David Benjamin Bathurst

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Sir (David) Benjamin Bathurst , GCB (* 27. May 1936 ) is a former British naval officer of the Royal Navy , the last as Commodore (Admiral of the Fleet) between 1993 and 1995. First Sea Lord (First Sea Lord) was.

Life

Training and uses as a naval officer

David Benjamin Bathurst, commonly referred to by his middle name Benjamin, was a son of Peter Bathurst, who served as a Colonel (Group Captain) in the Royal Air Force (RAF), and his wife, Elizabeth Ann Temple-Gore-Langton, one Grandchildren of the politician William Temple-Gore-Langton, 4th Earl Temple of Stowe . He began by attending the prestigious Eton College in 1953 as a midshipman training as a naval officer in the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth , which he in 1955 as a Midshipman ( Midshipman ) graduated. This was followed by a use on board the aircraft carrier HMS Bulwark between 1955 and 1956 , with which he operated in coastal waters and in 1956 during Operation Musketeer in the Suez Crisis . This was followed by missions in coastal waters again between 1957 and 1959 on board the submarines HMS Sturdy and HMS Talent as well as the minesweeper HMS Woolston , with which he was also used in the Mediterranean . During this time he was promoted to lieutenant at sea (Sub-Lieutenant) on January 1, 1957 and on February 1, 1959 to lieutenant captain (Lieutenant) .

Benjamin Bathurst then completed pilot training with naval aviators ( Fleet Air Arm ) from 1960 to 1962 and subsequently served as a pilot with the 815 Naval Air Squadron and on board the destroyer HMS Devonshire , with which he operated in coastal waters, between 1962 and 1963 Mediterranean as well as in the Caribbean off the USA and the West Indies . After his return in 1964 he was himself a flight instructor for the naval aviators and then from 1965 to 1967 as part of an exchange program as a flight instructor at No. 727 Squadron and No. 725 Squadron of the Royal Australian Navy .

Uses as a staff officer

In March 1975 Captain took to sea Benjamin Bathurst as commander of the Leander class belonging frigate HMS Ariadne first own ship command.

After his return Bathurst was on February 1, 1967. Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant Commander ) promoted and as a pilot for the 820 Naval Air Squadron added, with whom he on board the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle from 1967 to 1968 for use in coastal waters and in the Far East came. In February 1969 he became the commander of the 819 Naval Air Squadron deployed in Northern Ireland . After his promotion to frigate captain (Commander) on June 30, 1970, he was transferred to the Ministry of Defense , where he worked from 1970 and 1971 as a staff officer in the naval recruitment department. This was followed from February 1971 to February 1973 as first officer of the destroyer HMS Norfolk used in coastal waters , before he was again used as a staff officer in the Ministry of Defense between 1973 and March 1975, this time in the Naval Staff and in the department for naval aviators.

During this time took place on 31 December 1974, the transport of Benjamin Bathurst to Captain (Captain) , after which he first took his own ship command in March 1975, as a commander of the used in the Mediterranean for the Leander-class belonging frigate HMS Ariadne . He was then between May 1976 and 1977 first naval assistant to the First Sea Lord (Naval Assistant to First Sea Lord) , Admiral of the Fleet Edward Beckwith Ashmore , and then from 1977 to June 1978 of Admiral of the Fleet Terence "Terry" Thornton Lewin . In September 1978 he was commodore of the 5th Frigate Squadron operating in coastal waters and in personal union until December 1980 at the same time commander of the frigate HMS Minerva . After graduating from the Royal College of Defense Studies (RCDS) in 1981 , he returned to the Ministry of Defense in January 1982, where he held the post of Director of the Department of Naval Aviation and Naval Air Warfare until September 1983.

Ascent to Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord

With effect from 10 October 1983 Benjamin Bathurst was appointed Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral) transported and then took over in October 1983 by Rear Admiral Robert Gerken the post of Commanding flag officer of the Second Flotilla used in the West Indies (Flag Officer, Second Flotilla) . He held this post until April 1985, when Rear Admiral William Richard Scott Thomas was his successor. He himself then succeeded Rear Admiral Robert Gerken again in May 1985, now as Director General of the Department of Naval Personnel and Training in the Ministry of Defense, and held this position until his replacement by Rear Admiral Brian Thomas Brown in November 1986.

