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{{for|his son, the Vice-Admiral|Arthur Mackenzie Power}}
{{for|his son, the Vice-Admiral|Arthur Mackenzie Power}}
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{{short description|Royal Navy admiral of the fleet}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
{{Infobox military person
|honorific_prefix =
| honorific_prefix = [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]]
|name =Sir Arthur John Power
| name = Sir Arthur Power
| image = Rear Admiral Arthur J Power on board HMS Cleopatra, 5 Nov 1942 IWM A 13495 (cropped).jpg
|honorific_suffix =
|native_name =
| alt =
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| caption = Power in 1942
|native_name_lang =
| birth_name = Arthur John Power
|image =Arthurjpower.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1889|04|12|df=y}}
|image_size =
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|1960|01|28|1889|04|12|df=y}}
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|alt =
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| birth_place = London, England
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|caption =Sir Arthur Power
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| death_place = [[Royal Hospital Haslar|Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar]]
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|birth_date ={{birth date|1889|04|12|df=y}}
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| placeofburial =
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|death_date ={{Death date and age|1960|01|28|1889|04|12|df=y}}
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| nickname =
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|birth_place =[[London]], England
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| allegiance = United Kingdom
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|death_place =[[Royal Hospital Haslar|Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar]]
| branch = {{RN}}
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|placeofburial =
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| serviceyears = 1904–1953
|placeofburial_label =
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| rank = [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]]
|placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| servicenumber =
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|nickname =
|birth_name =
| unit =
| commands = {{ubli|Allied Commander in Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command (1952)|[[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] (1950–52)|[[Mediterranean Fleet]] (1948–50)|[[Second Sea Lord]] (1946–48)|[[Eastern Fleet|East Indies Fleet]] (1944–45)|[[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battle Squadron]] (1943–44)|[[Flag Officer]], Malta (1943)|15th Cruiser Squadron (1942–43)|{{HMS|Ark Royal|91|6}} (1938)}}
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|allegiance ={{flag|United Kingdom|23px}}
|branch ={{navy|United Kingdom|23px}}
| battles = {{ubl|First World War|Second World War}}
| awards = {{ubli|[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]|[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]|[[Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]|[[KStJ]]|[[Mentioned in Despatches]] (4)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36526|supp=y|page=2355|date=19 May 1944}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36771|supp=y|page=4977|date=27 October 1944}}</ref>|[[Order of Polonia Restituta|Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta]] (Poland)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35833|supp=y|page=5569|date=18 December 1942}}</ref>|[[Legion of Merit|Commander of the Legion of Merit]] (United States)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37448|supp=y|page=720|date=25 January 1946}}</ref>|[[Order of Orange Nassau|Grand Cross of the Order of Orange Nassau]] (Netherlands)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38563|page=1334|date=15 March 1949}}</ref>}}
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|serviceyears =1904–1953
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| spouse =
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|rank =[[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]]
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| relations =
|servicenumber = <!--Do not use data from primary sources such as service records.-->
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| laterwork = {{ubli|First and Principal Naval [[Aide-de-camp]] to [[George&nbsp;VI]] (1951–52) and [[Elizabeth&nbsp;II]] (1952)|[[Deputy Lieutenant]], Southampton}}
|unit =
|commands =Gunnery School, Portsmouth [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']] (3 Oct 1935 - Jul 1937)<br>[[HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']] 17 Jan 1938 - 26 Jul 1938<br>15th Cruiser Squadron (1 Aug 1942 - May 1943)<br>[[Flag Officer]], Malta (7 May 1943 - Aug 1943)<br>[[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battle Squadron]] & Second-in-Command, [[Eastern Fleet]] (1 Dec 1943 - Jun 1944)<br>East Indies Fleet (22 Nov 1944 - Jul 1945)<br>Chief of Naval Personnel ([[Second Sea Lord]]) (27 Feb 1946 - 1948)<br>[[Mediterranean Fleet]] (13 May 1948 - May 1950)<br>[[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] (18 Oct 1950 – 17 Oct 1952)<br>Allied Commander in Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command (1952)
|battles =[[World War I]]<br>[[World War II]]
|battles_label =
|awards =[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br>[[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]]<br>[[Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br>[[Mentioned in Despatches]] 4 times<br>[[Legion of Merit]]<br>[[Order of Orange-Nassau]]<br>[[Venerable Order of Saint John|Knight of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem]]
|spouse = <!-- Add spouse if reliably sourced -->
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|relations =
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|laterwork =First and Principal Naval [[Aide-de-camp]] to [[George VI of the United Kingdom|King George VI]] (15 Jan 1951 – 24 Apr 1952) & to [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth]] (Jan - Apr 1952)<br>[[Deputy Lieutenant]], Southampton (27 Apr 1953)
|signature =
|website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} -->
}}
}}
[[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]] '''Sir Arthur John Power''' [[Order of the Bath|GCB]], [[Order of the British Empire|GBE]], [[Royal Victorian Order|CVO]] (12 April 1889 – 28 January 1960) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer. He took part in [[World War I|First World War]] as a gunnery officer and saw action in the [[Gallipoli Campaign|Dardanelles Campaign]]. During the inter-war years he commanded the gunnery school [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']] and then the [[aircraft carrier]] [[HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']]. During the [[World War II|Second World War]] he played a leading role in the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] and for the [[Allied invasion of Italy]] and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of [[V Corps (United Kingdom)|V Corps]] at [[Taranto]] in [[Italy]] in September 1943. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the [[Eastern Fleet|East Indies Fleet]] in the closing stages of the War and conducted naval strikes on the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in [[Borneo]] and [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. After the War he became [[Second Sea Lord|Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel]], [[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]] and then [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]].
[[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]] '''Sir Arthur John Power''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|GBE|CVO|KStJ}} (12 April 1889 – 28 January 1960) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer. He took part in the [[First World War]] as a gunnery officer and saw action in the [[Gallipoli campaign|Dardanelles campaign]]. During the inter-war years he commanded the gunnery school at {{HMS|Excellent|shore establishment|6}} and then the [[aircraft carrier]] {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|6}}. During the [[Second World War]] he played a leading role in the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] and for the [[Allied invasion of Italy]] and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of [[V Corps (United Kingdom)|V Corps]] at [[Taranto]] in Italy in September 1943. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the [[Eastern Fleet|East Indies Fleet]] in the closing stages of the war and conducted naval strikes on the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in [[Borneo]] and [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. After the War he became [[Second Sea Lord|Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel]], [[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]] and then [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]].


