1734 was the year in which the very first
naval officer {Sir John NORRIS} was appointed to be an Admiral of the Fleet, and
in 1940, the Admiralty announced that in future all admirals of the fleet would
remain on the Active List for life. After Sir John came another 114 promotions to the highest rank attainable in the
Royal Navy. The rank, the highest in the star rating of global combatants which
carries five stars, was suspended by the Ministry of Defence in 1995. The
suspension could be lifted were the UK to engage in a major confrontation,
perhaps the third world war, where the numbers recruited to fight warranted a
leadership greater than the current four star officer, which is an Admiral,
appointed as C-in-C Fleet, Second Sea Lord and First Sea Lord. In 1995 it was
decreed that an Admiral who had held the appointments of either the Chief or the
Vice Chief of the Defence Staff would remain on the Active List on retirement.
Added in 2012. HM
The Queen, quite rightly decided to ignore the rule on the UK's entitlement to a
five star officer, and awarded a honourary promotion to her eldest son Prince
Charles, heir to the UK Throne. Thus, as of the 16th June 2012, HRH The Prince
of Wales is an Admiral of the Fleet in the navy, and a five star officer in the
British Army and RAF. Rule Britannia I say!
The period 1734-1995, of 261 years, and with
only 115 officers appointed as Admirals of the Fleet, shows how illustrious the
achievement was, and if averaged out, only 2.27 were appointed on an annual
basis.
Of those 115 officers, only four are alive
today [updated 28th March 2015] and they are:-
H.R.H. Prince Philip, The Duke of
Edinburgh KG, KT, OM, GBE, AC, QSO - promoted 15th January 1953
added June 2012 H.R.H. Prince Charles, The Prince of
Wales KG, KT, GCB, OM, AK,QSO, PC, ADC- honourary promotion 16th June 2012
Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore GCB, DSC - promoted 9th February 1977
Sir David Benjamin Bathurst GCB - promoted 10th July 1995
Since 1953, the year I joined the navy, 17
promotions have been created, resulting in an increase of the annual average from
2.27 to 2.47, this at a time when our navy was steadily decreasing in size.
However, as you will see, averages [or statistics] are irrelevant, for there
were many barren years.
The recipients of these promotions were:-
1953 - 15th January |
H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of
Edinburgh KG, AdC[P], PC, KT, OM, GBE, AC, QSO, GCL
Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom 11th June 2011 |
- |
1921 - |
1953 -
1st
May |
Sir Rhoderick Robert McGrigor GCB,
DSO |
Torpedo Specialist |
1893-1959 |
1955 - 22nd April |
Sir George Elvey Creasey GCB, CBE,
MVO, DSO |
Torpedo Specialist |
1895-1972 |
1956 - 22nd October |
Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl
Mountbatten of Burma KG, PC, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO |
Communicator |
1900-1979 |
1960 - 10th
May |
Sir Charles Edward Lambe GCB, CVO |
Torpedo Specialist |
1900-1960 |
1962 - 23rd
May |
Sir Casper John GCB |
Aviator |
1903-1984 |
1968 - 12th August |
Sir Varyl Cargill Begg GCB, DSO,
DSC |
Gunner |
1908-1995 |
1970 - 3rd
July |
Sir Michael Le Fanu GCB, DSC |
Gunner |
1913-1970 |
1971 -12th March |
Lord Peter John Hill-Norton GCB |
Gunner |
1915-2004 |
1974 -
1st March |
Sir Michael Patrick Pollock GCB,
LVO, DSC |
Gunner |
1916-2006 |
1977 -
9th February |
Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore GCB,
DSC |
Communicator |
1919- |
1979 -
6th
July |
Lord Terence Thornton Lewin KG,
GCB, LVO, DSC |
Gunner |
1920-1999 |
1982 -
1st December |
Sir Henry Conyers Leach GCB |
Gunner |
1923-2011 |
1985 - 2nd August |
Lord John Fieldhouse GCB GBE |
Submariner |
1928-1992 |
1989 - 25th
May |
Sir William Doverton Minet
Staveley GCB |
Non Specialist |
1928-1997 |
1992 - 2nd March |
Sir John Julian Robertson Oswald
GCB |
Gunner |
1933-2011 |
1995 - 10th
July |
Sir David Benjamin Bathurst GCB |
Aviator |
1936- |
The last Royal Admiral of the Fleet to die was on the
28th May 1972 at the death of HRH The Duke of Windsor in France, the former
King Edward VIII.
