Gilbert Stephenson
Encyclopedia
Sir Gilbert Owen Stephenson CMG CB
KBE
DL
(13 February 1878–27 May 1972) was a British
Vice Admiral
in the Royal Navy
, a pioneer of anti-submarine techniques
in World War I
, and most famous as an important Naval training commandant during World War II
.
on 13 February 1878. His father was a merchant in the Indian trade. Stephenson joined the Navy aged fourteen in 1892 when he began his training in Dartmouth. As a midshipman
he was posted to and . Whilst with the Forte he was involved in the Punitive Expedition of 1897
in Benin
. Following promotion to sub-lieutenant
, he went first to First Destroyer Flotilla, and then , flagship
of the Mediterranean Fleet. The following year he was given his first command, the torpedo boat
, TB 90. He was promoted lieutenant
in June 1900.
Stephenson managed to make a strongly favourable impression on Admiral Sir Jackie Fisher, the then Commander-in-Chief
, Mediterranean. As a result Stephenson, aged just 23, was given command of the destroyer
, . He then took the torpedo course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich and was posted to the staff of , the Royal Navy's torpedo school. This was followed by appointments as torpedo officer aboard the cruiser
s and . After promotion to lieutenant-commander, he served as First Lieutenant
on the battleship
. He was promoted commander
in 1912.
, attached to the Naval Intelligence Division
. However, he soon managed to obtain a seagoing role as Executive Officer
of . He was involved in operations in the Dardanelles
, and then commanded a fleet of naval trawler
s undertaking patrols from Crete
. He went on to command the gunboat and (as an acting Captain
) the Otranto Barrage
, a fleet of small boats which attempted to control the exit from the Adriatic, particularly trying to prevent submarines of the Austro-Hungarian Navy
breaking out into the Mediterranean. In this last role, he also undertook early experiments into the use of hydrophone
s to detect submarines. He was Mentioned in Despatches in December 1918, appointed Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in the 1919 New Year Honours
, awarded the Greek
decoration of Commander of the Order of the Redeemer
for his service in the Mediterranean and Adriatic, he was also awarded the American
Distinguished Service Medal
.
These experiments led to Stephenson's first post-war role, as director of the anti-submarine division of the Admiralty. He found many of his fellow officers conservative in their approach, and struggled to get new techniques accepted. He left this role in 1921 to command the cruiser , and then in 1923 the battleship , where he had the young Louis Mountbatten as one of his junior officers.
He then served ashore, first as Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and then as Commodore
of Portsmouth Naval Barracks, where he undertook many innovations to raise morale including regular community singing. In 1929, he was part of the official British delegation at the funeral of Marshal Foch
, acting as Naval ADC
to Prince George
, and later that year was placed on the retired list, with promotion to rear-admiral. He was appointed Companion of the Bath (CB) in 1930. From 1932–1935 he was Secretary of the Navy League, and he was promoted to vice-admiral in 1934. He also ran a boys' club near his Hampshire home, where he was nicknamed "Monkey Brand" as the boys thought his heavily whiskered face was like the image used to advertise a well-known household cleaning product.
In 1940 he was tasked with setting up the training base at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
in the Scottish
Inner Hebrides
. This was to be the Royal Navy's Anti-Submarine Training School for the remainder of the war and Stephenson's greatest legacy was that his training methods had a lasting influence within the service long after the cessation of conflict.
He realised that the task of training war-time reservist officers and hostilities-only ratings
required a different approach to training regulars. He believed that the most important priority was making the trainees determined to win; then that they understood the importance of discipline; next the importance of correct administration; and finally technical proficiency—he felt that skill would be worthless if overall spirit were lacking.
He emphasised strict discipline in his training combined with encouraging a willingness to quickly adapt to various situations with surprise inspections and orders to trainees as well as creative wargames to simulate difficult situations at sea.
A frequently recounted anecdote is, that when inspecting a corvette
and its crew, he suddenly threw his hat on the deck and called it an unexploded bomb. A trainee (variously reported as quartermaster
, or a sub-lieutenant) immediately kicked it into the water and after Stephenson commended him for quick action, but wanting his heavily gold-braided hat back, he then suddenly said the hat was now a man overboard and the trainee had to dive in to retrieve it.
He had the reputation of being a very hard taskmaster, with officers being replaced before the ship was allowed to leave (and even commanding officers being dismissed on occasion). However, he was reportedly very pleasant to those who matched his standards.