==Naval career==
==Naval career==
===Early career===
===Early career===
Born the son of Edward John Power and Harriet Maud Power (née Windeler),<ref name=odnb>{{citeweb|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35592|title=Arthur Power|publisher=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> Power joined the training ship [[HMS Prince of Wales (1860)|HMS ''Britannia'']] as a [[cadet]] in 1904 and, having won the King's medal as best cadet of his year, he was promoted to [[midshipman]] on 15 September 1905.<ref name=heath218>Heathcote, p. 218</ref> He was promoted to acting [[sub-lieutenant]] on 15 January 1909<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=28287|supp=|startpage=6814|date=10 September 1909|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> and to [[lieutenant]] on 15 April 1910<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=28424|supp=|startpage=7253|date=14 October 1910|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> on his appointment to the [[battlecruiser]] [[HMS Indomitable (1907)|HMS ''Indomitable'']] in the [[Home Fleet]].<ref name=heath218/> He became First Lieutenant in the [[destroyer]] [[HMS Nautilus (1910)|HMS ''Nautilus'']] in October 1912 and then attended [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']], the gunnery school at [[Portsmouth]], in 1913.<ref name=heath219>Heathcote, p. 219</ref>
Born the son of Edward John Power and Harriet Maud Power (née Windeler),<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/35592|title=Arthur Power|year=2004|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/35592|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> Power joined the training ship [[HMS Prince of Wales (1860)|HMS ''Britannia'']] as a [[cadet]] in 1904 and, having won the King's medal as best cadet of his year, he was promoted to [[midshipman]] on 15 September 1905.<ref name=heath218>Heathcote, p. 218</ref> He was promoted to acting [[sub-lieutenant]] on 15 January 1909<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28287|page=6814|date=10 September 1909}}</ref> and to [[lieutenant]] on 15 April 1910<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=28424|page=7253|date=14 October 1910}}</ref> on his appointment to the [[battlecruiser]] [[HMS Indomitable (1907)|HMS ''Indomitable'']] in the [[Home Fleet]].<ref name=heath218/> He became First Lieutenant in the [[destroyer]] [[HMS Nautilus (1910)|HMS ''Nautilus'']] in October 1912 and then attended [[HMS Excellent (shore establishment)|HMS ''Excellent'']], the gunnery school at [[Portsmouth]], in 1913.<ref name=heath219>Heathcote, p. 219</ref>


