Admirals of the British Navy Part 6

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ADMIRAL SIR FREDERIC EDWARD ERRINGTON BROCK, K.C.M.G., C.B.

ADMIRAL SIR 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADMIRAL 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.

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REAR-ADMIRAL HEATHCOAT SALUSBURY GRANT, C.B.

REAR-ADMIRAL HEATHCOAT 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 St.u.r.dee's action off the Falkland Islands.

He was Naval Attache 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 pa.s.sing through Gairlochy Lochs on that date, Tylee, who was a pa.s.senger, while walking ash.o.r.e, slipped into the ca.n.a.l. Immediately the accident was observed, Lieutenant Grant, who happened to be a fellow pa.s.senger, plunged into the ca.n.a.l to the rescue, and seizing hold of the lad swam with him to the side and held him up till a.s.sistance was forthcoming to help them both on sh.o.r.e.

As Captain of the "Diana" in 1907, Rear-Admiral Grant received the Cross of the Order of Naval and Military Merit (Second Cla.s.s) 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REAR-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.

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REAR-ADMIRAL FREDERICK CHARLES TUDOR TUDOR, C.B.

REAR-ADMIRAL FREDERICK 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,"

pa.s.sing 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 a.s.sistant Director of Naval Ordnance.

[Ill.u.s.tration: VICE-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.

VII

ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR GEORGE ASTLEY CALLAGHAN, G.C.B., G.C.V.O.

ADMIRAL OF 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET SIR GEORGE A. CALLAGHAN]

Admiral Callaghan was in command of the Home Fleet a.s.sembled 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?"

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 Poincare the Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour. Was in command of the Fleets a.s.sembled 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 princ.i.p.al 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.

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