Anthony Synnot
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot KBE
, AO
(5 January 1922 – 4 July 2001) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy
, who between 1979 and 1982 served as Chief of the Defence Force Staff
.
, a descendant of Monckton Synnot
and brother of Captain Timothy Monckton Synnot
RAN
, and a distant relative of the American Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton
. Synnot was educated at Geelong Grammar School
. He joined the Royal Australian Navy as a cadet midshipman in March 1939 and trained in Britain with Prince Philip of Greece
(as he then was). His first ship was the cruiser HMAS Canberra
.
, Synnot served aboard the destroyer HMAS Stuart in the Battle of Cape Matapan
, for which he was mentioned in dispatches
, and during the evacuation of Greece
and Crete
. With the Royal Navy
, he saw service on the battleship HMS Barham
and was on board the destroyer HMS Punjabi
when she sank off Iceland
in 1942 after being accidentally rammed by the battleship HMS King George V
.
Subsequently, Synnot served for two years on the Australian destroyer HMAS Quiberon
on North Sea convoy duty and during the North Africa landings, eventually becoming the ship's executive officer. In 1945, Synnot qualified as a gunnery officer and served on the staff of gunnery schools in Australia. Promoted to commander in 1954, he took charge of HMAS Warramunga
in 1956. He became captain of the Daring-class destroyer HMAS Vampire
in 1960.
In 1950, Synnot had taken part in the Bridgeford Mission to Malaya, which advised the Australian government on the Malayan emergency
. His report on the options for providing naval support for the British laid the foundations for Australian naval involvement in the region and led to Synnot's secondment to command the Royal Malaysian Navy
from 1962 to 1965.
On his return to Australia, Synnot attended administrative staff college before returning to sea in 1966 as Captain of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney, then in 1967, the carrier HMAS Melbourne. He was the only officer to command both aircraft carriers.
After a year at the Imperial Defence College in London, he returned to Australia as director general of fighting equipment. Promoted to rear-admiral in 1970, he became chief of naval personnel and subsequently deputy chief of naval staff. He became commander of the Australian fleet
in 1973. In 1974, he was appointed director joint staff in the Australian Defence Department, and played a leading role in the relief effort
following the devastation of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy
.
In 1976, Synnot was promoted to Vice Admiral
and appointed Chief of Naval Staff
. He initiated a review of the Navy Office and of the Navy's structure of command and control. He drew up a blueprint for the maintenance of naval capability into the future, and oversaw the Navy's guided-missile frigate project.
Extremely able and practical, Synnot came to be regarded as one of the country's most outstanding defence force chiefs. A strong believer in deterrence and an advocate of close co-operation with America and countries in the Pacific region, Synnot emphasised the need for a strong military capability for national defence and for joint operations with Australia's allies overseas. He was said to have done more to equip Australia's armed forces with up-to-date military technology than any of his predecessors. In particular, he was instrumental in persuading the Australian government of the need to upgrade the country's air force with the acquisition of the F/A-18 Hornet
.
He was also behind the decision to acquire the British aircraft carrier HMS Invincible
as a replacement for the ageing HMAS Melbourne. However Britain withdrew the offer to sell Invincible after the Falklands War
.
Synnot retired on 20 April 1982.
Stanley Bruce
.
Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot died on the 4 July 2001 at the age of 79, after suffering from a long illness.
Admiral (Australia)
Admiral is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Navy rank of Admiral. It is a four-star rank. Since World War II, in general, the only time the rank is held is when the Chief of the Defence Force is a Navy officer.Admiral is a...
Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, AO
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(5 January 1922 – 4 July 2001) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, who between 1979 and 1982 served as Chief of the Defence Force Staff
Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
.
Early life
Synnot was born in 1922 at Corowa, New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, a descendant of Monckton Synnot
Monckton Synnot
Monckton Synnot was a prominent squatter in Victoria, Australia, the sixth son of Captain Walter Synnot and his second wife Elizabeth, née Houston, and the grandson of Sir Walter Synnot, of Ballymoyer, County Armagh....
and brother of Captain Timothy Monckton Synnot
Timothy Monckton Synnot
Timothy Monckton Synnot DSC was an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. He was a descendant of Monckton Synnot and the older brother of Admiral Anthony Synnot he joined the RAN in 1930 and served on HMAS Hobart in World War II, during which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was...
RAN
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, and a distant relative of the American Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church . She established Catholic communities in Emmitsburg, Maryland....
. Synnot was educated at Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School
Geelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
. He joined the Royal Australian Navy as a cadet midshipman in March 1939 and trained in Britain with Prince Philip of Greece
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
(as he then was). His first ship was the cruiser HMAS Canberra
HMAS Canberra (1927)
HMAS Canberra , named after the Australian capital city of Canberra, was a Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser of the Kent subclass of County class cruisers...
.
Naval career
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Synnot served aboard the destroyer HMAS Stuart in the Battle of Cape Matapan
Battle of Cape Matapan
The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second World War naval battle fought from 27–29 March 1941. The cape is on the southwest coast of Greece's Peloponnesian peninsula...