Power served as a gunnery officer throughout [[World War I|First World War]], initially in the [[battleship]] [[HMS Magnificent (1894)|HMS ''Magnificent'']], then in the [[cruiser]] [[HMS Royal Arthur (1891)|HMS ''Royal Arthur'']] and next in the [[monitor (warship)|monitor]] [[HMS Raglan|HMS ''Raglan'']].<ref name=heath219/> In the ''Raglan'' he saw action in the [[Gallipoli Campaign|Dardanelles Campaign]], before transferring to the battlecruiser [[HMS Princess Royal (1911)|HMS ''Princess Royal'']] in the [[Grand Fleet]].<ref name=heath219/> He was promoted to [[lieutenant commander]] on 15 April 1918.<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=30640|supp=|startpage=4742|date=19 April 1918|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>
Power served as a gunnery officer throughout the [[First World War]], initially in the [[battleship]] [[HMS Magnificent (1894)|HMS ''Magnificent'']], then in the [[cruiser]] [[HMS Royal Arthur (1891)|HMS ''Royal Arthur'']] and next in the [[monitor (warship)|monitor]] [[HMS Raglan|HMS ''Raglan'']].<ref name=heath219/> In the ''Raglan'' he saw action in the [[Gallipoli campaign|Dardanelles campaign]], before transferring to the battlecruiser [[HMS Princess Royal (1911)|HMS ''Princess Royal'']] in the [[Grand Fleet]].<ref name=heath219/> He was promoted to [[lieutenant commander]] on 15 April 1918.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=30640|page=4742|date=19 April 1918}}</ref>


After the War Power joined the directing staff at HMS ''Excellent''.<ref name=heath219/> Promoted to [[commander]] on 31 December 1922,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=32782|supp=yes|startpage=14|date=29 December 1922|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he became Assistant Director in the Naval Ordnance Department at the [[Admiralty]] in January 1923 and, after attending the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich|Royal Naval Staff College]], he became Executive Officer on [[HMS Hood (51)|HMS ''Hood'']], flagship of the battlecruiser squadron in the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] in 1925.<ref name=heath219/> He joined the directing staff at the Royal Naval Staff College in 1927 and, having been promoted to [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]] on 30 July 1929,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=33513|supp=|startpage=4360|date=2 July 1929|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he joined the Ordnance Committee at the [[Royal Arsenal]].<ref name=heath219/> He became Flag Captain of the Second Cruiser Squadron in the [[Home Fleet]] in the cruiser [[HMS Dorsetshire (40)|HMS ''Dorsetshire'']] in April 1931 and, having served on the directing staff at the [[Royal College of Defence Studies|Imperial Defence College]] in 1933, he became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS ''Excellent'' in October 1935.<ref name=heath219/> He was appointed a [[Royal Victorian Order|Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] on 29 January 1936.<ref name=cvo>{{LondonGazette|issue=34253|supp=|startpage=811|date=7 February 1936|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> He went on to be commanding officer of the [[aircraft carrier]] [[HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']] in September 1937, and in that capacity, also became Flag Captain to the Flag Officer commanding aircraft carriers in the Home Fleet in July 1939.<ref name=heath219/>
After the war Power joined the directing staff at HMS ''Excellent''.<ref name=heath219/> Promoted to [[commander]] on 31 December 1922,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=32782|supp=y|page=14|date=29 December 1922}}</ref> he became an assistant to the Director in the Naval Ordnance Department at the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] in January 1923 and, after attending the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich|Royal Naval Staff College]], he became Executive Officer on [[HMS Hood (51)|HMS ''Hood'']], flagship of the battlecruiser squadron in the [[Atlantic Fleet (United Kingdom)|Atlantic Fleet]] in 1925.<ref name=heath219/> He joined the directing staff at the Royal Naval Staff College in 1927 and, having been promoted to [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]] on 30 July 1929,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33513|page=4360|date=2 July 1929}}</ref> he joined the Ordnance Committee at the [[Royal Arsenal]].<ref name=heath219/> He became Flag Captain of the Second Cruiser Squadron in the Home Fleet in the cruiser [[HMS Dorsetshire (40)|HMS ''Dorsetshire'']] in April 1931 and, having served on the directing staff at the [[Royal College of Defence Studies|Imperial Defence College]] in 1933, he became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS ''Excellent'' in October 1935.<ref name=heath219/> He was appointed a [[Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] on 29 January 1936.<ref name=cvo>{{London Gazette|issue=34253|page=811|date=7 February 1936}}</ref> He went on to be commanding officer of the [[aircraft carrier]] [[HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']] in September 1937, and in that capacity, also became Flag Captain to the Flag Officer commanding aircraft carriers in the Home Fleet in July 1939.<ref name=heath219/>


