ADMIRAL SIR E. GAUNT

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 95, 22 April 1940, Page 8

ADMIRAL SIR E. GAUNT

LONDON, April 20. Admiral Sir Ernest Gaunt, who commanded the First Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland, is dead.

Admiral Gaunt, who was born in March, 1865, was a son of Judge Gaunt, of Melbourne. He was educated at the Church of England Grammar School, Melbourne, and in H.M.S. Britannia and joined the Navy in 1878. He was first commissioner for Wei-hai-Wei ' and Administrator of Liu-kung-tao from 1898 to 1899. He received the thanks of the Austrian1 and German commanders-in-chief for his services during the Boxer outbreak, arid also received the thanks of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for his work at Durbo, Somaliland, in December, 1903, when as commander of a landing party from H.M.S. Mohawk he avenged the death of Lieutenant Grabau, of the Italian navy. Later he; commanded the battleships Queen, Majestic, and Superb. He was promoted rearadmiral in 1914. From 1917 to 1919 he was Commander-in-Chief in the East Indies, and in 1921-22 Commander-in-Chief of the Western Approaches. He was promoted Admiral in 1924 and was placed on the retired list the following year. He married Miss Louise Martyn in 1899 and there were one son and two daughters of the marriage.