William Christopher Pakenham
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir William Christopher Pakenham, KCB, KCMG, KCVO (10 July 1861 – 28 July 1933) was a British observer with the Imperial Japanese Navy
during the Russo-Japanese War
, during World War I he commanded the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron
during the Battle of Jutland
, and from December 1916 was Commander-in-Chief of the Battle Cruiser Fleet.
.
As part of the Mediterranean Squadron, he served on and he was promoted to midshipman
in 1876. Noted for his swimming ability, he was highly commended for gallantry after jumping into the sea and rescuing a coxswain
who had fallen overboard at Larnaca
, Cyprus
in August 1878 and some years later endeavoured to save a man who fell from overboard from at Kiel
, Germany
. Promoted to sub lieutenant in October 1880, he was transferred to in April 1883 and was promoted to lieutenant in October 1883. In June 1896, he was promoted to commander
and took up a post with the Naval Intelligence Department from August 1899 to March 1901.
He went on to command on the China Station
before he was promoted to Captain
on 30 June 1903 and became a Naval Attaché at Tokyo from April 1904 to May 1906. During his stay in Japan, he was one of several military observers as part of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
, who provided military intelligence
and military advice to their Japanese counterparts. During the Russo-Japanese War
of 1904-1905, he was an observer at the Battle of Tsushima
aboard the battleship on 27 May 1905. He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Bath on 24 July 1905, he was later awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
(Second Class) from the Emperor of Japan
on 18 April 1906.
While commanding , escorting King Edward VII
to Ireland
, he was awarded the Member of the Royal Victorian Order in July 1907.
He acted as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
between 9 December 1911 until to December 1913. He was promoted to Rear Admiral, and in December was appointed to command the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron
. He served as Fourth Sea Lord
of the Admiralty between 1911 and 1913. He was appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp
to King George V
between 1912 and 1913.
During World War I
, Pakenham was given command of the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron
on 7 March 1915, and raised his flag aboard the battlecruiser . After Australia was taken out of service following a collision, transferred his flag to : aboard this battlecruiser, he participated in the Battle of Jutland
, and was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 31 May 1916, for his actions. Pakenham was appointed Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet in September 1916. After Admiral Sir David Beatty
was given the command of the Grand Fleet in succession to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe
in November 1916, he assumed command of the Battle Cruiser Force on 19 June 1917, and was promoted to Acting Vice Admiral. During the visit of King George V to the Fleet in July 1917, Pakenham was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He was also awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus (Second Class) and was given a gift from the Emperor Taisho
of Japan.
After the end of World War I, Pakenham briefly served as the President of the Royal Naval College
in Greenwich
from 1919–20 and then as Commander-in-Chief
on the North America and West Indies Station from October 1920 with as his flagship.
His visit to the west coast of the United States in 1922 was a diplomatic success, and he was appointed admiral in that year; however the Raleigh was grounded in fog off the coast of Labrador
and was a loss. Pakenham was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
in June 1925, and was awarded Bath King of Arms on 7 February 1930.
Pakenham retired from active duty in 1926. He died unmarried, at San Sebastian
Spain
on 28 July 1933.
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Sir William Christopher Pakenham, KCB, KCMG, KCVO (10 July 1861 – 28 July 1933) was a British observer with the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, during World War I he commanded the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron
2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War.-August 1914:In August 1914, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was in the Mediterranean, and consisted of:-1915:...
during the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, and from December 1916 was Commander-in-Chief of the Battle Cruiser Fleet.
Biography
Born on 10 July 1861, the second son of Thomas Pakenham, he entered the navy as a naval cadet in 1874 and served upon the training ship HMS BritanniaHMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
.
As part of the Mediterranean Squadron, he served on and he was promoted to 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...
in 1876. Noted for his swimming ability, he was highly commended for gallantry after jumping into the sea and rescuing a coxswain
Coxswain
The coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
who had fallen overboard at Larnaca
Larnaca
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. It has a population of 72,000 and is the island's second largest commercial port and an important tourist resort...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
in August 1878 and some years later endeavoured to save a man who fell from overboard from at Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Promoted to sub lieutenant in October 1880, he was transferred to in April 1883 and was promoted to lieutenant in October 1883. In June 1896, he was promoted to 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...
and took up a post with the Naval Intelligence Department from August 1899 to March 1901.
He went on to command on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
before he was promoted to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on 30 June 1903 and became a Naval Attaché at Tokyo from April 1904 to May 1906. During his stay in Japan, he was one of several military observers as part of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was signed in London at what is now the Lansdowne Club, on January 30, 1902, by Lord Lansdowne and Hayashi Tadasu . A diplomatic milestone for its ending of Britain's splendid isolation, the alliance was renewed and extended in scope twice, in 1905 and 1911, before its demise in 1921...
, who provided military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
and military advice to their Japanese counterparts. During the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
of 1904-1905, he was an observer at the Battle of Tsushima
Battle of Tsushima
The Battle of Tsushima , commonly known as the “Sea of Japan Naval Battle” in Japan and the “Battle of Tsushima Strait”, was the major naval battle fought between Russia and Japan during the Russo-Japanese War...
aboard the battleship on 27 May 1905. He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Bath on 24 July 1905, he was later awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(Second Class) from the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
on 18 April 1906.
While commanding , escorting King Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, he was awarded the Member of the Royal Victorian Order in July 1907.
He acted as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy.Officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland &c. The Lords...
between 9 December 1911 until to December 1913. He was promoted to Rear Admiral, and in December was appointed to command the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron
3rd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was a short-lived Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War.-Creation:...
. He served as Fourth Sea Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
of the Admiralty between 1911 and 1913. He was appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp
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 King George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
between 1912 and 1913.
During 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...
, Pakenham was given command of the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron
2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War.-August 1914:In August 1914, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was in the Mediterranean, and consisted of:-1915:...
on 7 March 1915, and raised his flag aboard the battlecruiser . After Australia was taken out of service following a collision, transferred his flag to : aboard this battlecruiser, he participated in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
, and was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 31 May 1916, for his actions. Pakenham was appointed Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet in September 1916. After Admiral Sir David Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
was given the command of the Grand Fleet in succession to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe
John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe
Admiral of the Fleet John Rushworth Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, GCB, OM, GCVO was a British Royal Navy admiral who commanded the Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland in World War I...
in November 1916, he assumed command of the Battle Cruiser Force on 19 June 1917, and was promoted to Acting Vice Admiral. During the visit of King George V to the Fleet in July 1917, Pakenham was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. He was also awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus (Second Class) and was given a gift from the Emperor Taisho
Emperor Taishō
The was the 123rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 30 July 1912, until his death in 1926.The Emperor’s personal name was . According to Japanese customs, the emperor has no name during his reign and is only called the Emperor...
of Japan.
After the end of World War I, Pakenham briefly served as the President of the Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College may refer to:* Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth , renamed the Royal Naval College in 1806* Royal Naval College, Greenwich * Royal Naval College, Osborne...
in Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
from 1919–20 and then as 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...
on the North America and West Indies Station from October 1920 with as his flagship.
His visit to the west coast of the United States in 1922 was a diplomatic success, and he was appointed admiral in that year; however the Raleigh was grounded in fog off the coast of Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
and was a loss. Pakenham was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
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...
in June 1925, and was awarded Bath King of Arms on 7 February 1930.
Pakenham retired from active duty in 1926. He died unmarried, at San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
on 28 July 1933.