THE BRITISH ADMIRAL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16664, 24 September 1914, Page 8

THE BRITISH ADMIRAL.

SIR J. JELLICOE’S APPOINTMENT. ‘

GREAT GUNNERY EXPERT,

Sir John Jellicoe, who is in supreme command of the British Home Fleets, is one of the most distinguished admirals of the sea service. * • The appointment of Sir John Jelliin itself, writes a naval corre- ! spondent, of the nature of a romance. He had no small share in shaping the instrument he will now command, and he lias chosen as his Chief of Staff another most distinguished officer, who happens to be his brother-in-law. Sir John Jellicoe and Rear-Admiral Charles Madden served together at the Admiralty on more than.one occasion, both having, indeed, been Sea Lords, and they married daughters of Sir Charles Cayzer, Bt. The Admiralissirno and his chief staff officer are known to be in the most complete accord on matters of strategy and tactics, and were both associated in the creation and equipment of the ships of the Home Fleets on which the fortunes of the British Empire will depend. They were members of the famous Dreadnought Design Committee, and were associated with Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher of Kilverstone in his many reforms in naval administration: No officer whom the Admiralty could have (selected to go afloat at this juncture enjoys so completely the confidence of the naval service as Sir John Jellicoe. In December, 1912, ho became a member of the Board of Admiralty, _ and then vacated the command of the Second Division of the Home Fleet, to which he was appointed over the heads of eleven vice-admir-als—-a fact which in itself points to the high estimation in which lie is held by the naval authorities. EARLY SUCCESSES. Born on Decomber 5, 1859, he is the son of Captain J. H. Jellicoe. Educated at Rottingdean, Sir John Jellicoe entered the Royal Navy as a , cadet.on July 15, 1872, passing out of the Britannia first of bis “batch” by over a hundVed marks. In the exainination for sub-lieutenant, which rank he attained six years later (December 5, 1878), he took three, “firsts,” in itself a remarkable achievements On August 23, 1880, he was promoted lieutenant, and two years afterwards, as a lieutenant on board the Agincourt, ho served in the Egyptian A\ ar. Ho was awarded the Egyptian medal and the Khedive’s bronze star. On his return to England, in the following year, he studied at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, where he won the special £BO prize for gunnery lieutenants. In May, 1886, while serving on board the Monarch, he was awarded tho Board oil Trade silver medal for gallantry in saving life at sea, by commanding a gig which went to tho rescue of a stranded ship near Gibraltar, the sea being so heavy that the boat was capsized, but he and the 'crew were washed ashore. He served also as gunnery lieutenant of the Colossus, and on the staff,of the Excellent gunliorv establishment.

SURVIVOR OF H.M.S. VICTORIA. Gazetted a conimander in 1891, he was for a.time employed as assistant to the Director of Naval Ordnance, being subsequently appointed first lieutenant to the Sans Pareil, and later to the illfated Victoria, Admiral Sir George Try oil’s flagship, on the Mediterranean station, which was sunk off Tripoli, on the Syrian coast, in collision with the Oampsrdown, when the admiral, twenty-one officers, and 350 men were drowned. At the time of the- collision Commander Jellicoe . was on the sick list in .his cabin. When the ship capsized be, with the aid of Mr West, a midshipman, contrived to keep himself afloat till picked up. Commander Jellicoe’s silver medal was lost with other effects in tho Victoria, and .the Board of Tyade, so it . was reported at the time, intimated that another'medal could be obtained on payment. After serving as commander of the Ramillies flagship in the Mediterranean, he was promoted to the rank of captain (January 1, 1897), and joined the Ordnance Committee. Admiral Sir E. H. Seymour selected him as flag captain in the Centurion on the China station. During the expedition to succour the Legations at Pekin, in 1900, in which he narrowly escaped death by a severe gunshot wound. Captain Jellicoe commanded the Naval Brigade and acted as Chief Staff Officer, when he gained not only the C. 8., but was awarded by the German Emperor tire second class of the Red Eagle with crossed swords.

Returning from China at the end of 1901, he was, in November of that year, appointed tosuperintend the building by contract of ships of lvar; he next served as Naval Assistant to the Controller of the Navy, which post he vacated in August, 1903, to take command of the Drake, and in February, 1905, he took up the post of Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes, in succession to Captain Barry.

SIR PERCY SCOTT’S SUPPORTER. Much has been said about the improvement of good shooting in the Navy, and in this connection considerable praise is due to Admiral Jellicoe. Without his help—so a writer in the “United Service Journal” once remarked, reflecting a judgment which is known to be well founded—the good work fostered by Admiral Sir Percy Scott would have been heavily handicapped—in fact, impossible; for the then Director of Naval Ordnance proved himself a man of original thought and prompt action and one of the most capable gunnery experts in tho Navy. During the time he was in command of the Drake he turned it into one of the best shooting ships in the Navy, and while he was at the Admiralty as Director of Naval Ordnance, Captain Jellicoe did all that was possible to ensure the guns mounted m ships in tho first fighting line being fitted with tho most up-to-date day and night sights, as well as to ipstal a fire-control set of instruments in each ship for “spotting” and controlling at longrange shooting. Tho fittings of the guns and gunnery appliances generally were also greatly improved during the tenure of his appointment.