Although he was disliked by the trainees who called him "The Terror of Tobermory" and "The Monkey", Stephenson was credited in producing capable sailors who were able to meet the demands of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
. As such, Stephenson is credited with being a factor in turning the tide in favour of the Allies
in that critical contest in the war.
A noted fictionalised depiction of the Vice Admiral and his World War II assignment is presented in Nicholas Monsarrat
's novel The Cruel Sea
, Stephenson was reportedly very proud of this depiction.
Over the four-and-a-half years he ran the school, 911 ships went through 1132 training courses at HMS Western Isles. He was again Mentioned in Despatches in 1940, knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1943 King's Birthday Honours, and was later given the decoration of Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He retired for the second time in 1945, with the anti-submarine battle won.
He settled in Saffron Walden
, and took a strong interest in local affairs, being known locally as "The Admiral". He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
of Essex
in 1949, but resigned with 7 others in 1968. His name was listed as a sponsor of the National Fellowship
in a full-page advertisement placed in The Times
by the Fellowship in 1962.
He died in Saffron Walden on 27 May 1972, at the age of 94.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
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...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(13 February 1878–27 May 1972) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
in 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...
, a pioneer of anti-submarine techniques
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and most famous as an important Naval training commandant during World War II
World 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...
.
Early life and career
Stephenson was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 13 February 1878. His father was a merchant in the Indian trade. Stephenson joined the Navy aged fourteen in 1892 when he began his training in Dartmouth. As a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
he was posted to and . Whilst with the Forte he was involved in the Punitive Expedition of 1897
Punitive Expedition of 1897
The Benin Expedition of 1897 was a punitive expedition by a United Kingdom force of 1,200 under Admiral Sir Harry Rawson in response to a massacre of a previous British-led invasion force. His troops captured, burned, and looted Benin City, bringing to an end the West African Kingdom of Benin...
in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
. Following promotion to sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
, he went first to First Destroyer Flotilla, and then , flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Mediterranean Fleet. The following year he was given his first command, the torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
, TB 90. He was promoted lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in June 1900.
Stephenson managed to make a strongly favourable impression on Admiral Sir Jackie Fisher, the then Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Mediterranean. As a result Stephenson, aged just 23, was given command of the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
, . He then took the torpedo course at Royal Naval College, Greenwich and was posted to the staff of , the Royal Navy's torpedo school. This was followed by appointments as torpedo officer aboard the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and . After promotion to lieutenant-commander, he served as First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
. He was promoted commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1912.
First World War and first retirement
At the outbreak of war, Stephenson was based in the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, attached to the Naval Intelligence Division
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...
. However, he soon managed to obtain a seagoing role as Executive Officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of . He was involved in operations in the Dardanelles
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
, and then commanded a fleet of naval trawler
Naval trawler
A naval trawler is a vessel built along the lines of a fishing trawler but fitted out for naval purposes. Naval trawlers were widely used during the First and Second world wars. Fishing trawlers were particularly suited for many naval requirements because they were robust boats designed to work...
s undertaking patrols from 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...
. He went on to command the gunboat and (as an acting Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
) the Otranto Barrage
Otranto Barrage
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Albanian side of the Adriatic Sea in World War I. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations...
, a fleet of small boats which attempted to control the exit from the Adriatic, particularly trying to prevent submarines of the Austro-Hungarian Navy
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
breaking out into the Mediterranean. In this last role, he also undertook early experiments into the use of hydrophone
Hydrophone
A hydrophone is a microphone designed to be used underwater for recording or listening to underwater sound. Most hydrophones are based on a piezoelectric transducer that generates electricity when subjected to a pressure change...
s to detect submarines. He was Mentioned in Despatches in December 1918, appointed Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) in the 1919 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
, awarded the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
decoration of Commander of the Order of the Redeemer
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
for his service in the Mediterranean and Adriatic, he was also awarded the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
.
These experiments led to Stephenson's first post-war role, as director of the anti-submarine division of the Admiralty. He found many of his fellow officers conservative in their approach, and struggled to get new techniques accepted. He left this role in 1921 to command the cruiser , and then in 1923 the battleship , where he had the young Louis Mountbatten as one of his junior officers.
