Difference between revisions of "Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet"

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search
(→‎Service Records)
(add RN/RNR/RNVR categories)
 
(93 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{AdmRN}} {{SIR}} '''Archibald Berkeley Milne''', Second Baronet, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., Royal Navy (2 June, 1855 – 5 July, 1938) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer chiefly remembered for his assocation with the Court and his involvement in the [[Escape of Goeben and Breslau|escape]] of the [[Imperial German Navy|German]] warships [[Yavuz Sultan Selim (1911)|''Goeben'']] and ''Breslau'' at the start of the [[First World War]].
+
[[File:Milne, NPG x185110.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Admiral Sir A. Berkeley Milne, Bart., 1917.<br><small>© National Portrait Gallery, London.</small>]]
 +
 
 +
{{AdmRN}} {{SIR}} '''Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet''', {{Post-Nominals|country=GBR-cats|G.C.V.O.|K.C.B.m}}, Royal Navy (2 June, 1855 &ndash; 5 July, 1938) was a [[Royal Navy]] officer chiefly remembered for his assocation with the Court and his involvement in the [[Escape of Goeben and Breslau|escape]] of the [[Imperial German Navy|German]] warships [[Yavuz Sultan Selim (1911)|''Goeben'']] and ''Breslau'' at the start of the [[First World War]].
  
 
==Early Life & Career==
 
==Early Life & Career==
−
Archibald Berkeley Milne (who as of 27 February, 1901, informed the Admiralty that he  "desires to be called - Sir A. Berkeley Milne"<ref name=Service893>Service Record.  The National Archives.  ADM 196/39.  p. 893.</ref>) was the only surviving son of {{FleetRN}} [[Alexander Milne, First Baronet|Sir Alexander Milne]] (1806 - 1896) and of Euphemia (died 1889), daughter of Archibald Cochran of Ashkirk, Roxburgh.  Berkeley Milne's father twice served as [[Senior Naval Lord]] at the [[Admiralty]], and his grandfather, Sir David Milne, commanded ships of the line in the Napoleonic Wars and retired an Admiral of the White.<ref>"Sir Alexander Milne" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 30 December, 1896.  Issue '''35087''', col A, pg. 4.</ref>  Milne entered the [[Royal Navy]] as a Naval Cadet on 3 May, 1869 and passed out on 20 July, 1870.  He gained three months' seatime for a Second Class in Study, three months' for a First Class in Seamanship, and three months' for "'Very Good' conduct".  On 23 August he was appointed to ''Duke of Wellington'', and he was rated {{MidRN}} on 20 October.  He served under Sir E. G. Fanshawe in the flagship Royal Alfred on the North America and West Indies station, and under Captain George Tryon in the Raleigh. He was promoted sub-lieutenant in 1875 and lieutenant in 1876, with three first-class certificates. He then joined Commodore Sullivan on the South Africa station, first in the corvette Tourmaline and then in the Active. He remained on that station for three years, being transferred to the Boadicea when Captain F. W. Richards succeeded Sullivan as commodore, but for most of the time he was lent for service on shore during the annexation of the Transkei in 1877–8 and later throughout the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. He was naval aide-de-camp to Lord Chelmsford, was wounded at the battle of Ulundi, and was mentioned in dispatches. After returning to England later in the year he joined the Minotaur, the flagship of Vice-Admiral A. W. C. Hood, in the channel squadron. In June 1882 he was appointed to the Orion in the Mediterranean, and a month later, when Admiral Anthony Hoskins left the Board of Admiralty in order to bring reinforcements during the Egyptian campaign, he became his flag lieutenant in the Penelope and was at the battle of Tell al-Kebir.
+
Archibald Berkeley Milne (who as of 27 February, 1901, informed the Admiralty that he  "desires to be called - Sir A. Berkeley Milne"<ref name=Service893>Service Record.  The National Archives.  ADM 196/39.  p. 893.</ref>) was the only surviving son of {{FleetRN}} [[Alexander Milne, First Baronet|Sir Alexander Milne]] (1806 - 1896) and of Euphemia (died 1889), daughter of Archibald Cochran of Ashkirk, Roxburgh.  Berkeley Milne's father twice served as [[Senior Naval Lord]] at the [[Admiralty]], and his grandfather, Sir David Milne, commanded ships of the line in the Napoleonic Wars and retired an Admiral of the White.<ref>"Sir Alexander Milne" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 30 December, 1896.  Issue '''35087''', col A, p. 4.</ref>  Milne entered the [[Royal Navy]] as a Naval Cadet on 3 May, 1869 and passed out on 20 July, 1870.  He gained three months' seatime for a Second Class in Study, three months' for a First Class in Seamanship, and three months' for "'Very Good' conduct".  On 23 August he was appointed to ''Duke of Wellington'', and he was rated {{MidRN}} on 20 October.
  