===The Second World War===
===Second World War===
[[File:HMS Ark Royal h85716.jpg|thumb|left|[[HMS Ark Royal (91)|HMS ''Ark Royal'']], which Power, commanded in the early months of the [[World War II|Second World War]]]]
[[File:HMS Ark Royal h85716.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Power commanded {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|2}} in the early months of the [[Second World War]]]]
[[File:SC180476.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] for which Power conducted the planning]]
[[File:SC180476.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[Allied invasion of Sicily]], for which Power conducted the planning]]
Power served in the [[World War II|Second World War]] as Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff from May 1940 and was granted promotion to [[rear admiral]] on 25 June 1940.<ref name=heath219/> Appointed a [[Order of the Bath|Companion of the Order of the Bath]] on 1 July 1941,<ref name=cb>{{LondonGazette|issue=35204|supp=yes|startpage=3735|date=10 June 1948|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he became commander of the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] with his flag in the cruiser [[HMS Cleopatra (33)|HMS ''Cleopatra'']] in August 1942.<ref name=heath219/> Appointed Flag Officer in charge of [[Malta]] in May 1943, he played a leading role in the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] in July 1943 and, having been promoted to [[vice admiral]] on 4 August 1943,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=36133|supp=|startpage=3648|date=13 August 1943|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he led the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Italy]] and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of [[V Corps (United Kingdom)|V Corps]] at [[Taranto]] in [[Italy]] in September 1943.<ref name=heath219/> Following the landings, he became head of the Allied military mission to the [[Politics of Italy|Italian Government]] and was briefly Commander of the [[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battle Squadron]] and second in command of the [[Mediterranean Fleet]].<ref name=heath219/>
Power served in the [[Second World War]] as assistant chief of the Naval Staff from May 1940 and was granted promotion to [[rear admiral]] on 25&nbsp;June 1940.<ref name=heath219/> Appointed a [[Companion of the Order of the Bath]] on 1&nbsp;July 1941,<ref name=cb>{{London Gazette|issue=35204|supp=y|page=3735|date=10 June 1948}}</ref> he became commander of the [[15th Cruiser Squadron|15th&nbsp;Cruiser Squadron]] in the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] with his flag in the cruiser {{HMS|Cleopatra|33|6}} in August&nbsp;1942.<ref name=heath219/>


Appointed [[Malta Dockyard|Flag Officer in charge of Malta]] in May&nbsp;1943, he played a leading role in the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Sicily]] in July&nbsp;1943, and, having been promoted to [[vice admiral]] on 4&nbsp;August 1943,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36133|page=3648|date=13 August 1943}}</ref> he led the planning for the [[Allied invasion of Italy]] and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of [[V Corps (United Kingdom)|V Corps]] at [[Taranto]] in September&nbsp;1943.<ref name=heath219/> Following the landings, he became head of the Allied military mission to the Italian government and was briefly Commander of the [[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st&nbsp;Battle Squadron]] and second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet.<ref name=heath219/>
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Advanced to [[Order of the Bath|Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] on 1 January 1944,<ref name=kcb>{{LondonGazette|issue=36309|supp=yes|startpage=3|date=31 December 1943|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> Power became commander of the [[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battle Squadron]] and second in command of the [[Eastern Fleet]] with his flag in the battlecruiser [[HMS Renown (1916)|HMS ''Renown'']] in January 1944.<ref name=heath219/> He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of that fleet, renamed the [[Eastern Fleet|East Indies Fleet]], in November 1944 and conducted naval strikes on the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in [[Borneo]] and [[British Malaya|Malaya]].<ref name=heath219/> Flying his flag in HMS ''Cleopatra'', the first British ship to enter [[Singapore]] since the [[Battle of Singapore|fall of that city]] over three years earlier, Power arrived in style to attend the final surrender of the Japanese there in September 1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-final-surrender-1597089.html |title=The final surrender|publisher= The Independent|date= 20 August 1995|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>