After Bathurst with effect from 22 December 1986 Vice Admiral (Vice Admiral) had been promoted, he took over from Vice Admiral Anthony Tippet in December 1986, the post of Chief of Fleet Support (Chief of Fleet Support) and had this until his replacement by Vice-Admiral Jock Slater in March 1989. On June 13, 1987, he was beaten Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and has since been named "Sir". In April 1989 he became Admiral Commander-in-Chief of the CINCFLEET (Commander-in-Chief, The Fleet) and thus successor to Admiral Julian Oswald . He remained in this use until January 1991 and was then replaced again by Admiral Jock Slater. During this time he was at the same time on 31 December 1990, the Grand Cross ( Knight Grand Cross ) awarded the Order of the Bath (GCB).

In March 1991, Admiral Bathurst, succeeding General Richard Vincent as Vice-Chief of Defense Staff of the Armed Forces (Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff) and held this position until March 1992 then again Admiral Jock Slater became his successor. He was last in March 1992, the successor to Admiral of the Fleet Julian Oswald as First Sea Lord (First Sea Lord) and at the same time as Chief of Naval Staff (Chief of the Naval Staff) . He was also first aide-de-camp of Queen Elizabeth II. For the Navy. He held these functions until his times but replacement by Admiral Jock Slater in July 1995 and was with his simultaneous retirement yet for Commodore (Admiral of the Fleet) transported.

After retiring from active duty Benjamin Bathurst was on 27 August 1996, first deputy lieutenant , and on 18 February 1999 at the same time Vice Lord Lieutenant of the County of Somerset .

David Benjamin Bathurst has been married to Sarah Christian Pandora Peto, daughter of Major Basil Arthur John Peto and his Patricia Geraldine Browne and granddaughter of long-time MP Basil Peto , since August 29, 1959 . From this marriage the three daughters Alice Patricia, Anna Christian and Lucilla Ruby Bathurst as well as Benjamin John Bathurst , who as major general since 2016 commander of the guard division and commanding general of the military district of London (Major General Commanding the Household Division and General Officer Commanding London District) is.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ London Gazette . No. 41831, HMSO, London, September 29, 1959, p. 6137 ( PDF , accessed December 28, 2018, English).
  2. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 44238, HMSO, London, January 27, 1967, p. 1153 ( PDF , accessed December 28, 2018, English).
  3. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 38
  4. ↑ CAPTAINS COMMANDING ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS , p. 284
  5. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 34
  6. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 49496, HMSO, London, October 3, 1983, p. 12932 ( PDF , accessed December 28, 2018, English).
  7. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 34
  8. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 18
  9. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 50740, HMSO, London, December 8, 1986, p. 15867 ( PDF , accessed December 28, 2018, English).
  10. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 9
  11. ↑ KNIGHTS AND DAMES (leighrayment.com)
  12. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 50948, HMSO, London, June 12, 1987, p. 2 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  13. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 95
  14. ↑ KNIGHTS AND DAMES (leighrayment.com)
  15. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 52382, HMSO, London, December 28, 1990, p. 2 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  16. ↑ MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND TRI-SERVICE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 6
  17. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 2
  18. ↑ London Gazette . No. 54507, HMSO, London, August 27, 1996, p. 11443 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  19. ↑ London Gazette . No. 55413, HMSO, London, February 25, 1999, p. 2247 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
predecessor Office successor
Sir Anthony Tippet Chief of Fleet Support
1986-1989 		Sir Jock Slater
Sir Julian Oswald Commander-in-Chief, The Fleet
1989-1991 		Sir Jock Slater
Sir Richard Vincent Vice-Chief of the Defense Staff
1991-1993 		Sir Jock Slater
Sir Julian Oswald First sea lord
1993–1995 		Sir Jock Slater
personal data
SURNAME Bathurst, David Benjamin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bathurst, Benjamin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British Admiral of the Fleet
DATE OF BIRTH May 27, 1936