−
On his appointment to the royal yacht Victoria and Albert in October 1882, Milne began a career as a sea courtier. He rapidly won the affection of the prince and princess of Wales, and spent eight of the next eighteen years in royal yachts, finishing as commodore and later (1903–5) rear-admiral in charge of HM yachts.
+
Milne was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} with seniority of 1 June, 1876.{{Gaz|24339|3616|23 June, 1876}}
  
−
Milne was promoted commander in 1884 and captain in 1891, and in the intervals between turns of yacht duty he was commander in the channel squadron flagships Minotaur and Northumberland (1887–9) and captain of the flagship Trafalgar (1894–6), the Venus (1897–1900) in the Mediterranean, and the Jupiter (1900–04) in the channel squadron.
+
He was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} with seniority of 3 September, 1884.{{Gaz|25393|3994|5 September, 1884}}
  
−
In his sea-going commands Milne had shown himself competent and popular, so that after reaching flag rank in April 1904, and leaving the command of HM yachts sixteen months later, he was selected to be second in command of the Atlantic Fleet (flag in the Victorious) under Admiral Sir William May (1905–6) and of the Channel Fleet (flag in the Hibernia) under Lord Charles Beresford (1908–9). Having been promoted vice-admiral in May 1908, he was then transferred for another year to the command of the 2nd division of the Home Fleet (flag in the King Edward VII) under May.
+
Milne was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 31 December, 1891.{{Gaz|26239|3|1 January, 1892}}
  
−
Milne was promoted admiral in September 1911, and in November 1912 he hoisted his flag in the Good Hope, soon to be replaced by the battle cruiser Inflexible, as commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean. His appointment did not meet with universal approval and there were some who attributed it to court influence. This was particularly true of Lord Fisher, the former first sea lord. Milne had earned Fisher's enmity because of his association with Beresford and his opposition to some of Fisher's reforms.  
+
He was appointed captain of {{UK-Jupiter|f=p}} in December 1900, remaining there two years.{{MackieRNW}}
  
−
==Approach of War==
+
On the occasion of the King's visit to Ireland Milne was appointed a Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) on 11 August, 1903.{{Gaz|27586|5057|11 August, 1903}}
−
On Friday, 27 June, Milne had a private audience with the Ottoman Sultan.  As he left, he remarked to his dragoman (interpreter) in a loud whisper that the Sultan was "just an imbecile", a suggestion with which the dragoman (Sir Andrew Ryan) could not disagree.<ref>Ryan. ''The Last of the Dragomans''. pp. 89-90.</ref>  On 22 July the Admiralty ordered Milne to return to Chatham on 29 August in ''Inflexible'' and to hoist his flag at Admiralty House there on 30 August.<ref>Admiralty to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean. The National Archives.  ADM 137/HS19.</ref>  Officially, he was nominated as Commander-in-Chief at the Nore on 29 August.<ref>''The Naval Who's Who 1917''.  p. 107.</ref>
+
  
