Sir Vernon Haggard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 28 October 1874 Bengal, India |
| Died | 30 January 1960 (aged 85) Southend, Essex, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1888–1932 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | HMSBoadicea HMSBlenheim HMSGood Hope HMSVulcan HMSHibernia HMSHighflyer HMSAjax America and West Indies Station |
| Battles / wars | Benin Expedition World War I |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Croix de Guerre |
AdmiralSir Vernon Harry Stuart Haggard,KCB,CMG (28 October 1874 – 30 January 1960) was aRoyal Navy officer who went on to beCommander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station. His career in the Royal Navy spanned forty-four years, from his entry as a youth in 1888 to his promotion to admiral in 1932.
A member of theHaggard family, he was the eldest child of Alfred Hinuber Haggard and his wife Alice Geraldine Schalch Haggard, having been born on 28 October 1874 inBengal,India.[1][2] His father was aBengal Civil Service official.[1] Vernon Haggard was the nephew of prolific authorSir Henry Rider Haggard, who achieved literary fame with his romancesKing Solomon's Mines andShe: A History of Adventure.[1][3] He was also the brother of diplomatSir Godfrey Digby Napier Haggard, who served as BritishConsul General at New York City duringWorld War II.[1][4][5] In addition, he was the uncle of actor and writerStephen Hubert Avenel Haggard, whose life was the subject ofChristopher Hassall'sThe Timeless Quest.[6][7][8]
Haggard joined the Royal Navy as a youth in 1888.[9] On 14 May 1894, Acting Sub-Lieutenant Haggard was promoted to sub-lieutenant.[10] He took part in theBenin Expedition toNigeria in 1897.[9] In late December 1905, the lieutenant was promoted to commander.[11] He commandedHMSBoadicea in 1911.[9] Commander Haggard received the Insignia of Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy in 1912.[12] He commandedHMSBlenheim that year, and bothHMSGood Hope andHMSVulcan in 1913.[9] Captain Haggard was also put in command of the Seventh Submarine Flotilla in 1913.[13][14] He served throughoutWorld War I, commandingHMSHibernia in 1915 and later the cadet training vesselHMSHighflyer.[9]
In 1919, the captain received theCroix de Guerre from theFrench Republic, and became a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George.[15][16] After the war, he was in charge of theNaval Brigade on the Danube and then commanded the battleshipHMSAjax from 1920 to 1921.[9] He was appointed Director of Training and Staff Duties at theAdmiralty in 1921 and was promoted to rear admiral two years later.[9][17] On 1 January 1925, Haggard became a Companion of the Order of the Bath and that year was appointedChief of the Submarine Service.[9][18] He was promoted from rear admiral to vice admiral and becameFourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport in 1928.[9][19] He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the America and West Indies Station in 1930.[4][9] Haggard became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 3 June 1931.[20] He was promoted from vice admiral to admiral the following year, effective 20 October 1932.[21] Admiral Haggard retired from the Royal Navy that year.[4][9]
In 1905, Haggard married Dorothy Booker Ellis, the daughter of Richard Adam Ellis and his wife Emma Eliza Booker Ellis, ofStock in Essex.[22][23][24] They had three daughters: Avice Dorothy Haggard Lyster,[25][26] Rosamond A Haggard Hunt,[27][28] and Elizabeth G E Haggard Gibbon.[29][30] The couple had one son,Hugh Alfred Vernon Haggard,DSO,DSC, also of the Royal Navy, who was thecommanding officer of the submarineHMSTruant during World War II.[31][32] Lieutenant Commander H A V Haggard's exploits in that submarine led to "Haggard of theTruant" being referred to as "Britain's Submarine Ace No. 1," with his vessel nicknamed "the adventure ship."[32][33]
Following his retirement in 1932, Haggard resided with his family at Little Court in Stock.[34] He wrote the foreword toHudson Strode'sThe Story of Bermuda, the first of the author's travel books.[35][36] In addition, he was one of several military officers involved in the running of the Stock United Football Club.[37] Haggard died on 30 January 1960 at 90 Crowstone Road inSouthend, Essex.[38] His funerary box was borne on a gun carriage, accompanied by an escort of fifty representatives of the Royal Navy.[22] After three volleys were fired at his graveside, theRoyal Marines played theLast Post andReveille.[22] He was interred at All Saints Churchyard in Stock.[22][39] His estate went to probate on 21 March 1960.[38] Lady Haggard died the following year, on 2 January 1961, at Chelmsford and Essex Hospital in Essex.[40]
A collection of photographs of Vernon Haggard is held by theImperial War Museum.[41] In addition, theNational Register of Archives and theLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives atKing's College London indicate that the Imperial War Museum serves as the repository for Haggard's five volumes of journals, covering the period from 1888 to 1932, and other papers, dated from 1885 to 1932.[9][42] TheNational Portrait Gallery in London also has a portrait of Admiral Haggard that was obtained by photographerWalter Stoneman in 1930.[43]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief of the Submarine Service 1925–1927 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Fourth Sea Lord 1928–1930 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station 1930–1932 | Succeeded by |