Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
The Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is a now honorary office generally held by a senior (possibly retired) Royal Navy
admiral
. Despite the title, the Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the deputy to the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
, who is in turn deputy to the Lord High Admiral
of the United Kingdom (an office that was vested from 1964-2011 to the Sovereign and is currently held by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
).
He is appointed by the Sovereign
on the nomination of the First Sea Lord
, and his name is published in the London Gazette
by the Home Office
. The Admiral retires at 70 years of age. However, admirals such as Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
have been over 80 before they retired from their office.
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...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. Despite the title, the Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the deputy to the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
, who is in turn deputy to the Lord High Admiral
Admiralty
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...
of the United Kingdom (an office that was vested from 1964-2011 to the Sovereign and is currently held by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
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....
).
He is appointed by the Sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
on the nomination of the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, and his name is published in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
by the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
. The Admiral retires at 70 years of age. However, admirals such as Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
have been over 80 before they retired from their office.
Rear-Admirals of England
- Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of TorringtonArthur Herbert, 1st Earl of TorringtonArthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Torrington was a British admiral and politician of the late 17th and early 18th century. Cashiered as a rear-admiral by James II of England in 1688 for refusing to vote to repeal the Test Act, which prevented Catholics from holding offices, he brought the Invitation to...
1683–1687 - Sir Richard Strickland 1687–1689?
- Sir Cloudesley ShovellCloudesley ShovellAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
6 January 1705 N.S. – 1 May 1707
Rear-Admirals of Great Britain
- Sir Cloudesley ShovellCloudesley ShovellAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...
1 May 1707 – 23 October 1707 - vacant
- Sir John LeakeJohn LeakeSir John Leake was an English Admiral in the Royal Navy and a politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1715.Leake was born at Rotherhithe, the second son of Richard Leake, Master Gunner of England....
24 May 1709 – 1 August 1714 - vacant
- Matthew Aylmer, 1st Baron AylmerMatthew Aylmer, 1st Baron AylmerMatthew Aylmer, 1st Baron Aylmer was an Irish Admiral of the Royal Navy.Lord Aylmer, Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, was the second son of Sir Christopher Aylmer of Balrath, County Meath, and entered the Royal Navy under the protection of the Duke of Buckingham, as a Lieutenant, in 1678...
18 March 1719 N.S. – 18 August 1720 - George Byng, 1st Viscount TorringtonGeorge Byng, 1st Viscount TorringtonAdmiral of the Fleet George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, KB PC was a British naval officer and statesman of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His career included service as First Lord of the Admiralty during the reign of King George II.-Naval career:Byng was born at Wrotham, Kent, England...
October 1720 – 17 January 1733 - Sir John Jennings 27 February 1733 N.S. – 1743
- Thomas MathewsThomas MathewsThomas Mathews was a British officer of the Royal Navy, who rose to the rank of admiral.Mathews joined the navy in 1690 and saw service on a number of ships, including during the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession. He interspersed periods spent commanding ships with time at home...
18 February 1743 – 1749 - Sir William RowleyWilliam Rowley (Royal Navy officer)Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Rowley KB was a British naval commander who distinguished himself during the War of the Austrian Succession and also became a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:...
4 July 1749 – 1763 - Edward Hawke, 1st Baron HawkeEdward Hawke, 1st Baron HawkeAdmiral of the Fleet Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke KB, PC was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is best remembered for his service during the Seven Years' War, particularly his victory over a French fleet at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, preventing a French invasion of Britain...
4 January 1763 – 5 November 1765 - Sir Charles Knowles 5 November 1765 – October 1770
- Francis HolburneFrancis HolburneAdmiral Sir Francis Holburne was a Royal Navy officer who also served as a Member of Parliament.-Naval career:Francis entered the Navy in 1720 as a volunteer aboard , passing his examinations in 1725...
October 1770 – 14 July 1771 - George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron RodneyGeorge Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron RodneyGeorge Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
17 August 1771 – 6 November 1781 - George DarbyGeorge DarbyVice Admiral George Darby was an officer in the Royal Navy. He was the second son of Jonathan Darby III Esq. , of Leap Castle, in King's County, Ireland.-Early career:Darby joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer...