−
The naval situation in the Mediterranean was very obscure in those critical days. It was unknown whether Italy would join her allies of the triple alliance, or even whether Austria would come in at once. The fast new German battle cruiser Goeben was at large, and it was presumed it would try to get out into the Atlantic. Milne had somewhat ambiguous orders from the Admiralty directing him to give priority to assisting the French in the transport of their troops from north Africa to metropolitan France and, if possible, bringing the Goeben to action. However, he was warned to avoid engaging superior forces except in combination with the French as part of a general battle. After the situation was somewhat clarified by the Italian declaration of neutrality, Milne was ordered to respect rigidly the neutrality of Italian waters. This would have precluded his sending warships through the narrow Strait of Messina. Later Milne was diverted from his pursuit of the Goeben by an erroneous signal announcing the commencement of hostilities against Austria. The announcement was premature, but Milne wasted time by moving north towards the entrance of the Adriatic to join Rear-Admiral Ernest Troubridge's cruiser squadron. Troubridge might have engaged the Goeben, but turned away, believing his orders to avoid engagement with superior forces meant the Goeben. The Admiralty had intended it to mean the Austrian fleet. Troubridge was subsequently court martialled but exonerated. The Goeben and her consort, the light cruiser Breslau, succeeded in entering the Dardanelles and, despite a fictitious sale to the Turkish government, remained under German control. The presence of the German ships at Constantinople contributed to Turkey's entry into the war on the side of Germany.
+
==Flag Rank==
 +
Milne was promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}} on 25 April, 1904,{{Gaz|27673|2840|3 May, 1904}} vice [[Henry John May|May]]. Following his promotion, Milne was appointed an Honorary Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King during the time he remained in command of H.M. Yachts.{{Gaz|27676|3081|13 May, 1904}}  On the occasion of the King's visit to Kiel Milne was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 1 July.{{Gaz|27704|5192|12 August, 1904}}
  
−
Milne was criticized in the press and elsewhere, but he had carried out his instructions: he had no reason then to anticipate any understanding between Germany and Turkey; he had no communication from the French naval authorities about the transport of the African army; he knew that the Goeben was faster than any of his ships and much more powerful than all but his battle cruisers, two of which had been ordered by the Admiralty to Gibraltar to prevent the Goeben escaping westwards; and he was uncertain until too late whether Italy would be neutral and Austria an enemy.  On 30 August 1914 the Admiralty issued a statement exonerating him. Nevertheless, there were many who thought he had demonstrated a lack of imagination in interpreting his orders by not discerning that the primary threat was the Goeben and failing to concentrate all available forces in the vicinity of Messina when the Germans were reported there.
+
In his sea-going commands Milne had shown himself competent and popular, so that after reaching flag rank in April 1904, and leaving the command of H.M. Yachts sixteen months later, he was selected to be second in command of the Atlantic Fleet (flag in the Victorious) under Admiral Sir William May (1905–6) and of the Channel Fleet (flag in the Hibernia) under Lord Charles Beresford (1908–9). On 12 May, 1908, he was promoted to the rank of {{ViceRN}}, vice [[Edmund Frederick Jeffreys|Jeffreys]].{{Gaz|28138|3669|19 May, 1908}}  He was then transferred for another year to the command of the 2nd Division of the Home Fleet (flag in the ''King Edward VII'') under May.  During this command, Beresford attempted to obtain Milne's testimony for his inquiry against Fisher. Milne, though no friend of Fisher's, refused, writing that "Considering my present position, I think it would be inadvisable to name me as a witness before the Court."<ref>Milne to Beresford. ''c''. 29 April, 1909. Milne Papers. Caird Library. National Maritime Museum.</ref>
  
