Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe | |
|---|---|
 Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe | |
| Born | 23 December 1864 (1864-12-23) |
| Died | 27 July 1937 (1937-07-28) (aged 72) Ryde,Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1878–1930 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | Portsmouth Command Mediterranean Fleet Coastguard and Reserves 2nd Cruiser Squadron HMS Dreadnought HMS Hindustan HMS Roxburgh HMS Pandora HMS Halcyon |
| Battles / wars | Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of St Michael and St George Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
Admiral of the FleetSir Somerset Arthur Gough-CalthorpeGCB, GCMG, CVO, DL (23 December 1864 – 27 July 1937),[1] sometimes known asSir Somerset Calthorpe, was aRoyal Navy officer and a member of theGough-Calthorpe family. After serving as a junior officer during theFourth Anglo-Ashanti War, he became navalattaché observing the actions of theImperial Russian Navy during theRusso-Japanese War and then went on to command an armoured cruiser and then a battleship during the early years of the 20th century.
During theFirst World War Gough-Calthorpe initially served as commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of theGrand Fleet, then becameSecond Sea Lord and after that became Admiral commanding the Coastguard and Reserves. In the closing years of the War he served as Commander-in-Chief of theMediterranean Fleet, in which capacity he signed theArmistice of Mudros on behalf of all the Allies, by which theOttoman Empire accepted defeat and ceased hostilities. TheOccupation of Constantinople began with the Allied fleet enteringConstantinople in November 1918 and it was Gough-Calthorpe's flagship,HMS Superb, that led the way.
After the War Gough-Calthorpe served as British Commissioner in the Ottoman Empire during a time of considerable political instability associated with thepartitioning of the Ottoman Empire and theallied intervention in the Russian Civil War.
Born the son of Lieutenant-GeneralSomerset Gough-Calthorpe, 7th Baron Calthorpe, by his marriage to Eliza Maria Chamier,[2] His grandfather on his mother's side was the novelist CaptainFrederick Chamier RN.[3] Gough-Calthorpe joined the Royal Navy as acadet in the training shipHMSBritannia on 15 January 1878.[4] Promoted tomidshipman on 19 March 1880, he was appointed to thearmoured cruiserHMSNorthampton, flagship of theNorth America and West Indies Station later that year.[4] Promoted tosub-lieutenant on 19 March 1884, he joined thecorvetteHMSRover in the Training Squadron in September 1885 and, after further promotion tolieutenant on 19 March 1886, he transferred to thebattleshipHMSColossus in June 1886.[4] After attending the torpedo schoolHMSVernon, he joined the directing staff there in 1890 and was then in August 1891 was deployed toHong Kong on torpedo duties, before rejoining the directing staff at HMSVernon in January 1894.[4] He became torpedo officer in the cruiserHMS StGeorge on theCape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station in October 1894 and saw action withnaval brigades during theFourth Anglo-Ashanti War.[4]
Promoted tocommander on 1 January 1896,[5] Gough-Calthorpe became Executive Officer in the armoured cruiserHMSImperieuse, flagship of thePacific Station, in March 1896.[6] After another tour at HMSVernon, he became commanding officer of thetorpedo gunboatHMSHalcyon in theMediterranean Fleet in September 1900.[6] He went on to be commanding officer of the cruiserHMSPandora during propeller trials atPortsmouth in July 1901,[7] and, having been promoted tocaptain on 1 January 1902[8] and having attended a course at theRoyal Naval College, Greenwich,[9] he became navalattaché observing the actions of theImperial Russian Navy during theRusso-Japanese War.[10] He became commanding officer of the armoured cruiserHMSRoxburgh in November 1905 and then, having been appointed a Member of theRoyal Victorian Order on 25 September 1906,[11] he became commanding officer of the battleshipHMSHindustan in December 1907.[6] He then became Captain of the Fleet for theHome Fleet in the battleshipHMSDreadnought in December 1909.[6] He was advanced toCommander of the Royal Victorian Order on 2 August 1910.[12] Promoted torear admiral on 27 August 1911[13] and, having been appointed a Companion of theOrder of the Bath on 27 September 1912,[14] he became second-in-command of the1st Battle Squadron, with his flag in the battleshipHMS StVincent, in December 1912.[6] In 1912, he was appointed as one of the assessors assisting theBritish inquiry into thesinking of the RMSTitanic.[15]
Gough-Calthorpe became commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of theGrand Fleet, with his flag in the armoured cruiserHMSShannon, in July 1914 on the outbreak of theFirst World War.[6] Advanced toKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1916,[16] he becameSecond Sea Lord in July 1916 and Admiral commanding the Coastguard and Reserves in December 1916.[6] Promoted tovice-admiral on 26 April 1917,[17] he becameCommander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, with his flag in the battleshipHMSSuperb, in July 1917.[6] In that capacity he established a complex convoy system to protect British and allied shipping at sea in the Mediterranean from attack by enemysubmarines.[2]
He went on to sign theArmistice of Mudros on behalf of all the Allies on 30 October 1918, by which theOttoman Empire accepted defeat and ceased hostilities.[6]Georges Clemenceau,Prime Minister of France, complained that AdmiralDominique-Marie Gauchet had not been present at the treaty signing but the British Government gave Gough-Calthorpe its full backing.[6] When the Allied fleet steamed intoConstantinople in November 1918, it was Gough-Calthorpe's flagship, HMSSuperb, that led the way.[6]
Gough-Calthorpe became British Commissioner in theOttoman Empire at the end of the War during a time of considerable political instability associated with thepartitioning of the Ottoman Empire and theallied intervention in the Russian Civil War.[6] Appointed a Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of St Michael and St George on 1 January 1919[18] and promoted to fulladmiral on 31 July 1919,[19] he becameCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in April 1920.[20] He also became naval representative to the Permanent Armaments Commission of theLeague of Nations in July 1920.[21]
Gough-Calthorpe was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Bath on 3 June 1922,[22] appointed aDeputy Lieutenant for theIsle of Wight on 14 February 1924[23] and appointedFirst and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp tothe King on 31 July 1924.[24] Promoted toAdmiral of the Fleet on 8 May 1925,[25] he retired in May 1930 and, having been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant forSouthampton on 26 March 1932,[26] died at his home inRyde on the Isle of Wight on 27 July 1937.[20]
Gough-Calthorpe married atSt George's, Hanover Square, London on 27 February 1900 Effie Dunsmuir, daughter of Hon.Robert Dunsmuir, ofCraigdarroch Castle,Victoria, British Columbia, and his wife, Joan White, daughter of Alexander White, ofKilmarnock, Scotland.[27][28] They had no children.[2]
a marriage is arranged between Colonel the Hon. J. Somerset Calthorpe, son of Lord Calthorpe, and grandson of the Duke of Beaufort, and Mrs. Frederick Crewe, only daughter of Captain and Mrs. Frederick Chamier. Court Journal.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Second Sea Lord 1916 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Sir Berkeley Milne | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1917–1919 | Succeeded by |
| First | British High Commissioner at Constantinople 1918–1919 | |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth 1920–1923 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1924–1925 | Succeeded by |