, for which he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
, and during the evacuation of Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
. With the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, he saw service on the battleship HMS Barham
HMS Barham (1914)
HMS Barham was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy named after Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham, built at the John Brown shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland, and launched in 1914...
and was on board the destroyer HMS Punjabi
HMS Punjabi (F21)
HMS Punjabi was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw service in the Second World War, being sunk in a collision with the battleship . She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name "Punjabi" which — in common with the other ships of the Tribal-class — was named after...
when she sank off Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in 1942 after being accidentally rammed by the battleship HMS King George V
HMS King George V (41)
HMS King George V was the lead ship of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, King George V operated during the Second World War as part of the British Home and Pacific Fleets...
.
Subsequently, Synnot served for two years on the Australian destroyer HMAS Quiberon
HMAS Quiberon (G81)
HMAS Quiberon was a Q class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Although built for the Royal Navy and remaining British property until 1950, Quiberon was one of two Q class destroyers commissioned into the RAN during World War II...
on North Sea convoy duty and during the North Africa landings, eventually becoming the ship's executive officer. In 1945, Synnot qualified as a gunnery officer and served on the staff of gunnery schools in Australia. Promoted to commander in 1954, he took charge of HMAS Warramunga
HMAS Warramunga (I44)
HMAS Warramunga was a Tribal class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Built during World War II, the destroyer entered service in late 1942...
in 1956. He became captain of the Daring-class destroyer HMAS Vampire
HMAS Vampire (D11)
HMAS Vampire was the third of three Australian-built Daring class destroyers serving in the Royal Australian Navy . One of the first all-welded ships built in Australia, she was constructed at Cockatoo Island Dockyard between 1952 and 1959, and was commissioned into the RAN a day after...
in 1960.
In 1950, Synnot had taken part in the Bridgeford Mission to Malaya, which advised the Australian government on the Malayan emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
. His report on the options for providing naval support for the British laid the foundations for Australian naval involvement in the region and led to Synnot's secondment to command the Royal Malaysian Navy
Royal Malaysian Navy
The Royal Malaysian Navy is the naval arm of Malaysian Armed Forces. All commissioned ships of the RMN have the prefix KD , which means Royal Ship.-Straits Settlement Naval Volunteer Reserve:...
from 1962 to 1965.
On his return to Australia, Synnot attended administrative staff college before returning to sea in 1966 as Captain of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney, then in 1967, the carrier HMAS Melbourne. He was the only officer to command both aircraft carriers.
After a year at the Imperial Defence College in London, he returned to Australia as director general of fighting equipment. Promoted to rear-admiral in 1970, he became chief of naval personnel and subsequently deputy chief of naval staff. He became commander of the Australian fleet
Commander Australian Fleet
Commander Australian Fleet , also referred to as Fleet Commander Australia , is a senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy , holding full command of all Navy combat forces and responsibility for all maritime operations within the Australian Defence Force...
in 1973. In 1974, he was appointed director joint staff in the Australian Defence Department, and played a leading role in the relief effort
Operation Navy Help Darwin
Operation Navy Help Darwin was a disaster relief operation initiated by the Royal Australian Navy following the destruction of Darwin, Northern Territory by Cyclone Tracy during the night of 24-25 December 1974. 13 ships, 11 aircraft, and 3,000 personnel were sent to Darwin in the largest disaster...
following the devastation of Darwin by Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974...
.
In 1976, Synnot was promoted to Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
and appointed Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
. He initiated a review of the Navy Office and of the Navy's structure of command and control. He drew up a blueprint for the maintenance of naval capability into the future, and oversaw the Navy's guided-missile frigate project.
Extremely able and practical, Synnot came to be regarded as one of the country's most outstanding defence force chiefs. A strong believer in deterrence and an advocate of close co-operation with America and countries in the Pacific region, Synnot emphasised the need for a strong military capability for national defence and for joint operations with Australia's allies overseas. He was said to have done more to equip Australia's armed forces with up-to-date military technology than any of his predecessors. In particular, he was instrumental in persuading the Australian government of the need to upgrade the country's air force with the acquisition of the F/A-18 Hornet
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
.
He was also behind the decision to acquire the British aircraft carrier HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible (R05)
HMS Invincible was a British light aircraft carrier, the lead ship of three in her class in the Royal Navy. She was launched on 3 May 1977 and is the seventh ship to carry the name. She saw action in the Falklands War when she was deployed with , she took over as flagship of the British fleet when...
as a replacement for the ageing HMAS Melbourne. However Britain withdrew the offer to sell Invincible after the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
Synnot retired on 20 April 1982.
Personal
Synnot was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971 and knighted via Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1978. He was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 1976. He married in 1959 to Virginia Davenport, who died in 1965. He married a second time in 1968 to Anne Colvin (née Manifold), great-niece of former Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
.
Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot died on the 4 July 2001 at the age of 79, after suffering from a long illness.
External links
- Australian Naval Personalities: Synnot, Anthony Monckton (1922–2001)
- Defence Force - Previous Chiefs
- Media release - Death of Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot