A GREAT ADMIRAL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXII, Issue 2560, 10 April 1928, Page 3

A GREAT ADMIRAL.

LATE SIR J. DE ROBECK

BRILLIANT CAREER,

London, January 25. The name of Sir John de Robeck, who dijecl suddenly on January 20, will be well remembered by those who fought a* Gallipoli. Early in 1915 when the Dardanelles expedition was decided upon, Rear-Admiral de Robeck was appointed as second in command. With his flag in the Vengeance, he took part in the bombardment of the forts of February 19, 1915, and on subsequent- days*, and ViceAdmiral Garden reported to the Admiralty "the splendid work done by Rear-Admiral J. M. de Robeck, and the greait assistance I have received from him." On March 17, owing to ill-health, Vice-Admiral Garden was obliged to relinquish command of the Allied Fleet off the Straits, and Rear>Admiral de Robeck, with acting rank as Vice-Avdmiral, succeeded him. The new commander conducted the> grand naval attack on the forts at the Narrows on March 18, when the mine menace, which caused the loss of the Ocean, ~lrresistible, and Bouvet, prevented the accomplishment of the Fleet's task.. The coolness and judgjment of the Vice-Admiral in this arduous undertaking were shown by subsequent events to have been of the greatest value. Sir lan Hamilton, the troops, refers in his diary to certain officers* of the young school who were convinced that, when the old trawlers of March 18 had been replaced by destroyers with, disciplined crews, the forcing of the Straits had become easy, but "upon these fireeaters de Robeck has hitherto thrown cold water." On March 22, Admiral de Robeck informed the General that the help of the whole army had become necessary. It was, however, over a month llater before the troops could land, with the sequel which is wellknown. Admiral de Robeck remained in command of the Allied Fleets until after the final withdrawal in January, 1916.

How much military chiefs appreciated his worth was indicated by Sir lan Hamilton, who wrote in his first despatch: "Throughout the events I have chronicled, the Royal Navy has been father and mother to the army. Not one of us but realise how much he owes to Vice-Admiral de Robeck; to the warships, French and British; to the destroyers, minesweepers, pic-ket-boats, and to all their dauntless crews, who took no thought of them- 1 selves, but risked everything to give their soldier comrades a fair run in at the enemy."

Leaving the Mediterranean in July, 1916, he returned to England to take command of the 3rd Battle; Squadron of the Grand Fleet, and subsequently the 2nd Battle Squadron, with which he remained until March, 1919. Admiral de Robeck, as a commander, was one of,the pioneers of the destroyer service. He was a dashing rider in the hunting field, and his leadership of a destroyer division was equally daring. It, was largely due to him that the fine esprit de corps of our destroyers, manifested at the Battle of Jutland, was originally established.

As a captain his preference was for "cruiser commands," which gave his natural abilities greater scope. Every ship which he commanded was a "happy ship." Fearless of responsibility, he always backed up his officers through thick and thin. Firm, bub just and generous, the men of the lower deck knew exactly where they stood with him, and that they would receive strict justice at his hands, always, however, tempered with kindness. Added! to these qualities wero also those of al diplomat. These he showed to a high degree when Com-mander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet and High Commissioner at Constantinople from July, 1919, until 1922. That he was a match for the wily Turk speaks volumes. For his services in the Great War Sir John received the thanks of both Houses of Parliament, was created a baronet, and granted the sum of £IO,OOO. He was; ailso .treated a C.M.G. and G.C.B. In 1925 he was promoted Admiral of the Fleet. He was an Irishman of Swedish descent. His father was the fourth Baron de Robeck, the only British subject holding a Swedish title of nobility. Sir John (it may be recalled) was more than once mentioned as a likely successor to Lord Jellicoe at Government House, New Zealand. Admiral de Robeck' married in 1922 the widow of Colonel Sir Simon Macdon j a,ud Lockhart.