−
As, by diplomatic agreement, the supreme command in the Mediterranean was to be assumed by the French, and Milne was senior to the French admiral, he returned home in his flagship on 18 August. He had been offered and had accepted the command of the Nore, but this post was later filled by Sir George Callaghan, who had been relieved in command of the Grand Fleet by Sir John Jellicoe. Milne's chance for immediate employment really ended with Turkey's entry into the war—widely assumed to be a consequence of the escape of the Goeben—and Fisher's recall as first sea lord. Fisher blamed Milne for the blunders in the Mediterranean and invariably referred to him as "Sir Berkeley Goeben".  Milne was not employed again.  He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 12 February, 1919, "in order to facilitate the promotion of Junior Officers."<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/31201/pages/2738 no. 31201.  p. 2738.]  25 February, 1919.</ref>
+
On the occasion of the King's birthday Milne was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 25 June, 1909.{{GazSup|28263|4853|25 June, 1909}}
 +
 
 +
Milne was promoted to the rank of {{AdmRN}} on 19 September, 1911, vice [[Edward Harpur Gamble|Gamble]].{{Gaz|28533|6949|22 September, 1911}}
 +
 
 +
In November, 1913, Milne was offered the [[Nore Station|Command-in-Chief at the Nore]] by Churchill:
 +
 
 +
<blockquote>I have not come to this conclusion without careful consideration of your own interests as well as those of the Service and full appreciation of your conduct of the Mediterranean Command, which has during your tenure become so much more important,<s> than was expected at the time of your appointment.</s><ref>Churchill to Milne.  Draft letter of 21 November, 1913.  Churchill Papers.  Churchill Archives Centre.  CHAR 13/20/97.</ref></blockquote>
 +
 
 +
On 13 June, Milne ordered the Mediterranean Fleet to depart Malta for its summer cruise.  The first port of call was Corfu.{{ToL|The British Fleet Abroad|Monday, Jun 15, 1914; pg. 6; Issue 40550}}
 +
 
 +
On Friday, 27 June, 1914, Milne had a private audience with the Ottoman Sultan.  As he left, he remarked to his dragoman (interpreter) in a loud whisper that the Sultan was "just an imbecile", a suggestion with which the dragoman (Sir Andrew Ryan) could not disagree.<ref>Ryan.  ''The Last of the Dragomans''.  pp. 89-90.</ref>  On 22 July the Admiralty formally ordered Milne to return to Chatham on 29 August in {{UK-Inflexible}} and to hoist his flag at Admiralty House there on 30 August.<ref>Admiralty to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean.  The National Archives.  ADM 137/HS19.</ref>  It had been announced on 13 July that he was to succeed [[Richard Poore, Fourth Baronet|Sir Richard Poore]] on 29 August.<ref>"Second Sea Lord" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Thursday, 23 July, 1914.  Issue '''40586''', col G, p. 10.</ref>
 +
 
 +
==The Escape of ''Goeben'' & ''Breslau''==
 +
On the morning of 18 August Milne inquired of the Admiralty "as to whether my Flag is to continue flying in INFLEXIBLE until hoisted at  Chatham 30th August. Captain Prowse appointed Flag Captain at Chatham taking passage in INFLEXIBLE."  Evidently he believed that he was still going to the Nore as Commander-in-Chief.  In the afternoon Battenberg replied: "There will be no change in the Nore Command for the present.  On arrival at Devonport you are to strike your flag and report yourself to the Admiralty."<ref>The National Archives.  ADM 1/8384/184.</ref>
 +
 
 +
Ultimately Sir Richard Poore remained in command at the Nore until the end of 1914 and was relieved by [[George Astley Callaghan|Sir George Callaghan]] on 1 January, 1915.{{NLOct15|p. 396''j''}} Milne received no more appointments.
 +
 
 +
==Post-War==
 +
He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 12 February, 1919, "in order to facilitate the promotion of Junior Officers."{{Gaz|31201|2738|25 February, 1919}}
  
 
In 1921 Milne published a small book, ''The Flight of the Goeben and the Breslau'', in which he challenged Sir Julian Corbett's account in the (official) ''History of the Great War: Naval Operations'' and the implied censure of his conduct.  Milne's book set forth clearly his own account and justified the official approbation which had been repeated in the Admiralty's announcement of his retirement in 1919.
 