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Advanced to [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] on 1&nbsp;January 1944,<ref name=kcb>{{London Gazette|issue=36309|supp=y|page=3|date=31 December 1943}}</ref> Power became commander of the 1st&nbsp;Battle Squadron and second in command of the [[Eastern Fleet]] with his flag in the battlecruiser {{HMS|Renown|1916|6}} in January&nbsp;1944.<ref name=heath219/> He went on to be commander-in-chief of that fleet, renamed the [[East Indies Station|East Indies Fleet]], in November&nbsp;1944, and conducted naval strikes on the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] in [[Borneo]] and [[British Malaya|Malaya]].<ref name=heath219/> Flying his flag in ''Cleopatra'', the first British ship to enter [[Singapore]] since its fall in the [[Battle of Singapore]] over three years earlier, Power arrived in style to attend the final surrender of the Japanese there in September&nbsp;1945.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/the-final-surrender-1597089.html |title=The final surrender|work= The Independent|date= 20 August 1995|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>{{clear}}


===Later career===
===Later career===
Power was appointed [[Order of the British Empire|Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]] on 1 January 1946<ref name=gbe>{{LondonGazette|issue=37407|supp=|startpage=13|date=28 December 1945|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> and became [[Second Sea Lord|Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel]] in February 1946.<ref name=heath220>Heathcote, p. 220</ref> Promoted to full [[admiral]] on 6 May 1946,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=37615|supp=yes|startpage=3078|date=18 June 1946|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he proceeded to manage the run-down in naval manpower after the War.<ref name=heath220/> He went on to be [[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]] in May 1948 and, having been advanced to [[Order of the Bath|Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] on 2 January 1950,<ref name=gcb>{{LondonGazette|issue=38797|supp=yes|startpage=2|date=30 December 1949|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> he became [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] in September 1950.<ref name=heath220/> He was also appointed [[List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp|First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp]] to [[George VI|the King]] on 15 January 1951<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=39175|supp=|startpage=1441|date=16 March 1951|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> and was double-hatted as [[NATO]] Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command from 1952.<ref name=heath220/> He attended the funeral of [[George VI|King George VI]] in February 1952<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=39575|supp=yes|startpage=3366|date=17 June 1952|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> and was promoted to [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]] on 22 April 1952.<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=39571|supp=|startpage=3238|date=13 June 1952|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>
Power was appointed a [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire]] on 1 January 1946<ref name=gbe>{{London Gazette|issue=37407|page=13|date=28 December 1945}}</ref> and became [[Second Sea Lord|Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel]] in February 1946.<ref name=heath220>Heathcote, p. 220</ref> Promoted to full [[admiral]] on 6 May 1946,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37615|supp=y|page=3078|date=18 June 1946}}</ref> he proceeded to manage the run-down in naval manpower after the War.<ref name=heath220/> He went on to be [[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]] in May 1948 and, having been advanced to [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] on 2 January 1950,<ref name=gcb>{{London Gazette|issue=38797|supp=y|page=2|date=30 December 1949}}</ref> he became [[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] in September 1950.<ref name=heath220/> He was also appointed [[List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp|First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp]] to [[George VI|the King]] on 15 January 1951<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39175|page=1441|date=16 March 1951}}</ref> and was double-hatted as [[NATO]] Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command from 1952.<ref name=heath220/> He attended the funeral of [[George VI|King George VI]] in February 1952<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39575|supp=y|page=3366|date=17 June 1952}}</ref> and was promoted to [[Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)|Admiral of the Fleet]] on 22 April 1952.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39571|page=3238|date=13 June 1952}}</ref>


Power retired in September 1952 and became a [[Deputy Lieutenant]] of [[Southampton]] on 27 April 1953<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=39841|supp=|startpage=2421|date=1 May 1953|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> shortly before attending the [[coronation]] of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] in June 1953.<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=40020|supp=yes|startpage=6268|date=17 November 1953|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> He died at the [[Royal Hospital Haslar|Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar]] on 28 January 1960.<ref name=heath220/>
Power retired in September 1952 and became a [[Deputy Lieutenant]] of [[Southampton]] on 27 April 1953<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39841|page=2421|date=1 May 1953}}</ref> shortly before attending the [[coronation]] of [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] in June 1953.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=40020|supp=y|page=6268|date=17 November 1953}}</ref> He died at the [[Royal Hospital Haslar|Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar]] on 28 January 1960.<ref name=heath220/>


