fleet Air Arm (renamed Naval Aviation in 1946) and gained Cabinet approval for the provision of new naval aircraft, but, as an economy measure, disbanded the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve air squadrons.

  A product of the long-established system of naval officers beginning their careers as thirteen-year-old cadets, McGrigor would have been happy to see this revived, but accepted that in the changed social and political circumstances of the day, it was no longer feasible. He therefore supported his colleagues in the decision to raise the age of cadet entry to eighteen, in line with the other two Armed Services. He was promoted to admiral of the fleet on 1 May 1953 and was succeeded as First Sea Lord by Lord Mountbatten [102] in April 1955. He had laid the foundations of much for which Mountbatten would subsequently claim credit and had begun to move the fleet towards the replacement of guns by guided missiles and the adoption of gas turbine engines for ship propulsion. McGrigor retired to his home in the Scottish Highlands, and died at Aberdeen, after surgery, on 3 December 1959.

  MADDEN

  Sir CHARLES EDWARD, 1st Baronet, GCB, OM, GCVO,

  KCMG (1862–1935) [75]

  Charles Madden, the second son of an officer in the 4th Foot (The King’s Own), was born at Brompton, Chatham, Kent, on 5 September 1862. His parents, both of whom came from the Anglo-Irish Protestant squirearchy, decided that he should embark on a career in the Navy, which he joined as a cadet in the training ship Britannia in 1875. He was appointed a midshipman on 22 October 1877 in the battleship Alexandra, flagship of the C-in-C, Mediterranean, and served in the fleet sent to Constantinople (Istanbul) during the international crisis of February 1878. In 1880 Madden was appointed to the corvette Ruby on the East Indies station. He returned home with promotion to sub-lieutenant at the beginning of his promotion courses on 27 October 1881. During the Egyptian campaign of 1882–83 he served at Suez and was mentioned in despatches, followed by appointment in September 1883 to the battleship Minotaur, flagship in the Channel Squadron. He was promoted to lieutenant on 27 July 1884 and served in the troopship Assistance from November 1884 to September 1895. Madden then decided to specialize in torpedo warfare and attended the torpedo school Vernon at Portsmouth, as a student from 1884 to 1885 and as member of the staff from 1885 to 1887. He then served as torpedo lieutenant successively in the cruiser Raleigh on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa station between March 1888 and September 1891 and the battleship Royal Sovereign, flagship of the Channel Squadron between 1892 and 1893.

  Madden returned to the staff of Vernon, where he was promoted to commander on 30 June 1896 and was subsequently the commander successively of the cruiser Terrible and the battleship Caesar in the Mediterranean. In 1899 he returned to Vernon, where he remained until promoted to captain on 30 June 1901. In 1902 he was appointed flag captain of the armoured cruiser Good Hope in a cruiser squadron on the North America and West Indies station. Late in 1903 the new wife of Captain John Jellicoe [68] of the armoured cruiser Drake in the same squadron visited her husband at Bermuda, with her youngest sister Constance as her travelling companion. These two ladies were the daughters of the self-made Scottish millionaire and shipping-line owner, Sir Charles Cayzer. A shy and gentle girl (unlike her more forceful two elder sisters), Constance found he
rself attracted to the flag captain of her brother-in-law’s squadron and Madden returned her affection. They married in 1905 and later had two sons and four daughters.

  Madden came to the notice of the First Sea Lord, Sir John Fisher [58], who appointed him in December 1904 to the Ship Design Committee, an influential body that recommended the construction of the new Dreadnought class of fast, all-big-gun battleships, and the Invincible class of battle-cruisers. In February 1905 he became Naval Assistant to Captain Henry Jackson [70] (himself a torpedo specialist), Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. From December 1905 to August 1907 he was Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord and was then given command of the new Dreadnought as flag captain and chief of staff to the C-in-C, Home Fleet. In December 1908 he became Naval Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty. Madden joined the Board as Fourth Sea Lord in January 1910 and remained there, with promotion to rear-admiral on 12 April 1911, until December 1911. During 1912 he commanded a division of the Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship St Vincent. He commanded the Third Cruiser Squadron, with his flag in the cruiser Antrim, during 1913 and the Second Cruiser Squadron, with his flag in the cruiser Shannon, during 1914. He was then selected to become Third Sea Lord, but on the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 his brother-in-law, Sir John Jellicoe, the newly appointed C-in-C, Grand Fleet, asked for him as his chief of staff.