In 1921 Milne published a small book, ''The Flight of the Goeben and the Breslau'', in which he challenged Sir Julian Corbett's account in the (official) ''History of the Great War: Naval Operations'' and the implied censure of his conduct.  Milne's book set forth clearly his own account and justified the official approbation which had been repeated in the Admiralty's announcement of his retirement in 1919.
Line 25: Line 45:
 
Milne was an able officer, popular in the service and in London society, where his long association with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra made him well known.  He was a keen fisherman and deer stalker and a good shot, and devoted much of his half-pay time to horticulture at his ancestral residence, Inveresk Gate, Musselburgh, Midlothian.  He bequeathed a collection of rare shrubs and orchids to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.
 
Milne was an able officer, popular in the service and in London society, where his long association with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra made him well known.  He was a keen fisherman and deer stalker and a good shot, and devoted much of his half-pay time to horticulture at his ancestral residence, Inveresk Gate, Musselburgh, Midlothian.  He bequeathed a collection of rare shrubs and orchids to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.
  
−
Milne died in London on 5 July, 1938 at the age of eighty-three.<ref>"Deaths" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col B, pg. 1.</ref>  His funeral took place at Inveresk Church, Musselburgh, on Friday, 8 July.  The pall-bearers were Captain the Hon. Bertram Mitford, Sir I. H. Milne-Home, Mr. J. Cochran, Colonel A. C. P. Cochran, the Duke of Atholl, Admiral Sir A. Hotham, Mr. M. W. Soutar (Milne's butler) and Mr. J. Scott, his head gardener.  Lieutenant-Commander Hunter represented the Admiralty, and wreaths were presented on behalf of the Admiralty and trustees, committee, and members of the Naval and Military Club.<ref>"Funerals" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Monday, 11 July, 1938.  Issue '''48043''', col C, pg. 17.</ref>
+
Milne died in London on 5 July, 1938 at the age of eighty-three.<ref>"Deaths" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col B, p. 1.</ref>  His funeral took place at Inveresk Church, Musselburgh, on Friday, 8 July.  The pall-bearers were Captain the Hon. Bertram Mitford, Sir I. H. Milne-Home, Mr. J. Cochran, Colonel A. C. P. Cochran, the Duke of Atholl, Admiral Sir A. Hotham, Mr. M. W. Soutar (Milne's butler) and Mr. J. Scott, his head gardener.  Lieutenant-Commander Hunter represented the Admiralty, and wreaths were presented on behalf of the Admiralty and trustees, committee, and members of the Naval and Military Club.<ref>"Funerals" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Monday, 11 July, 1938.  Issue '''48043''', col C, p. 17.</ref>
  
−
==Footnotes==
+
==See Also==
−
{{reflist}}
+
{{refbegin}}
 +
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Berkeley_Milne}}
 +
{{refend}}
  
 
==Bibliography==
 
==Bibliography==
 
{{refbegin}}
 
{{refbegin}}
−
*"Deaths" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col B, pg. 1.
+
*"Deaths" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col B, p. 1.
−
*"Funerals" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Monday, 11 July, 1938.  Issue '''48043''', col C, pg. 17.
+
*"Funerals" (Deaths).  ''The Times''.  Monday, 11 July, 1938.  Issue '''48043''', col C, p. 17.
 
*"Admiral Sir A. B. Milne" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col D, pg. 18.
 
*"Admiral Sir A. B. Milne" (Obituaries).  ''The Times''.  Wednesday, 6 July, 1938.  Issue '''48039''', col D, pg. 18.
−
*''The Naval Who's Who 1917'' (1917).  Polstead, Suffolk: J. B. Hayward & Son.
+
*Milne, Admiral Sir A. Berkeley, Bt. (1921).  ''The Flight of the 'Goeben' and the 'Breslau'''.  London: Eveleigh Nash Company.
−
*Milne, Sir Archibald Berkeley, Bart. (1922).  ''The Flight of the 'Goeben' and the 'Breslau'''.  London: Eveleigh Nash Company.
+
 
*Ryan, Sir Andrew (1951).  ''The Last of the Dragomans''.  London: Geoffrey Bles Ltd.
 