==Family==
==Family==
In 1918 Power married Amy Bingham; they had three sons (including Vice Admiral [[Arthur Mackenzie Power|Sir Arthur Mackenzie Power]]).<ref name=odnb/> Following the death of his first wife in 1945, he married Margaret Joyce Watson in 1947.<ref name=odnb/>
In 1918 Power married Amy Bingham; they had three sons (including Vice Admiral [[Arthur Mackenzie Power|Sir Arthur Mackenzie Power]]).<ref name=odnb/> Following the death of his first wife in 1945, he married Margaret Joyce Watson in 1947.<ref name=odnb/>


==Honours and awards==
== Legacy ==
The Power Papers are housed at the [[British Library]]. The papers can be accessed through the British Library catalogue.<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS032-001961813 Power Papers], archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020</ref>
* Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the Bath]] - 2 January 1950<ref name=gcb/> (KCB - 1 January 1944;<ref name=kcb/> CB - 1 July 1941<ref name=cb/>)
* Knight Grand Cross of the [[Order of the British Empire]] - 1 January 1946<ref name=gbe/>
* Commander of the [[Royal Victorian Order]] - 29 January 1936<ref name=cvo/>
* [[Mentioned in dispatches]] - 21 December 1943, 23 May 1944,<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=36526|supp=yes|startpage=2355|date=19 May 1944|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref> 15 June 1944 and 31 October 1944<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=36771|supp=yes|startpage=4977|date=27 October 1944|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>)
* [[Order of Polonia Restituta|Polonia Restituta]] 3rd class (Poland) - 22 December 1942<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=35833|supp=yes|startpage=5569|date=18 December 1942|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>
* Commander of the [[Legion of Merit]] (US) - 29 January 1946<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=37448|supp=yes|startpage=720|date=25 January 1946|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>
* Grand Cross of the [[Order of Orange Nassau]] (Netherlands) - 15 March 1949<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=38563|supp=|startpage=1334|date=15 March 1949|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>
* Knight of the [[St John International|Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem]] - 1 January 1951<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=39116|supp=|startpage=136|date=5 January 1951|accessdate=25 August 2014}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
* {{cite book |last=Heathcote |first=Tony |title=The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995 |publisher=Pen & Sword Ltd |year=2002 |isbn=0-85052-835-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Heathcote |first=Tony |title=The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734–1995 |publisher=Pen & Sword Ltd |year=2002 |isbn=0-85052-835-6}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Sir Arthur John Power}}
* {{NPG name}}


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{{s-bef|before=[[Stuart Bonham Carter|Sir Stuart Bonham Carter]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Stuart Bonham Carter|Sir Stuart Bonham Carter]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Malta Dockyard|Flag Officer, Malta]]|years=May 1943–October 1943}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Malta Dockyard|Flag Officer, Malta]]|years=May – October 1943}}
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{{s-bef|before=[[Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape|Sir Bruce Fraser]]}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Eastern Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station]]|years=1944&ndash;1945}}
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{{s-aft|after=[[Clement Moody|Sir Clement Moody]]}}
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{{succession box | title=[[Second Sea Lord]] | before=[[Algernon Willis|Sir Algernon Willis]] | after=[[Cecil Harcourt|Sir Cecil Harcourt]]| years=1946&ndash;1948}}
{{succession box | title=[[Second Sea Lord]] | before=[[Algernon Willis|Sir Algernon Willis]] | after=[[Cecil Harcourt|Sir Cecil Harcourt]]| years=1946–1948}}
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{{s-ttl|title=[[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]]|years=1948&ndash;1950}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Mediterranean Fleet|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet]]|years=1948–1950}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Edelsten|Sir John Edelsten]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[John Edelsten|Sir John Edelsten]]}}
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{{succession box | title=[[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] | before=[[Algernon Willis|Sir Algernon Willis]] | after=[[John Edelsten|Sir John Edelsten]]| years=1950&ndash;1952}}
{{succession box | title=[[Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]] | before=Sir Algernon Willis | after=Sir John Edelsten| years=1950–1952}}
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{{s-bef | before=[[Henry Ruthven Moore|Sir Henry Moore]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp|First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp]] | years=1949&ndash;1952}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp|First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp]] | years=1949–1952}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Rhoderick McGrigor|Sir Rhoderick McGrigor]]}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Rhoderick McGrigor|Sir Rhoderick McGrigor]]}}
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{{Persondata
|NAME =Power, Arthur John
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
⚫
|SHORT DESCRIPTION =Royal Navy admiral of the fleet
|DATE OF BIRTH =12 April 1889
|PLACE OF BIRTH =
|DATE OF DEATH =28 January 1960
|PLACE OF DEATH =[[Brambridge]], [[Hampshire]], England
}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Power, Arthur John}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Power, Arthur John}}