  Madden accordingly joined Jellicoe in the battleship Iron Duke, with acting promotion to vice-admiral in June 1915 and the award of the KCB in January 1916. He took part in the battle of Jutland (31 May–1 June 1916) and was confirmed as vice-admiral on 10 June 1916. When Jellicoe left the Grand Fleet in December 1916 Sir Charles Madden became second-in-command to his successor, Sir David Beatty [69], and served under him, with his flag successively in the battleships Marlborough and Revenge, until the Grand Fleet was dispersed in April 1919. He was promoted to admiral in February 1919 and was given command of the Atlantic Fleet that took the place of the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow, with his flag in the battleship Queen Elizabeth. He retained this command until August 1922, with the award of a baronetcy in 1919, and was exonerated from any blame when the German High Seas Fleet, interned at Scapa Flow, scuttled itself on 21 June 1919.

  Madden was promoted to admiral of the fleet on 31 July 1924. He was recalled to the Admiralty as First Sea Lord in succession to Beatty in July 1927. This appointment was greeted with mixed opinions in the Fleet, but had the merit of neutrality between the rival supporters of Beatty and Jellicoe in the controversy over their actions at Jutland, as Madden had served under both. In 1929 William (later Viscount) Bridgeman, First Lord of the Admiralty in Stanley Baldwin’s second Cabinet, arranged a special Order in Council allowing Madden to remain on the active list as a supernumerary admiral of the fleet for as long as he was First Sea Lord. This was to avoid the turbulence of making a new appointment in the approach to a General Election. The new Labour Cabinet that came into office in 1929 was determined to avoid a naval arms race with the United States and Madden was therefore obliged to accept parity in cruisers with the United States Navy at a figure of fifty. He defended this outcome on the grounds that he only had forty-eight in any case, and also felt that, having given his best professional advice, it was his duty to implement the policy of the elected government of the day. He retired on 30 July 1930 and was succeeded by Sir Frederick Field [81], whom he recommended in preference to Sir Osmond Brock [79] and Sir Roger Keyes [80]. Sir Charles Madden died in London on 5 June 1935. His elder son, who followed him into the Royal Navy, succeeded him in his baronetcy. After creditable service during the Second World War, the second baronet ended his naval career in 1965 as C-in-C, Home Fleet and died in April 2001.

  MARTIN

  Sir GEORGE, GCB, GCMG (1764–1847) [18]

  George Martin, born in 1764, was the third and youngest son of Captain William Martin, Royal Navy, and his wife Arabella, daughter of Sir William Rowley [6], the sister of one future rear-admiral and the aunt of two more. Captain Martin died in 1766 and his widow married Colonel Gibbs, the proprietor of Horsley Park, East Horsley, Surrey. George Martin was carried on the books of the yacht Mary from December 1771 to April 1774. After the beginning of the American War of Independence he became a captain’s servant in the 3rd-rate Monarch, commanded by his uncle, the then Captain Joshua Rowley, on 20 November 1776. He served with his uncle at the battle of Ushant (27 July 1778) as a midshipman and subsequently went in the 3rd-rate Suffolk to the West Indies, where he took part in four fleet actions, one off Grenada (6 July 1779) and three off Martinique (April-May 1780). Martin then served in the sloops Camelion, Rover and Alert, prior to becoming lieutenant in the 3rd-rate Russell on 16 July 1780. He was next appointed to the 2nd-rate Princess Royal and then to the 5th-rate Ulysses and finally the 2nd-rate Sandwich, before being made commander of the sloop Tobago on 9 March 1782, through the patronage of his uncle, who was also on the West Indies station. On 17 March 1783 he became captain of the 4th-rate Preston. After the conclusion of the war Martin returned to the United Kingdom and went onto half-pay until given command of the 6th-rate Porcupine, on the coast of Ireland, from July 1789 to August 1792.

