Rhoderick McGrigor

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rhoderick Robert McGrigor (right) in conversation with Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces in the Atlantic, Admiral Jerauld Wright (November 1954)

Sir Roderick Robert McGrigor , GCB , DSO (* 12. April 1893 in York , † 3. December 1959 in Tarland , Aberdeenshire , Scotland ) was a British naval officer of the Royal Navy , the last as Commodore (Admiral of the Fleet) between 1951 and 1955 first Sea Lord (first Sea Lord) was.

Life

Training as a naval officer, First World War and the interwar period

In August 1932 McGrigor took his first ship command, as a commander of the Home Fleet ( Home Fleet ) belonging destroyer HMS Versatile

Rhoderic Robert McGrigor, son of Major General Charles Rhoderic Robert McGrigor, officer in the King's Royal Rifle Corps , and his wife Ada Rosamond Bower, trained as a naval officer at the Royal Naval College at Osborne House and at the Britannia Royal Naval College . On September 15, 1910 he was appointed Midshipman (Midshipman) promoted and found following uses in the the Atlantic Fleet ( Atlantic Fleet ) belonging battleship HMS Formidable and from May 1912 to the Home Fleet ( Home Fleet ) belonging battleship HMS Africa where he was promoted to lieutenant at sea ( Sub-Lieutenant ) on January 15, 1913 . In October 1913, he was the also belongs to the Home Fleet battleship HMS Agamemnon staggered and on the in March 1914 destroyer HMS Foxhound , of the Mediterranean Fleet ( Mediterranean Fleet ) belonged. Shortly after the start of the First World War he was on 15 October 1914 Lieutenant Commander (Lieutenant) promoted and accepted between 19 February 1915 and the January 9, 1916 Battle of Gallipoli in part. After his transfer to the battleship HMS Malaya he took with the Great Fleet ( Grand Fleet ) from May 31 to June 1, 1916 at the Battle of Jutland in part.

After the war McGrigor found numerous uses as an officer and staff officer and was established in June 1919 the protected cruiser HMS HighFlyer laid and on 17 October 1922 , Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant Commander ) transported. After attending the Royal Naval College in Greenwich in 1923 , he became a torpedo officer of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1925 . With effect from December 31, 1927 he was promoted to frigate captain (commander) and then first officer at the Takitikschule in Portsmouth and then in August 1930 operations staff officer at the commander-in- chief of the home fleet. In August 1932 he took his first ship command, as a commander belonging to the Home Fleet destroyer HMS Versatile , on the Effective his promotion of December 31, 1933 Captain (Captain) was carried out. In August 1934 he was transferred to the Directorate of Training and Staff Duties of the Admiralty and then in September 1936 took over the post of commodore of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla belonging to the home fleet , which includes the to Scott-class scoring HMS Campbell and the HMS Kempenfelt belonged. In August 1938 he took over as the successor of Commodore Arthur Palliser the post of chief of staff of naval forces in China ( China Station ) and remained in this position until his replacement by Commodore Fitzroy Hutton in August 1940. At the same time he was appointed Commodore (Commodore) appointed .

Second World War

Admiral Rhoderick McGrigor on board his flagship , the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk (June 1945)

During the Second World War Rhoderick McGrigor became the commandant of the battle cruiser HMS Renown in January 1941 and remained in this position until August 1941, when Charles Saumarez Daniel succeeded him. Subsequently, he was on 8 July 1941 Rear Admiral (Rear Admiral) promoted and the first in September 1941 of assistive Chief of Naval Staff for weapons (Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, Weapons) and held this office until his replacement by Rear Admiral Wilfrid Patterson in March 1943. In this employment he was also one of the Lord Commissioners of Admiralty . After leaving the Admiralty in 1943, he became the commander of the naval units for Operation Corkscrew , the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria on June 10, 1943 , and, following Operation Husky , the invasion of Sicily on July 10, 1943 For his services he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 1943 and was mentioned in the war report ( Mentioned in dispatches ) . In addition, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on January 1, 1944 .

