OBITUARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 194, 18 July 1939, Page 7

OBITUARY.

FORMER FIRST SEA LORD. LONDON, July 16. The death has occurred of Admiral Sir Roger Backhouse, former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, who resigned a month ago. A NOTABLE RECORD. Sir Roger Backhouse. G.C.8.. G.C.V.0., C.M.G., succeeded Lord Chatfield in September, 1938, as First Sea Lord, becoming also First and Principal Naval A.D.C. to the King. Ilis health was not then good, and he relinquished the appointment on May 18. Sir Roger was born in 1378, and had a most distinguished and useful career in the Navy. As a young officer his gifts and industry earned him many prizes and great repute. When 27 years of age he was experimental gunnery lieutenant at Whale Island, and in that capacity assisted in carrying out the gun trials of H.M.S. Dreadnought on October 1, 1906. By 1914 ho was flag commander to Admiral Jellicoe, but was soon promoted to captain, and commanded the cruiser Conquest, and then H.M.S. Lion (battlecruiser). He received the C.B. (Civil) in 1914 and the C.M.G. in 1917, and was mentioned in dispatches for his war services (1914-19). After the war he became Director of Naval Ordnance (1920-22), serving later as captain of lI.M. battleship Malaya. In 1925 he was promoted rearadmiral, and in 1926 appointed to the command of Iho Third Battle Squadron. TASKS ACCOMPLISHED.” In 1928 Sir Roger was awarded the Military C. 8., and returned to the Admiralty as Third Sea Lord and Controller. Ho held this office during the four lean years, 1928-1932. Sir Roger was promoted again in 1929, and was VicerAdmiral of the First Battle Squadron and Second-In-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, 1932-34, being awarded the K.C.B. in 1933 and promoted to Admiral in 1934. From 1936 to 1938 he was Commandor-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, which he brought up to the highest possible state of efficiency, and which he left in September, 1938, to become First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. He then had to face two great tasks. The first was the best disposition ot the ships and resources of the Royal Navy in circumstances which were of a most serious character, because of the probable world-wide distribution of the forces of possible enemies. The second was the best means of restoring the power and prestige of the British Navy, which he had been compelled for years to see waning. GREAT SEAMAN. As a groat and practical seaman, an expert gunnery officer, and' a great student of strategy and tactics. Sir Roger seemed about the best officer in the Fleet to undertake such tasks, but no amount of courage could make up for the sapping of his physical strength by illness, and it must have been with the greatest unwillingness of the proper authorities that his retirement was approved. He was honoured in 1937 by being made G.C.V.0., and in 1938 was made G.C.8., showing how greatly his services had been appreciated.