Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth

Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
HMS Victory, flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Active1667–1969
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeArea command
Part ofAdmiralty
Garrison/HQDockyard Commissioner's house, Portsmouth

The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, his successor, Sir Philip Durham, being the first to move into Admiralty House at the Royal Navy Dockyard, where subsequent holders of the office were based until 1969. Prior to World War I the officer holder was sometimes referred to in official dispatches as the Commander-in-Chief, Spithead.

The Command extended along the south coast from Newhaven in East Sussex to Portland in Dorset. In 1889 the Commander-in-Chief took HMS Victory as his flagship.

History

Admiralty House, HMNB Portsmouth

In the late 18th century port admirals began to reside ashore, rather than on board their flagships; the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was provided with a large house at 111 High Street, which was renamed Admiralty House (and which had formerly been home to the Mayor of Portsmouth). In the 1830s Admiralty House was sold to the War Office (as Government House, it went on to house the Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth for the next fifty years). The Commander-in-Chief moved in turn into the former Dockyard Commissioner's house, which still stands within HMNB Portsmouth.

During the Second World War the Command Headquarters was at Fort Southwick. Rear Admiral Lancelot Holland, commanding the 3rd Battle Squadron, was briefly tasked also to command the Channel Force, operating from Portland Harbour in September-October 1939, within the Portsmouth command boundaries but responsible directly to the Admiralty. Operation Aerial, the evacuation from western French ports in 1940, was commanded by Admiral William Milbourne James, the Commander-in-Chief. James lacked the vessels necessary for convoys and organised a flow of troopships, storeships and motor vehicle vessels from Southampton, coasters to ply from Poole and the Dutch schuyts to work from Weymouth, while such warships as were available patrolled the shipping routes. Demolition parties sailed in the ships but it was hoped that supplies and equipment could be embarked as well as troops.

During World War II several subordinate commanders along the coast were appointed: Flag Officer-in-Charge Southampton, 1942-45; a Captain as Naval Officer-in-Charge Weymouth, 1941-43; Naval Officer-in-Charge Newhaven, 1942-44, held by two retired vice-admirals; and Commander C.B. Hastings RN (retired) as Naval Officer-in-Charge Poole, 1940-44. Also located at HMS Vernon for a time within the C-in-C Portsmouth's command boundaries was the Rear-Admiral in charge of the Royal Navy Coastal Forces. However operational control of the various Coastal Forces flotillas was the responsibility of the local area commander-in-chief rather than Rear-Admiral Coastal Forces. Later in the war Coastal Forces HQ was moved to North London.

In 1952 the Commander-in-Chief took up the NATO post of Commander-in-Chief, Channel (CINCHAN). This move added Allied Command Channel to the NATO Military Command Structure. The admiral commanding at Portsmouth had control naval operations in the area since 1949 under WUDO auspices.

The post of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was merged with that of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, in 1969 to form the post of Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command. The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War.

Units and formations

Considered as the most prestigious of the home commands, the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for the central part of the English Channel between Newhaven and the Isle of Portland. Below is a list of units that served under this command.

The Commander-in-Chief had a Chief of Staff serving under him from 1832–1969.

Senior officers included:

Admiral Commanding Date Notes
Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth 1832–1969 Portsmouth Dockyard. Renamed Flag Officer, Portsmouth and Admiral Superintendent
Senior Naval Officer, Portland 1908–1914 held by a Captain up-to the rank of RAdm.
Flag Officer-in-Charge Portland 1914–1958
Commodore RN Barracks, Portsmouth 1898–1969 Possibly renamed Commander, Naval Base Portsmouth from the time Commodore Edward Ellis took command in July 1969.

Flotillas and squadrons

Included:

Naval Units Commanded by Date Notes
1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla 1939–1945
1st Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla 01/1918-01/1919
1st Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla 07/1940-05/1945
4th Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 4th Destroyer Flotilla 12/1916-03/1917
12th Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 12th Destroyer Flotilla 1939-08/1940
16th Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 16th Destroyer Flotilla 1939-08/1940
18th Destroyer Flotilla Captain (D), 18th Destroyer Flotilla 09-10/1939
4th Minesweeper Flotilla Officer Commanding, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla 04/1944-12/1944
9th Minesweeper Flotilla Officer Commanding, 9th Minesweeper Flotilla 11/1940-05/1945
14th Minesweeper Flotilla Officer Commanding, 13th Minesweeper Flotilla 09/1941-12/1944
2nd Submarine Flotilla Officer Commanding, 2nd Submarine Flotilla 08/1914-08/1916
3rd Submarine Flotilla Officer Commanding, 3rd Submarine Flotilla 1919–1922 based at Gosport
5th Submarine Flotilla Officer Commanding, 5th Submarine Flotilla 1919–1939 based at Gosport – training & reserve flotilla
6th Submarine Flotilla Officer Commanding, 6th Submarine Flotilla 1919–1939 based at Portland – ASW training & reserve flotilla
Fishery Protection Flotilla Officer Commanding, Fishery Protection Flotilla 1919–1927
Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla Captain of Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla 1923–1945
Fishery Protection Squadron Captain, Fishery Protection Squadron 1945–1969
Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla Officer Commanding, Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla 1914–1918
Portsmouth Escort Flotilla Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Escort Flotilla 01/1916-01/1918 renamed 1st Destroyer Flotilla
Portland Local Defence Flotilla Officer Commanding, Portland Local Defence Flotilla 1914–1918
Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla 1914–1927

Shore establishments

Included:

Other units Commanded by Date Notes
HMS Dolphin (shore establishment) 1904–1969 Royal Navy Submarine School
HMS Dryad (shore establishment) 1939–1969 Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School
HMS Grasshopper (shore establishment) 1939–1946 Coastal forces base, Weymouth
HMS Hornet (shore establishment) 1941–1956 HQ Coastal Force
HMS Marlborough (shore establishment) 1939–1945 Torpedo school, Eastbourne
HMS Mercury (shore establishment) Captain of Royal Navy Signals School 1941–1969 Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School
HMS King Alfred (shore establishment) 1939–1946 RNVR officers training establishment- Sussex Division – Hove
Portsmouth Signal School Captain of Portsmouth Signal School 1916–1941
Signal School Superintendent of Signal Schools 1901–1920
HMS St Vincent (shore establishment) 1927–1969 Boys Training School, Gosport
HMS Sultan (shore establishment) 1914–1969 Mechanical engineering school
HMS Turtle (shore establishment) 1946–? Combined operations training establishment, based at Poole
HMS Vernon (shore establishment) 1876–1969 Torpedo and mining school

Commanders-in-Chief

Post holder have included:
NoN = died in post


This page was last updated at 2024-03-22 01:59 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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