Reginald Vesey Holt

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Rear-Admiral Reginald Vesey Holt, 1937.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Vice-Admiral Reginald Vesey Holt, C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O. (26 May, 1884 – 1957) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He commanded a considerable number of destroyers and torpedo craft

Life & Career

Holt was born in Belgrave Square, London, the son of V. G. M. Holt, Esq..

Holt joined the training ship H.M.S. Britannia as a Naval Cadet with the May 1899 intake term. He emerged in mid-September 1900 with a modest two months' additional seniority and was appointed to H.M.S. Jupiter of the Channel Squadron. Completing nearly a year's service in her, he was sent out to the China Station, first in the destroyer Isis before transferring to the battleship Goliath later in 1901.[1]

When Goliath paid off on 8 October, 1903, Holt was placed in Empress of India, which was apparently returning to serve in the Home Fleet. He arrived back in England on 31 January, 1904 and joined the Royal Naval College on 9 February.[2]

Holt participated in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1904, being on loan to the destroyer Sylvia.

Holt was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1906, being appointed to the destroyer Hart on the China Station that day in lieu of a Sublieutenant. He was invalided on 13 July however. On 12 August, he was deemed too sick to travel and had to spend some time convalescing in Yokohama. He did arrive (in England, it is assumed) on 26 November, but was still suffering from remittent fever. On 10 December, he was finally found fit, having apparently traveled to Austria for treatment. He was appointed to a two year stint in the battleship Magnificent in the Home Fleet on 10 January, 1907.[3]

Following two months of physical training in early 1909, Holt was appointed Lieutenant in Command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 055 on 1 March, 1909. In December, he moved over to command the T.B. 85.[4]

Holt was appointed in command of the destroyer Itchen on 14 April, 1913.[5] Holt was placed in temporary command of Kale from July 1913 to perhaps June 1914 and on 9 August, 1913 was again appointed in command of the destroyer Itchen.[6]

Holt was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1914 and left Itchen when he was appointed in command of T.B. 16 on 19 December 1914.[7]

On 3 February, 1916 he was apponted in command of Tenth Destroyer Flotilla's Mastiff, which was part of the Harwich Force.[8]

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Redoubt on 18 January, 1917.[9]

Holt attacked a submarine with Redoubt on 18 May, 1917 and was awarded a D.S.O. for the effort, gazetted 20 July.[10]

Holt was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1917.[11]

Post-War

Holt was appointed in command of the destroyer Rowena in April, 1920.[12]

Holt was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1925.[13]

Holt was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 22 June, 1936.[14]

World War II

Holt was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 15 December, 1939. He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 4 May, 1940.[15]

