DEATH OCCURS OF FATHER OF NAVY, ADMIRAL FREMANTLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18684, 13 February 1929, Page 6

DEATH OCCURS OF FATHER OF NAVY, ADMIRAL FREMANTLE.

(United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright).

LONDON. February 11. The death occurred to-day of Admiral the Hon Sir Edmund Fremantle, G. 0.8., G.C.V.0., at the age of ninetytwo.—Australian Press Association— United Service. Sir Edmund Fremantle was England’s oldest admiral, and was a member of a famous naval family. His grandfather commanded H.M.S. Neptune under Nelson and three of his uncles were in the service. His son. Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle, retired last year, and one of Sir Sydney's sons is in the navy now. Sir Edmund first went to sea in 1819. serving in the Queen, a three-decker of 116 guns, which fought at Trafalgar. He was transferred to the 26-gun frigate Spartan, on the East Indies and China station, and thus missed the Crimean War. Later, however, he saw plenty of service in the Burmese war of 1852, the New Zealand war of 1864-6, and the Ashanti campaign of 1873-4, in which he was severely wounded. He was the senior naval officer taking part in the Ashanti campaign, and he was decorated and received the thanks of Parliament. He had been promoted captain in 1867, and it was as a rear-ad-miral that he carried out the blockade of the East Coast of Africa in 1888-9. Next year, with the rank of vice-admiral, he undertook the Yitu punitive expedition, and in 1890 he was promoted admiral. Sir Edmund, who commanded successively the East Indies and China Station and at Plymouth. was knighted (K.C.8.) in 1889, receiving the G.C.B. when he retired in 1899 and the G.C.V.O. on his ninetieth birthday. From 1901 to 1926 he was Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom. In the early part of his career he received several medals for life-saving. After his retirement he wrote a good deal on naval topics.