6 November 1781 – 1790 - Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount BridportAlexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport|-...
6 April 1790 – March 1796 - Sir William CornwallisWilliam CornwallisAdmiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
March 1796 – 1 January 1801
Rear-Admirals of the United Kingdom
- Sir William CornwallisWilliam CornwallisAdmiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
1 January 1801 – 14 May 1814 - Sir William YoungWilliam Young (1751–1821)Sir William Young GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
14 May 1814 – 18 July 1819 - James Saumarez, 1st Baron de SaumarezJames Saumarez, 1st Baron de SaumarezAdmiral James Saumarez, 1st Baron de Saumarez , GCB was an admiral of the British Royal Navy, notable for his victory at the Battle of Algeciras.-Early life:...
18 July 1819 – 21 November 1821 - William Carnegie, 7th Earl of NortheskWilliam Carnegie, 7th Earl of NortheskAdmiral William Carnegie GCB, 7th Earl of Northesk was born in Hampshire to Admiral George Carnegie, 6th Earl of Northesk and Anne Melville.-Naval career:...
21 November 1821 – 28 May 1831 - Sir Thomas Foley 14 June 1831 – 9 January 1833
- Sir George MartinGeorge Martin (Royal Navy officer)Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Martin GCB, GCMG was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars...
23 January 1833 – April 1834 - Sir Robert Stopford April 1834 – 5 May 1847
- Sir Thomas Byam MartinThomas Byam MartinAdmiral Sir Thomas Byam Martin, GCB was a highly influential British Royal Navy officer who served at sea during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and then as a naval administrator until his death in 1854...
5 May 1847 – 10 August 1847 - Sir George Cockburn, 10th BaronetGeorge CockburnAdmiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
10 August 1847 – 19 August 1853 - Sir William Hall GageWilliam Hall GageAdmiral of the Fleet Sir William Hall Gage GCB GCH was Second Sea Lord in the British Navy.-Naval career:Born the third son of General Thomas Gage, Gage joined the Royal Navy in 1789. In 1797 he was given command of the frigate HMS Terpsichore and sailed in the Mediterranean to conduct the Siege...
24 October 1853 – 6 November 1854 - Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of DundonaldThomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of DundonaldAdmiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
, 1st MarquessMarquessA marquess or marquis is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam...
do MaranhãoMaranhãoMaranhão is a northeastern state of Brazil. To the north lies the Atlantic Ocean. Maranhão is neighbored by the states of Piauí, Tocantins and Pará. The people of Maranhão have a distinctive accent...
6 November 1854 – 31 October 1860 - Sir Graham Hamond, 2nd BaronetSir Graham Hamond, 2nd BaronetAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Graham Eden Hamond, 2nd Baronet GCB was a Royal Navy officer who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars....
22 November 1860 – 5 June 1862 - Sir Francis William AustenFrancis AustenSir Francis William Austen, GCB was a British officer who spent most of his long life on active duty in the Royal Navy, rising to the position of Admiral of the Fleet.-Background:...
5 June 1862 – 11 December 1862 - Sir William Parker, 1st Baronet 11 December 1862 – 16 May 1863
- Sir George Francis Seymour 16 May 1863 – 23 September 1865
- Sir William Bowles 23 September 1865 – 26 November 1866
- Sir Phipps HornbyPhipps HornbyAdmiral Sir Phipps Hornby, GCB was a prominent and experienced British Royal Navy officer of the nineteenth century. Hornby served on frigates throughout most of his wartime experience, which included witnessing the Nore Mutiny first hand aged 12 in 1797...
26 November 1866 – 19 March 1867 - Sir Fairfax MoresbyFairfax MoresbyAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Fairfax Moresby GCB , born in Calcutta, India, to English parents was a British naval officer.-Early life:Moresby was the eldest son of Fairfax Moresby, Lieut...
20 April 1867 – 17 July 1869 - Sir Provo WallisProvo WallisAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Provo William Perry Wallis, GCB was a Royal Navy officer and naval war hero. He was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and was 100 years old when he died....
17 July 1869 – 12 February 1870 - Sir William James Hope-JohnstoneWilliam James Hope-JohnstoneAdmiral Sir William James Hope-Johnstone KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.-Naval career:...
