Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands
The Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands [1] was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Orkneys and Shetlands Command; they were charged with the administration of the Orkney and Shetland Islands and operating and defending the fleet base at Scapa Flow that was the main anchorage for both the Home Fleet and Grand Fleet at various times.
Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands | |
---|---|
Active | (1914-1920), (1939-1945) |
Country | |
Branch | |
Type | Naval formation |
Garrison/HQ | Lyness |
History
The Orkney and Shetland command was usually only formed at the outbreak of war to provide for the defence and administration of the main base for the Home Fleet. The duties of the Admiral Commanding were laid down as being responsible, under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, for administration of naval defences, naval establishments, and shore duties generally in Orkney and Shetland.
During the First World War and the Second World War the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow served under him, with a position similar to that of an Admiral Superintendent of a dockyard port. Directly under his orders were the Northern Patrol, Shetlands Patrols, the Officer Commanding Troops Orkney, the Officer Commanding Troops Shetlands, the Admiralty Port Officer Kirkwall, the Rear-Admiral commanding the local minefields and the officers responsible for the extended defences, the local defence flotilla and the Orkney Trawler Patrols.[2] He was responsible for the patrolling of the area from Wick to Cape Wrath.[3]
During the Second World War the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow continued to serve under him.
Admiral Commanding First World War
Flag Officer commanding:[4]
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetland | ||||
1 | Admiral | Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville | 7 September 1914 – 19 January 1916 | |
2 | Admiral | Sir Frederic Edward Errington Brock | 20 January 1916 – 11 March 1918 | |
3 | Admiral | Sir Herbert E. King-Hall | 28 January 1918 – 1 March 1919 | |
4 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Robert John Prendergast | 1 March 1919 – 9 January 1920 | |
Subordinate commanders First World War
Flag officer commanding:[5] The role was similar to that of Admiral Superintendent of a dockyard port
Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa | ||||
1 | Rear-Admiral | Francis Miller | September 1914 – April, 1916 January 1916 | |
2 | Rear-Admiral | Robert Prendergast | May 1916 – September 1917 1918 | |
Flag Officer Shetlands
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flag Officer Shetlands | ||||
1 | Rear-Admiral | Rear Admiral Clement Greatorex | October 1917 | |
The Command was deactivated during interwar years 9 January 1920 – September 1939
Admiral Commanding Second World War
Flag officer commanding
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetland | ||||
1 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Wilfred Franklin French | July 1939 – 20 December 1939 [6] | |
2 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Hugh Binney | 20 December 1939 – 7 January 1942 | |
3 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Lionel Wells | 7 January - October 1943 | |
4 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Henry Harwood | April 1944 - March 1945 | |
Subordinate commanders Second World War
Flag Officer, Scapa Flow/Rear-Admiral Scapa
Flag officer commanding [7]
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa | ||||
1 | Rear-Admiral | Patrick Macnamara (rtd.) | 1 September 1940 - March 1945 | |
Admiral-superintendent Lyness
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Admiral Superintendent Lyness[8] | ||||
1 | Rear-Admiral | Patrick Macnamara (rtd.) | 3 October 1940 - March 1945 | |
Admiral-superintendent Orkney
Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Admiral Superintendent Orkney | ||||
1 | Rear-Admiral | Patrick Macnamara (rtd.) | 1 May 1942 - March 1945 | |
Orkneys and Shetlands Command
The Orkneys and Shetlands Command was formed at the outbreak World War One to establish and maintain the Grand Fleet's principal base at Scapa Flow.[9][10][11]
Shore units
Included:[12]
Unit | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|
HMS Fox (shore establishment) | Lerwick Naval Base | |
HMS Pyramus (shore establishment) | Kirkwall Naval Base |
Naval units
Included:[13]
Unit | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|
5th Minesweeper Flotilla | 04/1942-02/1944 | |
6th Minesweeper Flotilla | 07/1941-12/1942 | |
21st Minesweeper Flotilla | 1918 | |
Northern Patrol | 1914-1918, 1939-1945 | Operating within the Orkneys & Shetland Command under VAdm Comm NP |
Scapa Local Defence Flotilla | 1914-1918 | |
References
- Haarr, Geirr H. (2013). The Gathering Storm: The Naval War in Northern Europe September 1939 - April 1940. Seaforth Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 9781473832732.
- Grand Fleet Order 107.
- Grand Fleet Order 136.
- Watson, Graham. "Organisation of the Royal Navy 1914 to 1918, The Home Commands World War One". naval-history.net. Naval History.Net, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- Watson, Graham. "Organisation of the Royal Navy 1914 to 1918, The Home Commands World War One". naval-history.net. Naval History.Net, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- Haarr, Geirr H. (2013). The Gathering Storm: The Naval War in Northern Europe September 1939 - April 1940. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 2–16. ISBN 9781473832732.
- "Patrick Macnamara Life and Career Post War". dreadnoughtproject.org. The Dreadnought Project.Org, 13 June 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- "Admiral Superintendent's Office, Lyness". nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919-1939". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 2 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
- Watson. 2015
- Watson. 2015
Attribution
Primary source for this article is by Harley, Simon and Lovell Tony, Admiral. (2015), Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands, http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org