Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet

Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet
Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet
Active	1861-1958
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	Royal Navy
Part of	Mediterranean Fleet;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Vice-Admiral Ralph A. B. Edwards

The Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet was a senior command appointment of the British Royal Navy from January 1947 to 1958 who also administered the 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron from 1947 to 1951. The appointment was a continuation of the Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Station first established in 1861 that underwent a series of name changes due to an expansion of additional duties given to the post holder.

History

The office holder was originally established as Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Station in December 1861 then later Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet. On 18 July 1941 as part of an expansion of duties the post holder was renamed Vice-Admiral Commanding, Light Forces and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet until April 1942. The appointment of the Flag Officer, Air, and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet was created in January 1947 who was additionally responsible for administering the 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron ^[1] of the Mediterranean Fleet until February 1951 when it was disbanded. The Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet, then became responsible for commanding shore based aviation based at Malta until 1958.^[2] HMS Ocean, Theasus and Glory continued to serve in the Mediterranean Fleet until October 1954.^[2]

Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet

Included:^[3]

Note:The office holder was sometimes styled as "Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Station"

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet/Station
1	Rear-Admiral	Sydney C. Dacres	December 1861-April 1863	^[3]
2	Rear-Admiral	Hastings R.H. Yelverton	April 1863-April 1865	^[3]
3	Rear-Admiral	Astley Cooper-Key	May 1870-August 1872	^[3]
4	Vice-Admiral	Edward A. Inglefield	2 August 1872-December 1876	^[3]
5	Rear-Admiral	Edward B. Rice	May 1876-July 1877	^[3]
6	Rear-Admiral	Sir John E. Commerell	July 1877-1878	^[3]
7	Rear-Admiral	Lord Walter Kerr	April 1890-April 1892	^[3]
8	Rear-Admiral	Albert Hastings Markham	April 1892-April 1894	^[3]
9	Rear-Admiral	Compton E. Domvile	April 1894-May 1896	^[3]
10	Rear-Admiral	Robert H. Harris	May 1896-February 1898	^[3]
11	Rear-Admiral	Sir Gerard H. U. Noel	1 February 1898-February 1900	^[3]
12	Rear-Admiral	Lord Charles W. De la P. Beresford	February 1900-January 1902	^[3]
13	Rear-Admiral	Burges Watson	January-September 1902	^[3]
14	Rear-Admiral	Sir Reginald N. Custance	November 1902-November 1904	^[3]
15	Vice-Admiral	Sir Harry T. Grenfell	November 1904-February 1906	^[3]
16	Rear-Admiral	Francis C. B. Bridgeman	March 1906-February 1907	^[3]
17	Vice-Admiral	Prince Louis of Battenberg	February 1907-November 1908	^[3]
18	Rear-Admiral	Sir George A. Callaghan	November 1908-October 1910	^[3]
19	Rear-Admiral	T. Martyn Jerram	October 1910-May 1912	^[3]
20	Vice-Admiral	Sir Cecil Burney	June-October 1913	^[3]
21	Vice-Admiral	Sir Michael Culme-Seymour	January 1919-September 1920	^[3]
22	Rear-Admiral	Richard Webb	September 1920-September 1922	^[3]
23	Rear-Admiral	John D.Kelly	September 1922-August 1923	^[3]
24	Rear-Admiral	Hugh D. R. Watson	August 1923-April 1925	^[3]
25	Vice-Admiral	Sir Michael H. Hodges	April 1925-May 1927	^[3]
26	Vice-Admiral	Sir John D.Kelly	May 1927-April 1929	^[3]
27	Vice-Admiral	W. A. Howard Kelly	April 1929-October 1930	^[3]
28	Vice-Admiral	Sir William W. Fisher	October 1930-April 1932	^[3]
29	Vice-Admiral	Sir Roger R.C. Backhouse	April 1932-May 1934	^[3]
30	Vice-Admiral	Sir Charles M. Forbes	May 1934-August 1936	^[3]
31	Vice-Admiral	Sir Geoffrey Blake	August 1936-July 1937	^[3]
32	Vice-Admiral	Sir Andrew B. Cunningham	July 1937-August 1938	^[3]
33	Vice-Admiral	Geoffrey Layton	August 1938-November 1939	^[3]

Vice-Admiral Commanding, Light Forces and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet

Included:^[4]

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Light Forces and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet
1	Vice-Admiral	John C. Tovey	18 July, 1940 – 23 October, 1940	^[3]
2	Vice-Admiral	Henry D. Pridham-Wippell	24 October, 1940 – 1 April, 1942	as acting V Adm. ^[3]

Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet

Included:^[5]^[2]

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes/Ref
Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet and Vice-Admiral, Commanding 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron
1	Vice-Admiral	Sir Cecil H.J. Harcourt	January 1947 to January 1948	also VADMCOMM, 2ACSQ ^[2]
2	Vice-Admiral	Sir Thomas H. Troubridge:	January to December 1948	ditto^[2]
3	Vice-Admiral	the Hon. Sir Cyril E. Douglas-Pennant	December 1948 to April 1950	ditto^[2]
4	Vice-Admiral	Guy Grantham	April 1950 to November 1951	ditto^[2]
5	Vice-Admiral	Ralph A. B. Edwards	November 1951 to December 1951	ditto^[2]
6	Vice-Admiral	Ralph A. B. Edwards	December 1951 to December 1952	2nd AC Squadron is disbanded ^[2]
7	Vice-Admiral	William W. Davis	December 1952 to February 1954
8	Vice-Admiral	J. Peter L. Reid	February 1954 to August 1955
9	Vice-Admiral	Maxwell Richmond	August 1955 to October 1956	^[6]
10	Vice-Admiral	Sir Robin L.F. Durnford-Slater	October 1956 to 1958

Composition 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron

Included:^[2]

: 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron; Mediterranean Fleet 1947 to 1951

Ship	Dates	Notes/Ref
HMS Ocean	February 1947 to December 1950	^[2]
HMS Triumph	February 1947 to August 1948	^[2]
HMS Theseus	June 1947 to August 1948	^[2]
HMS Glory	December 1949 to December 1950	^[2]

References

^ Grove, Eric J. (1987). Vanguard to Trident : British naval policy since World War II: Second Aircraft Carrier Squadron visits Mediterranean ports February 1948. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. p. 470. ISBN 9780870215520.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 147. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^ Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 147. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
^ Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 205. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
^ Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 167. ISBN 9781136509629.

Sources

Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN 9781136509629.
Grove, Eric J. (1987). Vanguard to Trident : British naval policy since World War II: Second Aircraft Carrier Squadron visits Mediterranean ports February 1948. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9780870215520.
Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July-September 2018.
Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015.

[1] Grove, Eric J. (1987). Vanguard to Trident : British naval policy since World War II: Second Aircraft Carrier Squadron visits Mediterranean ports February 1948. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press. p. 470. ISBN 9780870215520.

[Watson_2015-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2018.

[mackie-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 147. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

[4] Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 147. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

[5] Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, July 2018. p. 205. Retrieved 22 July 2018.

[6] Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 167. ISBN 9781136509629.

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