Oliver Backhouse
Admiral SIR Oliver Backhouse, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (5 June, 1875 – 25 March, 1943) was an officer of the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Backhouse was appointed to Excellent on 12 January, 1905, as Lieutenant (G) on the Senior Staff.[1]
On 30 June, 1908, Backhouse was promoted to the rank of Commander.[2]
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1914.
Great War
Backhouse was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Victorian on 4 August. He was appointed to President additional on 17 August, and on the 21st he was appointed to Victory as a Commodore, Second Class in command of a Naval Brigade.
On 14 October, 1915, he relieved Frederic Charles Dreyer in command of Orion.[3] On 7 November he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) for his service with the Royal Naval Division at Gallipoli.[4] He was in command of Orion at the Battle of Jutland and wrote her report on the battle, in which he recorded firing 51 rounds throughout by director, suffering no damage.
On 14 December, 1916, he took command of H.M.A.S. Australia,[5] remaining in command until 1 September, 1918.[6] On 28 September, 1918 he took command of the battleship Resolution.[7]
Post-War
He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 February, 1925, vice Hodges.[8]
Backhouse was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 9 October, 1929, vice Watson, promoted to the rank of Admiral. He was placed on the Retired List on 10 October.[9]
Footnotes
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 14 January, 1905. Issue 37604, col B, pg. 6.
- ↑ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28151. p. 4644. 26 June, 1908.
- ↑ Navy List (December, 1916). p. 396h.
- ↑ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29358. p. 11029. 8 November, 1915.
- ↑ Navy List (November, 1917). p. 399j.
- ↑ Navy List (December, 1918). p. 946. There might be a better source for this.
- ↑ Navy List (December, 1918). p. 894.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 33025. p. 1426. 27 February, 1925.
- ↑ London Gazette: no. 33542. p. 6476. 11 October, 1929.
Bibliography
- "Admiral O. Backhouse" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 27 March, 1943. Issue 49505, col D, pg. 6.
Papers
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/44.
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Naval Appointments |
- 1875 births
- 1943 deaths
- Personalities
- H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship) Entrants of January, 1890
- Royal Navy Gunnery Officers
- Captains of H.M.A.S. Australia (1911)
- Captains of H.M.S. Orion (1910)
- Captains of H.M.S. Resolution (1915)
- Captains of H.M.S. Royal Sovereign (1915)
- Captains Superintendent of Sheerness Dockyard
- Admirals Superintendent of Devonport Dockyard
- Royal Navy Admirals
- Royal Navy Flag Officers