  Following the outbreak of war with Revolutionary France in February 1793 Martin was appointed to command of the 5th-rate Magicienne and sent to the West Indies. In 1795, back in European waters, he commanded the 3rd-rate Irresistible at the battle of St Vincent (14 February 1795), to which Commodore Horatio Nelson shifted his broad pendant after his own ship Captain was disabled. Together with the captains of the other ships present, Martin was awarded a gold medal in appreciation of his part in the victory. On 26 April 1795, in company with the 5th-rate Emerald, he captured the Spanish frigates Ninfa and Santa Elena at Conil Bay, near Cape Trafalgar. From 1798 to 1802 he was in the Mediterranean as captain of the 3rd-rate Northumberland and took several prizes, included the French frigate Diane and 74-gun ship Généraux. In September 1800, as senior officer of the blockading squadron, he was the British signatory to the surrender of Malta, where the French garrison of Valetta, down to its last rat, had withstood a two-year siege. In March 1801 he was with the fleet at the landing of a British army in Egypt, leading to the French defeat at the battle of Alexandria (21 March 1801). After the Treaty of Amiens brought peace with France in March 1802 the usual post-war reductions in the fleet placed Martin on half-pay in September 1802.

  With the renewal of hostilities in May 1803 (partly caused by the British refusal to give up Malta), Martin served in the Channel in command successively of the 3rd-rate Colossus during 1803 and the 2nd-rates Glory and Barfleur during 1804. In April 1804 he married the younger daughter of the well-connected Captain William Bentinck, Royal Navy. Her elder sister was married to Rear-Admiral James Whitshed [17]. In Barfleur Martin took part in the indecisive battle of Finisterre (22 July 1805) against Villeneuve’s fleet on its return from the West Indies. Martin was promoted to be rear-admiral of the Blue on 9 November 1805. In 1806 he was second-in-command at Portsmouth. After the death of his young wife he returned to sea duty in 1807, blockading Cadiz, with his flag in the 3rd-rate Cumberland. From there he joined the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag successively in the 3rd-rate Montagu, the 2nd-rate Queen and the 3rd-rate Canopus. Martin became rear-admiral of the White on 28 April 1808. In June 1809 he carried Lieutenant General Sir John Stuart’s army from Sicily to land on the islands of Ischia and Procida in the Bay of Naples. In October 1809, detached with the eight fastest ships of the line from the main fleet, he pursued a squadron of five French ships to Cette (Sete) in the Gulf of Lyons, driving two ashore and two into harbour. He was made rear-admiral of the Red on 25 October 1809 and vice-admiral of the Blue on 31 July 1810.

  In the summer of 1810, having taken Stuart’s army back to Sicily, Martin received his seventh mention in despatches and was awarded a knighthood from the King of Naples. On 12 August 1812 he became a vice-admiral of the White. From 1812 to 1814, during the last two years of the Peninsular War
, he was C-in-C, Lisbon, with his flag successively in the 3rd-rate Impétueux, the 6th-rate Sabrina and the 3rd-rate Rodney. In June 1814, when the fleet had returned to Portsmouth after the fall of Napoleon, Martin was awarded a knighthood and became a vice-admiral of the Red. Sir George Martin married again in 1814, this time to the daughter of William Locke, of Norbury Park, Surrey. In January 1815, when the Order of the Bath was reorganized, he was made a KCB. He became an admiral of the Blue on 19 July 1821 and was C-in-C, Portsmouth, from March 1824 to April 1827. He became an admiral of the White on 22 July 1830, admiral of the Red on 10 January 1837 and admiral of the fleet on 9 November 1846. Martin died, without offspring, in his house at Berkeley Square, London, on 28 July 1847.

  MARTIN

  Sir THOMAS BYAM, GCB (1773–1854) [19]

  Thomas Martin, the third son of Captain Sir Henry Martin, a future naval commissioner at Portsmouth and later Comptroller of the Navy and Member of Parliament for Southampton, was born on 25 July 1773. He was entered on the books of several warships between 1781 and 1784, including the Foudroyant, under Captain John Jervis [12], but did not actually report for duty until August 1785, when he joined the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth. He first went to sea in April 1786, as captain’s servant in the 6th-rate Pegasus, commanded by Prince William, the future William IV [11], on the North America and West Indies station. When the crew of Pegasus was turned over to the 5th-rate Andromeda in March 1788, Martin was appointed as midshipman and served under Prince William in the Channel and on the North America and West Indies station, until the prince was recalled home with his ship early in 1789. Martin subsequently served in the Channel in the 3rd-rate Colossus, the 5th-rate Southampton, the 2nd-rate Barfleur and the 1st-rate Royal George, prior to becoming a lieutenant in 3rd-rate Canada on 22 October 1790. During the next two years he remained in the Channel, successively in the 5th-rates Inconstant and Juno.