He then served ashore, first as Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and then as Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
of Portsmouth Naval Barracks, where he undertook many innovations to raise morale including regular community singing. In 1929, he was part of the official British delegation at the funeral of Marshal Foch
Ferdinand Foch
Ferdinand Foch , GCB, OM, DSO was a French soldier, war hero, military theorist, and writer credited with possessing "the most original and subtle mind in the French army" in the early 20th century. He served as general in the French army during World War I and was made Marshal of France in its...
, acting as Naval ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Prince George
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
, and later that year was placed on the retired list, with promotion to rear-admiral. He was appointed Companion of the Bath (CB) in 1930. From 1932–1935 he was Secretary of the Navy League, and he was promoted to vice-admiral in 1934. He also ran a boys' club near his Hampshire home, where he was nicknamed "Monkey Brand" as the boys thought his heavily whiskered face was like the image used to advertise a well-known household cleaning product.
Second World War
With the outbreak of war, Stephenson was recalled as Commodore, Royal Navy Reserve. Initially he served as a Commodore of Convoy and made several trips in that capacity. He was also involved in the Dunkirk evacuation.In 1940 he was tasked with setting up the training base at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull or simply Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute....
in the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
. This was to be the Royal Navy's Anti-Submarine Training School for the remainder of the war and Stephenson's greatest legacy was that his training methods had a lasting influence within the service long after the cessation of conflict.
He realised that the task of training war-time reservist officers and hostilities-only ratings
Naval rating
A Naval Rating is an enlisted member of a country's Navy, subordinate to Warrant Officers and Officers hence not conferred by commission or warrant...
required a different approach to training regulars. He believed that the most important priority was making the trainees determined to win; then that they understood the importance of discipline; next the importance of correct administration; and finally technical proficiency—he felt that skill would be worthless if overall spirit were lacking.
He emphasised strict discipline in his training combined with encouraging a willingness to quickly adapt to various situations with surprise inspections and orders to trainees as well as creative wargames to simulate difficult situations at sea.
A frequently recounted anecdote is, that when inspecting a corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
and its crew, he suddenly threw his hat on the deck and called it an unexploded bomb. A trainee (variously reported as quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, or a sub-lieutenant) immediately kicked it into the water and after Stephenson commended him for quick action, but wanting his heavily gold-braided hat back, he then suddenly said the hat was now a man overboard and the trainee had to dive in to retrieve it.
He had the reputation of being a very hard taskmaster, with officers being replaced before the ship was allowed to leave (and even commanding officers being dismissed on occasion). However, he was reportedly very pleasant to those who matched his standards.
Although he was disliked by the trainees who called him "The Terror of Tobermory" and "The Monkey", Stephenson was credited in producing capable sailors who were able to meet the demands of the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II
World 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...
. As such, Stephenson is credited with being a factor in turning the tide in favour of the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
in that critical contest in the war.
A noted fictionalised depiction of the Vice Admiral and his World War II assignment is presented in Nicholas Monsarrat
Nicholas Monsarrat
Commander Nicholas John Turney Monsarrat RNVR was a British novelist known today for his sea stories, particularly The Cruel Sea and Three Corvettes , but perhaps best known internationally for his novels, The Tribe That Lost Its Head and its sequel, Richer Than All His Tribe.- Early life :Born...
's novel The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (book)
The Cruel Sea is a 1951 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. It follows the lives of a group of Royal Navy sailors fighting the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II....
, Stephenson was reportedly very proud of this depiction.
Over the four-and-a-half years he ran the school, 911 ships went through 1132 training courses at HMS Western Isles. He was again Mentioned in Despatches in 1940, knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1943 King's Birthday Honours, and was later given the decoration of Commander with Star of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. He retired for the second time in 1945, with the anti-submarine battle won.
Second retirement
This second retirement saw Stephenson just as active as he had been previously. He was appointed Honorary Commodore of the Sea Cadet Corps in 1949, a post he held until the age of eighty in 1958, when he finally felt it necessary to step down.He settled in Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
, and took a strong interest in local affairs, being known locally as "The Admiral". He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
in 1949, but resigned with 7 others in 1968. His name was listed as a sponsor of the National Fellowship
National Fellowship
The National Fellowship was a minor far right political party in the United Kingdom.The party was launched under Chairman Edward Martell on 1 January 1962, with full page advertisements in national broadsheets. The advert referred to the organisation as part of a movement spearheaded by The New...
in a full-page advertisement placed in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
by the Fellowship in 1962.
He died in Saffron Walden on 27 May 1972, at the age of 94.