*Ryan, Sir Andrew (1951).  ''The Last of the Dragomans''.  London: Geoffrey Bles Ltd.
 
{{refend}}
 
{{refend}}
Line 42: Line 63:
 
==Papers==
 
==Papers==
 
{{refbegin}}
 
{{refbegin}}
−
*[http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/archive/catalogue/record.cfm?ID=PKM/5 Papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum.]
+
*[http://collections.rmg.co.uk/archive/objects/491857.html Papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum.] For a detailed list see [[Berkeley Milne Papers at the National Maritime Museum]].
 
{{refend}}
 
{{refend}}
  
 
==Service Records==
 
==Service Records==
 
{{refbegin}}
 
{{refbegin}}
−
*The National Archives.  [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7916999&queryType=1&resultcount=2 ADM 196/39.]
+
*{{TNA|ADM 196/86.|D8115177}}
−
*The National Archives.  [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7905582&queryType=1&resultcount=2 ADM 196/19.]
+
*{{TNA|ADM 196/39.|D7864490}}
 +
*{{TNA|ADM 196/19.|D7590109}} Register 7. ff. 293, 455-456.
 
{{refend}}
 
{{refend}}
  
−
[[Category:1855 births|Milne]]
+
<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
−
[[Category:1938 deaths|Milne]]
+
{{TabNaval}}
−
[[Category:Personalities|Milne]]
+
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Hedworth Meux|The Hon. Hedworth Lambton]]'''|'''[[H.M.Y. Osborne (1870)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Osborne'']]'''<br>8 Nov, 1889{{NLMar92|p. 240}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[George Anson Primrose|George A. Primrose]]'''}}
−
[[Category:Vice-Admirals Commanding, Second Division, Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Milne]]
+
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Charles Grey Robinson|Charles G. Robinson]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Trafalgar (1887)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Trafalgar'']]'''<br>5 Mar, 1894<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 891.</ref> &ndash; 4 May, 1896<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 891.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Reginald Charles Prothero|Reginald C. Prothero]]'''}}
−
[[Category:Commanders-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet (Royal Navy)|Milne]]
+
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Frederick Ross Boardman|Frederick R. Boardman]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Warspite (1884)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Warspite'']]'''<br>15 Jun, 1897<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 891.</ref> &ndash; 30 Jul, 1897<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 891.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Thomas Philip Walker|Thomas P. Walker]]'''}}
−
[[Category:Royal Navy Admirals|Milne]]
+
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Venus (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Venus'']]'''<br>9 Nov, 1897{{NLOct98|p. 306}}<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39}}.  f. 891.</ref> &ndash; 31 Mar, 1900<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 891.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Morton Tudor Tudor|Henry M. T. Tudor]]'''}}
−
[[Category:Royal Navy Flag Officers|Milne]]
+
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[John Durnford|John Durnford]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Jupiter (1895)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Jupiter'']]'''<br>15 Dec, 1900{{NLMay02|p. 272}} &ndash; Dec, 1902|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Richard Poore, Fourth Baronet|Sir Richard Poore, Bart.]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Hedworth Meux|The Hon. Hedworth Lambton]]'''|'''[[H.M.Y. Victoria and Albert (1899)|Captain of H.M.Y. ''Victoria and Albert'']]'''<br>23 Apr, 1903{{NLMay03|p. 311}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Colin Richard Keppel|Colin R. Keppel]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Hedworth Meux|The Hon. Hedworth Lambton]]'''|'''[[H.M. Yachts (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts]]'''<br>23 Apr, 1903<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref> &ndash; 4 Aug, 1905<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref><ref>Day of year from successor.  Keppel Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/42.}}  f. 168.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Colin Richard Keppel|Sir Colin R. Keppel]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman|Francis C. B. Bridgeman]]'''|'''[[Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy)|Second-in-Command, Atlantic Fleet]]'''<br>26 Aug, 1905<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref> &ndash; 25 Aug, 1906<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[George Le Clerc Egerton|George Le C. Egerton]]'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Reginald Neville Custance|Sir Reginald N. Custance]]'''|'''[[Channel Fleet (Royal Navy)|Second-in-Command, Channel Fleet]]'''<br>12 Jun, 1908<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.|}}  f. 893.</ref> &ndash; 24 Mar, 1909<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''Second Division of Home Fleet'''}}
 +
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edmund Samuel Poë|Sir Edmund S. Poë]]'''|'''[[Mediterranean Station|Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station]]'''<br>1 Jun, 1912<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 893.</ref> &ndash; 24 Aug, 1914<ref>Milne Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  p. 893.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''In abeyance until 1917'''}}
 +
{{TabEnd}}
 +
</div name=fredbot:appts>
 +
 