In 1942, Cosmo Moray Graham returned from Burma to relieve Holt as Flag Officer in Charge, Humber.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Ronald M. Fraser
Captain of H.M. T.B. 055
1 Mar, 1909[16] – Dec, 1909[17]
Succeeded by
Granville Murray-Browne
Preceded by
Reginald A. Yonge
Captain of H.M. T.B. 85
Dec, 1909[18][19] – 17 Jun, 1910[20]
Succeeded by
Henry L. M. Coxon
Preceded by
Ralph W. Wilkinson
Captain of H.M.S. Doon
15 Oct, 1912[21][22] – 4 Apr, 1913[23]
Succeeded by
Walter L. Allen
Preceded by
Sydney Hopkins
Captain of H.M.S. Itchen
14 Apr, 1913[24][25] – 15 Jul, 1913[26]
Succeeded by
Reginald V. Holt
Preceded by
Berwick Curtis
Captain of H.M.S. Kale
15 Jul, 1913 – c. Jun, 1914
Succeeded by
Berwick Curtis
Preceded by
Reginald V. Holt
Captain of H.M.S. Itchen
Jul, 1914[27] – 15 Sep, 1914[28]
Succeeded by
Herbert M. Denny
Preceded by
Alfred E. Evans
Captain of H.M. T.B. 16
19 Dec, 1914[29][30] – 3 Feb, 1916[31]
Succeeded by
Conyngham C. Dennison
Preceded by
James L. Forbes
Captain of H.M.S. Mastiff
3 Feb, 1916[32][33] – 18 Jan, 1917[34]
Succeeded by
Colin A. G. Hutchison
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Redoubt
18 Jan, 1917[35][36] – 15 Apr, 1919[37][38]
Succeeded by
John Fawcett
Preceded by
Arthur Marsden
Captain of H.M.S. Maenad
15 Apr, 1919[39] – 16 Aug, 1919[40]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Patrick B. Crohan
Captain of H.M.S. Rowena
Apr, 1920[41][42] – 1 Feb, 1922[43][44]
Succeeded by
William E. B. Magee
Preceded by
Reginald T. Amedroz
Captain of H.M.S. Vanity
17 Aug, 1922[45] – Nov, 1922[46]
Succeeded by
Henry A. Simpson
Preceded by
Henry de B. Tupper
Captain of H.M.S. Vampire
16 Nov, 1922[47] – Jun, 1923[48]
Succeeded by
Reginald V. Holt
Preceded by
Walter F. Smithwick
Captain of H.M.S. Vesper
c. Jun, 1923[49] – Sep, 1923[50]
Succeeded by
Valentine M. Wyndham-Quin
Preceded by
Reginald V. Holt
Captain of H.M.S. Vampire
Sep, 1923[51][52] – Aug, 1925[53]
Succeeded by
Stephen Barry
Preceded by
Edward O. B. S. Osborne
Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm
Jan, 1925[54] – 8 Feb, 1925[55]
Succeeded by
John W. C. O. Shelton
Preceded by
Edward O. B. S. Osborne
as Captain (D), Fifth Destroyer Flotilla
Commander (D), Fifth Destroyer Flotilla
Jan, 1925[56] – 8 Feb, 1925[57]
Succeeded by
Kenneth MacLeod
as Captain (D), Fifth Destroyer Flotilla
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain of H.M.S. Bruce
13 Sep, 1926[58] – 4 Jan, 1927[59]
Succeeded by
Malcolm R. J. Maxwell-Scott
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain (D), Eighth Destroyer Flotilla
13 Sep, 1926[60] – 4 Jan, 1927[61]
Succeeded by
Malcolm R. J. Maxwell-Scott
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain of H.M.S. Campbell
10 Jan, 1927[62] – 4 Sep, 1928[63]
Succeeded by
Tom S. V. Phillips
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla
10 Jan, 1927[64] – 4 Sep, 1928[65]
Succeeded by
Tom S. V. Phillips
Preceded by
Colin A. M. Sarel
Captain in Charge of H.M. Naval Establishments, Bermuda
18 Oct, 1928[66] – Nov, 1930[67]
Succeeded by
Henry B. Maltby
Preceded by
Frederick A. Buckley
Captain of H.M.S. Shropshire
11 Aug, 1933[68] – Nov, 1934[69]
Succeeded by
William E. C. Tait
Preceded by
Norman A. Wodehouse
Captain of Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
28 Dec, 1934[70] – 29 Dec, 1936[71]
Succeeded by
Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton
Preceded by
Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Senior Naval Officer, Yangtse
20 Aug, 1937[72] – Oct, 1939[73]
Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  2. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  3. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  4. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  5. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 334.
  6. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 332.
  7. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  8. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  9. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 891.
  10. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  11. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  12. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 857.
  13. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  14. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  15. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  16. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  17. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  18. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  19. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 401.
  20. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  21. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  22. The Navy List. (April, 1913). p. 302.
  23. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  24. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  25. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 334.
  26. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  27. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  28. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  29. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  30. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 400.
  31. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  32. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  33. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 396b.
  34. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  35. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  36. The Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 891.
  37. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  38. The Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 891.
  39. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  40. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  41. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  42. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 857.
  43. "Naval and Military." The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Feb 01, 1922; pg. 6; Issue 42944.
  44. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  45. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  46. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  47. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  48. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  49. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  50. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  51. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  52. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 278.
  53. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  54. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  55. Dawson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. 208.
  56. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  57. Dawson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. 208.
  58. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  59. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  60. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  61. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  62. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  63. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  64. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  65. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  66. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 253.
  67. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  68. The Navy List. (July, 1934). p. 275.
  69. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  70. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  71. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  72. Holt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/179. f. 240.
  73. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.