In March 1944 Vice Admiral McGrigor took over from Vice Admiral Arthur Palliser the function of commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron , to which the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk belonged as its flagship . He held this position until July 1945 and was then replaced by Rear Admiral Harold Kinahan . In this role he led Operation Judgment , an attack by the Royal Navy on German shipping west of Narvik and on the submarine base in Kilbotn Bay near Harstad in northern Norway , which resulted in the sinking of the Norwegian combi ship on May 4, 1945 Black Watch came. On June 14, 1945 he was beaten Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) and has since had the addition of "Sir".

Post-war period and promotion to Admiral of the Fleet

After the war ended, Vice-Admiral McGrigor replaced Vice-Admiral Edward Neville Syfret as Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff in October 1945 and held this post until October 1947, when Vice Admiral John Edelsten took over his successor. On January 7, 1948 he again succeeded Admiral Edward Neville Syfret, this time as Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet . He held this position until January 1950 and was then replaced by Admiral Philip Vian . On May 2, 1948 he was promoted to admiral . He again came on 15 March 1950, the successor to Admiral Robert Burnett as supreme commander of the naval base Mount Wise in Plymouth (Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth) and exercised that post until October 1951., after Admiral Maurice Mansergh replaced him.

Last Admiral Roderick McGrigor was born on 20 December 1951 successor to Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape as First Sea Lord (First Sea Lord) and at the same time as Chief of Naval Staff (Chief of the Naval Staff) . On January 1, 1951, he was raised to the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB). As the first sea lord he attended the funeral of King George VI on February 11, 1952 . and the coronation ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953, of which he was head and first aide-de-camp for the Navy from April 24, 1952 to May 1, 1953. On May 1, 1953, he was also on Commodores (Admiral of the Fleet) transported. On April 18, 1955, Admiral of the Fleet Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma , succeeded him as First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff.

McGrigor, who was awarded an honorary doctorate in law (Honorary LL.D.) from the University of St Andrews in 1953 , also served as Rector of the University of Aberdeen between 1954 and his replacement by John Bannerman in 1957, succeeding Jimmy Edwards . In 1955, the University of Aberdeen awarded him another honorary doctorate in law.

Rhoderic Robert McGrigor married Louise Gwendoline Glyn on November 28, 1931. The couple adopted twins, John McGrigor and Andrew David McGrigor, who were born on July 4, 1942.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ London Gazette . No. 32757, HMSO, London, October 20, 1922, p. 7371 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  2. ↑ London Gazette . No. 33342, HMSO, London, December 30, 1927, p. 8369 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  3. ↑ London Gazette . No. 34011, HMSO, London, January 2, 1934, p. 52 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  4. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 114
  5. ↑ CAPTAINS COMMANDING ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS , p. 90
  6. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 38098, HMSO, London, October 16, 1947, p. 4856 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  7. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 15
  8. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 163
  9. ↑ KNIGHTS AND DAMES (leighrayment.com)
  10. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 10
  11. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 94
  12. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 47
  13. ↑ ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS , p. 2
  14. ↑ KNIGHTS AND DAMES (leighrayment.com)
  15. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 39575, HMSO, London, June 17, 1952, p. 3365 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
  16. ^ London Gazette  (Supplement). No. 40020, HMSO, London, November 17, 1953, p. 6269 ( PDF , accessed December 27, 2018, English).
predecessor Office successor
Sir Edward Neville Syfret Vice Chief of the Admiralty
Staff 1945–1947 		Sir John Edelsten
Sir Edward Neville Syfret Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet
1948–1950 		Sir Philip Vian
Sir Robert Burnett Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1950–1951 		Sir Maurice Mansergh
Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape First sea lord
1951–1955 		Sir Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma


personal data
SURNAME McGrigor, Rhoderick
ALTERNATIVE NAMES McGrigor, Sir Rhoderick Robert (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British Admiral of the Fleet
DATE OF BIRTH April 12, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH York
DATE OF DEATH 3rd December 1959
Place of death Tarland , Aberdeenshire , Scotland