[[Category:Royal Navy admirals of the fleet]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals of the fleet]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals of World War II]]
[[Category:Royal Navy admirals of World War II]]
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[[Category:1889 births]]
[[Category:1889 births]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:1960 deaths]]
[[Category:Academics of the Royal College of Defence Studies]]
[[Category:Lords of the Admiralty]]
[[Category:Lords of the Admiralty]]
[[Category:Admiralty personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Military personnel from London]]

Latest revision as of 15:22, 25 April 2024

For his son, the Vice-Admiral, see Arthur Mackenzie Power.

Admiral of the Fleet

Sir Arthur Power
Power in 1942
Birth nameArthur John Power
Born(1889-04-12)12 April 1889
London, England
Died28 January 1960(1960-01-28) (aged 70)
Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1904–1953
RankAdmiral of the Fleet
Commands held
Battles/wars
  • First World War
  • Second World War
Awards
Other work

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur John Power, GCB, GBE, CVO, KStJ (12 April 1889 – 28 January 1960) was a Royal Navy officer. He took part in the First World War as a gunnery officer and saw action in the Dardanelles campaign. During the inter-war years he commanded the gunnery school at HMS Excellent and then the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. During the Second World War he played a leading role in the planning for the Allied invasion of Sicily and for the Allied invasion of Italy and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of V Corps at Taranto in Italy in September 1943. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Fleet in the closing stages of the war and conducted naval strikes on the Imperial Japanese Army in Borneo and Malaya. After the War he became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and then Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

Naval career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Born the son of Edward John Power and Harriet Maud Power (née Windeler),[6] Power joined the training ship HMS Britannia as a cadet in 1904 and, having won the King's medal as best cadet of his year, he was promoted to midshipman on 15 September 1905.[7] He was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant on 15 January 1909[8] and to lieutenant on 15 April 1910[9] on his appointment to the battlecruiser HMS Indomitable in the Home Fleet.[7] He became First Lieutenant in the destroyer HMS Nautilus in October 1912 and then attended HMS Excellent, the gunnery school at Portsmouth, in 1913.[10]

Power served as a gunnery officer throughout the First World War, initially in the battleship HMS Magnificent, then in the cruiser HMS Royal Arthur and next in the monitor HMS Raglan.[10] In the Raglan he saw action in the Dardanelles campaign, before transferring to the battlecruiser HMS Princess Royal in the Grand Fleet.[10] He was promoted to lieutenant commander on 15 April 1918.[11]

After the war Power joined the directing staff at HMS Excellent.[10] Promoted to commander on 31 December 1922,[12] he became an assistant to the Director in the Naval Ordnance Department at the Admiralty in January 1923 and, after attending the Royal Naval Staff College, he became Executive Officer on HMS Hood, flagship of the battlecruiser squadron in the Atlantic Fleet in 1925.[10] He joined the directing staff at the Royal Naval Staff College in 1927 and, having been promoted to captain on 30 July 1929,[13] he joined the Ordnance Committee at the Royal Arsenal.[10] He became Flag Captain of the Second Cruiser Squadron in the Home Fleet in the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire in April 1931 and, having served on the directing staff at the Imperial Defence College in 1933, he became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS Excellent in October 1935.[10] He was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 29 January 1936.[14] He went on to be commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal in September 1937, and in that capacity, also became Flag Captain to the Flag Officer commanding aircraft carriers in the Home Fleet in July 1939.[10]

Second World War[edit]

Power commanded Ark Royal in the early months of the Second World War
The Allied invasion of Sicily, for which Power conducted the planning

Power served in the Second World War as assistant chief of the Naval Staff from May 1940 and was granted promotion to rear admiral on 25 June 1940.[10] Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 1 July 1941,[15] he became commander of the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag in the cruiser HMS Cleopatra in August 1942.[10]