Of these legendary and famous names, Admiral
of the Fleet Lord Lewin was one of two only, without Royal connections, to be
elevated to the highest honour possible of being created a Knight of the Garter,
the other being Admiral of the Fleet Lord Howe 183 years earlier in 1796.
Lord Lewin, who died on the 23rd January 1999 said "What I would most like to be
remembered for is a real improvement in attitudes and mutual respect between
officers and ratings, and the effect that this had on the well-being and
efficiency of the Navy."
Looking at the third column in the table above makes me wonder if being a Gunner
was an advantage? One of those Gunners was Lord Hill-Norton who died when aged
89. In my book "The Daily Telegraph Naval Obituaries" part of what they said
about him was as follows:-
"An officer who operated on a very short
fuse. Although Hill-Norton was feared, hated, and respected in equal measure, he
always led from the front. His harsh manner and foul language belied a man who
could, on rare occasions, demonstrate an otherwise well-concealed humanity."
Takes all types I suppose, but I know how I like my leaders to behave!
The Ashmore' were a very impressive family. Edward Ashmore's
father was a Vice Admiral as was his younger brother, who himself would have
gone further in the Service, but he took the top job in the Royal Household and
did it in style.
Although the five star rank was no longer
routinely possible after 1995, this did not prohibit the chances for an officer
to attain the highest honour in the land, namely to become a Knight of the
Garter. One such officer became the fourth holder since 1796 of that
unsurpassable honour, and on the 23rd April 2011, Admiral, The Lord Boyce, added
the letters 'KG' to his other honours. Earlier, he had been honoured in another
unique way. In 2004 he was nominated for, and in April 2005 was installed as
Lord Warden and Admiral of The Cinque Ports and Constable of Dover Castle.
The last Warden had been H.M. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother who died in 2002,
and, although not the norm, the position was gapped until Lord Boyce was
installed. He was the first Admiral to be appointed since 1656 when
Admiral Blake [known as the Father of the Navy] held the position.
This is a photograph of the Admiral.
It was taken before the award of the KG.
His uniform is adorned with the following
insignia, most of which I believe I have correctly interpreted.
Around his neck is the badge of a Commander of
the Legion of Merit, an American award.
To the left are two medals, the first being the
OBE and the second being the Queens Golden Jubilee Medal a top of
which is the submariners badge. Immediately below is the large
ornate Star of the GCB.Below the GCB
Star is the Star of the Venerable Order of St John.
It is a
royal order of
chivalry established in 1831 and
found today throughout the
Commonwealth of Nations,
Hong Kong,
Ireland and the
United States of America, with the
world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and
to act to enhance the health and well-being of people anywhere in
the world." It is commonly referred to simply as the Order
of St John, or as the Venerable Order of Saint John (VOSJ)
when distinction from other similarly named orders is desired.
The sash, worn on the right shoulder, is
crimson in colour and is part of the GCB. The badge of the GCB is
attached to the sash and hangs over the left hip.
The aiguillette [pronounced a-gwi-let] worn
here on the right shoulder for royalty and admirals is of gold wire
and is known as a Class 1 Aiguillette. In this instance, a GCB Badge
is an integral part of the aiguillette and can be seen attached
looped over the top right hand tunic button. For less senior naval
officers required to wear an aiguillette, it is of a mixed gold and
blue construction and is worn on the left shoulder. In the army, it
is gold and red for the less senior officers, but the army also has
other ranks wearing aiguillettes but of a much less ornate design.

This ornate flag with sea
creatures under a naval crown in the left hand blue section, is the
personal flag of Lord Boyce as the Warden of the Cinque Ports. The
other part of the flag show a lion front part of body connected to
the back end of ship. The Cinque Ports are Hastings, New
Romney, Hythe, Dover and Sandwich.