12 February 1870 – 11 July 1878 - Sir William Fanshawe Martin, BtSir William Martin, 4th BaronetAdmiral Sir William Fanshawe Martin, 4th Baronet GCB , was a senior British naval officer.-Naval career:...
19 September 1878 – 24 March 1895 - abolished under VictoriaVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
; revived by Edward VIIEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910... - Sir Edmund Robert FremantleEdmund FremantleAdmiral Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle GCB CMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:...
25 July 1901 – 31 December 1926 - Sir Stanley Cecil James ColvilleStanley ColvilleAdmiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
31 December 1926 – 22 March 1929 - Sir Montague Edward BrowningMontague BrowningAdmiral Sir Montague Edward Browning GCB GCMG GCVO was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.-Military career:...
22 March 1929 – 13 February 1939 - Sir Hubert George BrandHubert BrandAdmiral Sir Hubert George Brand GCB, KCMG, KCVO was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.-Background:...
13 February 1939 – 19 June 1945 - Sir Percy Lockhart Harnam Noble 19 June 1945 – 25 July 1955
- Sir John Hereward EdelstenJohn EdelstenAdmiral Sir John Hereward Edelsten GCB GCVO CBE was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Edelsten joined the Royal Navy in 1908...
10 October 1955 – 12 October 1962 - Sir John Peter Lorne ReidPeter Reid (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir Peter Reid GCB CVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Controller of the Navy.-Naval career:...
12 October 1962 – 11 March 1966 - Sir Alexander Noel Campbell BingleyAlexander BingleyAdmiral Sir Alexander Noel Campbell Bingley GCB OBE was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.-Naval career:Bingley joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1918....
11 March 1966 – 1972 - Sir Nigel Stuart HendersonNigel HendersonAdmiral Sir Nigel Stuart Henderson GBE KCB DL was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.-Naval career:Henderson joined the Royal Navy in 1927. He served in World War II as a gunnery officer...
11 January 1973 – 12 April 1976 - Sir John Fitzroy Duyland Bush 29 April 1976 – 1 August 1979
- Sir William Donough O'BrienWilliam O'Brien (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir William Donough O'Brien KCB DSC was Commander-in-Chief of the Western Fleet.-Naval career:Educated at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth, O'Brien was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1930. He served in World War II. In the early 1960s he served as Director of Naval Plans at the...
1 August 1979 – 1984 - Sir Leslie Derek EmpsonDerek EmpsonAdmiral Sir Derek Empson GBE KCB was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command.-Naval career:Educated at Eastbourne College, Empson joined the Royal Navy as a pilot 1940. He served in the Fleet Air Arm during World War II....
1984 – 13 November 1986 - Sir Anthony Templer Frederick Griffith GriffinAnthony Griffin (Royal Navy officer)Admiral Sir Anthony Templer Frederick Griffith Griffin GCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Controller of the Navy.-Naval career:...
13 November 1986 – 29 October 1988 - Sir Anthony Storrs MortonAnthony MortonAdmiral Sir Anthony Storrs Morton GBE KCB was Vice-Chief of Defence Staff.-Naval career:Educated at Loretto School, Morton was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1941 during World War II....
29 October 1988 – 24 November 1988 - Sir James Henry Fuller EberleJames EberleAdmiral Sir James Henry Fuller Eberle GCB was Commander-in-Chief Fleet.-Naval career:Educated at Clifton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Eberle was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1941. He served in World War II....
24 November 1988 – 17 January 1994 - Sir Nicholas John Streynsham HuntNicholas HuntAdmiral Sir Nicholas John Streynsham Hunt GCB LVO was Commander-in-Chief Fleet.-Naval career:Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Hunt was commissioned into the Royal Navy and then became Assistant Private Secretary to Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent.He was appointed an Executive...
17 January 1994 – 6 November 1997 - Sir Jeremy Black 6 November 1997 – 30 April 2001
- Sir Kenneth John EatonKenneth EatonAdmiral Sir Kenneth John Eaton GBE KCB is a Royal Navy officer who served as Controller of the Navy between 1989 and 1994.-Naval career:...
30 April 2001 – 2007