Appointed Flag Officer in charge of Malta in May 1943, he played a leading role in the planning for the Allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943, and, having been promoted to vice admiral on 4 August 1943,[16] he led the planning for the Allied invasion of Italy and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of V Corps at Taranto in September 1943.[10] Following the landings, he became head of the Allied military mission to the Italian government and was briefly Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet.[10]

Advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1944,[17] Power became commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second in command of the Eastern Fleet with his flag in the battlecruiser HMS Renown in January 1944.[10] He went on to be commander-in-chief of that fleet, renamed the East Indies Fleet, in November 1944, and conducted naval strikes on the Imperial Japanese Army in Borneo and Malaya.[10] Flying his flag in Cleopatra, the first British ship to enter Singapore since its fall in the Battle of Singapore over three years earlier, Power arrived in style to attend the final surrender of the Japanese there in September 1945.[18]

Later career[edit]

Power was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1946[19] and became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in February 1946.[20] Promoted to full admiral on 6 May 1946,[21] he proceeded to manage the run-down in naval manpower after the War.[20] He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in May 1948 and, having been advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 2 January 1950,[22] he became Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in September 1950.[20] He was also appointed First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King on 15 January 1951[23] and was double-hatted as NATO Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command from 1952.[20] He attended the funeral of King George VI in February 1952[24] and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 22 April 1952.[25]

Power retired in September 1952 and became a Deputy Lieutenant of Southampton on 27 April 1953[26] shortly before attending the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953.[27] He died at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar on 28 January 1960.[20]

Family[edit]

In 1918 Power married Amy Bingham; they had three sons (including Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Mackenzie Power).[6] Following the death of his first wife in 1945, he married Margaret Joyce Watson in 1947.[6]

Legacy[edit]

The Power Papers are housed at the British Library. The papers can be accessed through the British Library catalogue.[28]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "No. 36526". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 May 1944. p. 2355.
  2. ^ "No. 36771". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 October 1944. p. 4977.
  3. ^ "No. 35833". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 December 1942. p. 5569.
  4. ^ "No. 37448". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 January 1946. p. 720.
  5. ^ "No. 38563". The London Gazette. 15 March 1949. p. 1334.
  6. ^ a b c "Arthur Power". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/35592. Retrieved 25 August 2014. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  7. ^ a b Heathcote, p. 218
  8. ^ "No. 28287". The London Gazette. 10 September 1909. p. 6814.
  9. ^ "No. 28424". The London Gazette. 14 October 1910. p. 7253.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Heathcote, p. 219
  11. ^ "No. 30640". The London Gazette. 19 April 1918. p. 4742.
  12. ^ "No. 32782". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1922. p. 14.
  13. ^ "No. 33513". The London Gazette. 2 July 1929. p. 4360.
  14. ^ "No. 34253". The London Gazette. 7 February 1936. p. 811.
  15. ^ "No. 35204". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 June 1948. p. 3735.
  16. ^ "No. 36133". The London Gazette. 13 August 1943. p. 3648.
  17. ^ "No. 36309". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1943. p. 3.
  18. ^ "The final surrender". The Independent. 20 August 1995. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  19. ^ "No. 37407". The London Gazette. 28 December 1945. p. 13.
  20. ^ a b c d e Heathcote, p. 220
  21. ^ "No. 37615". The London Gazette (Supplement). 18 June 1946. p. 3078.
  22. ^ "No. 38797". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1949. p. 2.
  23. ^ "No. 39175". The London Gazette. 16 March 1951. p. 1441.
  24. ^ "No. 39575". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 1952. p. 3366.
  25. ^ "No. 39571". The London Gazette. 13 June 1952. p. 3238.
  26. ^ "No. 39841". The London Gazette. 1 May 1953. p. 2421.
  27. ^ "No. 40020". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 November 1953. p. 6268.
  28. ^ Power Papers, archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020

Sources[edit]

  • Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734–1995. Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sir Arthur John Power.
Military offices
Preceded by Flag Officer, Malta
May – October 1943 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
1945–1946 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Second Sea Lord
1946–1948 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Algernon Willis
 Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
1948–1950 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Algernon Willis
 Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1950–1952 		Succeeded by
Sir John Edelsten
Honorary titles
Preceded by First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp
1949–1952 		Succeeded by
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