Hugh Henry Darby Tothill

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Admiral Sir Hugh H. D. Tothill, 1918.
Portrait: Francis Dodd. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1774).

Admiral SIR Hugh Henry Darby Tothill, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., Royal Navy (14 March, 1865 – 25 September, 1927) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Hugh Henry Darby Tothill was born at Clifton, Bristol on 14 March, 1865, the son of Mr. Francis Tothill, barrister and magistrate.

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 January, 1888.[1]

Tothill was appointed in command of the training brig Nautilus on 20 January, 1898. He was discharged from this duty on 31 December, 1900.[2]

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1900.[3]

Captain

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1905.[4] On 19 March, 1906, he was appointed in command of Barfleur, and as Flag Captain.[5]

He served as captain of Illustrious on 1 October, 1907.[6]

He was appointed as captain of Minotaur on 3 December, 1909.[7] It was to prove a short-lived posting as on 1 January 1910, he was made Captain of Lancaster.[8]

Great War

Tothill was appointed in command of the dreadnought battleship Conqueror on 22 December, 1914.[9] He commanded her at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Second Battle Squadron, and penned her brief after-action report, which was oddly not delivered to the proper authorities until March 1919.

On 15 September Tothill was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) dated 31 May.[10]

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 April, 1917, vice Hunter.[11] On 31 May, he replaced Rear-Admiral Lionel Halsey as Fourth Sea Lord.[12] In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1918, Tothill was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K.C.M.G.).[13]

Post-War

On 1 August, 1919, Tothill was made Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, hoisting his flag in Highflyer.[14]

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 15 June, 1921.[15]

On the occasion of the visit of the Prince of Wales to India, on 23 June, 1922, Tothill was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) dated 22 November, 1921.[16]

On the occasion of the King's birthday Tothill was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 2 June, 1923.[17]

Tothill was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 1 March, 1926.[18] He placed on the Retired List at his own request on 25 October, 1926.[19]

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir Hugh Tothill" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 27 September, 1927. Issue 44697, col B, p. 9.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Diamond
3 Jan, 1905[20] – 16 Feb, 1906[21]
Succeeded by
Constantine H. Hughes-Onslow
Preceded by
Claud A. W. Hamilton
Captain of H.M.S. Barfleur
19 Mar, 1906[22] – 14 Mar, 1907[23]
Succeeded by
Peyton Hoskyns
Preceded by
Reginald A. Allenby
Captain of H.M.S. Centurion
12 Mar, 1907[24] – 15 Sep, 1907[25]
Succeeded by
Maurice H. H. Nelson
Preceded by
Peyton Hoskyns
Captain of H.M.S. Barfleur
15 Sep, 1907[26] – 1 Oct, 1907[27]
Succeeded by
Alfred E. A. Grant
Preceded by
Spencer A. Hickley
Captain of H.M.S. Illustrious
1 Oct, 1907[28] – 2 Jun, 1908[29]
Succeeded by
Cyril E. Tower
Preceded by
Cyril E. Tower
Captain of H.M.S. London
2 Jun, 1908[30] – 1 Oct, 1908[31]
Succeeded by
James C. Ley
Preceded by
William O. Boothby
Captain of H.M.S. Minotaur
3 Dec, 1909[32] – 1 Jan, 1910
Succeeded by
George C. Cayley
Preceded by
Sydney R. Fremantle
Captain of H.M.S. Lancaster
1 Jan, 1910[33][34] – 4 Nov, 1912[35]
Succeeded by
Warren H. D'Oyly
Preceded by
Cresswell J. Eyres
Assistant to Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves
5 Apr, 1913[36] – 22 Dec, 1914[37]
Succeeded by
William H. Baker-Baker
Preceded by
Norman C. Palmer
Captain of H.M.S. Conqueror
22 Dec, 1914[38][39] – 26 Apr, 1917[40]
Succeeded by
Herbert W. Richmond
Preceded by
Lionel Halsey
as Fourth Sea Lord
Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
31 May, 1917[41][42] – 16 Jun, 1919[43]
Succeeded by
Sir A. Ernle M. Chatfield
Preceded by
Sir Ernest F. A. Gaunt
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
1 Aug, 1919[44] – 29 Sep, 1921[45]
Succeeded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker
Preceded by
Sir Morgan Singer
as Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves
Admiral Commanding Reserves
24 Jul, 1923[46] – 29 Jul, 1925[47]
Succeeded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 25772. p. 15. 3 January, 1888.
  2. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 27263. p. 82. 4 January, 1901.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 27812. p. 4557. 30 June, 1905.
  5. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 9 March, 1906. Issue 37963, col A, p. 10.
  6. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  7. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  8. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  9. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 398c.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9070. 15 September, 1916.
  11. The London Gazette: no. 30022. p. 3600. 17 April, 1917.
  12. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 126.
  13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30723. p. 6530. 3 June, 1918.
  14. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 787.
  15. The London Gazette: no. 32384. p. 5486. 8 July, 1921.
  16. The London Gazette: no. 32722. p. 4715. 23 June, 1922.
  17. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 32830. p. 3944. 2 June, 1923.
  18. The London Gazette: no. 33139. p. 1650. 5 March, 1926.
  19. The London Gazette: no. 33221. p. 7406. 16 November, 1926.
  20. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 301.
  21. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  22. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  23. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  24. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  25. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  26. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  27. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  28. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  29. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  30. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  31. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  32. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  33. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  34. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 338.
  35. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  36. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  37. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  38. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  39. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 393f.
  40. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  41. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 126.
  42. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  43. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 296.
  44. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 186.
  45. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 186.
  46. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 186.
  47. Tothill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 186.