 +
==Footnotes==
 +
{{reflist}}
 +
 
 +
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milne, Archibald Berkeley}}
 +
 
 +
{{CatPerson|UK|1855|1938}}
 +
{{CatBritannia|May, 1869}}
 +
{{CatAdm|UK}}
 +
 
 +
[[Category:Royal Navy Officers Educated at Eastman's Royal Naval Academy]]
 +
[[Category:Vice-Admirals Commanding, Second Division, Home Fleet (Royal Navy)]]
 +
[[Category:Court Sailors]]
 +
{{CatRN}}

Latest revision as of 11:46, 7 April 2022

Admiral Sir A. Berkeley Milne, Bart., 1917.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR Archibald Berkeley Milne, Second Baronet, G.C.V.O., K.C.B., Royal Navy (2 June, 1855 – 5 July, 1938) was a Royal Navy officer chiefly remembered for his assocation with the Court and his involvement in the escape of the German warships Goeben and Breslau at the start of the First World War.

Early Life & Career

Archibald Berkeley Milne (who as of 27 February, 1901, informed the Admiralty that he "desires to be called - Sir A. Berkeley Milne"[1]) was the only surviving son of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne (1806 - 1896) and of Euphemia (died 1889), daughter of Archibald Cochran of Ashkirk, Roxburgh. Berkeley Milne's father twice served as Senior Naval Lord at the Admiralty, and his grandfather, Sir David Milne, commanded ships of the line in the Napoleonic Wars and retired an Admiral of the White.[2] Milne entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet on 3 May, 1869 and passed out on 20 July, 1870. He gained three months' seatime for a Second Class in Study, three months' for a First Class in Seamanship, and three months' for "'Very Good' conduct". On 23 August he was appointed to Duke of Wellington, and he was rated Midshipman on 20 October.

Milne was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 1 June, 1876.[3]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander with seniority of 3 September, 1884.[4]

Milne was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1891.[5]

He was appointed captain of H.M.S. Jupiter in December 1900, remaining there two years.[6]

On the occasion of the King's visit to Ireland Milne was appointed a Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) on 11 August, 1903.[7]

Flag Rank

Milne was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 25 April, 1904,[8] vice May. Following his promotion, Milne was appointed an Honorary Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King during the time he remained in command of H.M. Yachts.[9] On the occasion of the King's visit to Kiel Milne was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 1 July.[10]

In his sea-going commands Milne had shown himself competent and popular, so that after reaching flag rank in April 1904, and leaving the command of H.M. Yachts sixteen months later, he was selected to be second in command of the Atlantic Fleet (flag in the Victorious) under Admiral Sir William May (1905–6) and of the Channel Fleet (flag in the Hibernia) under Lord Charles Beresford (1908–9). On 12 May, 1908, he was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Jeffreys.[11] He was then transferred for another year to the command of the 2nd Division of the Home Fleet (flag in the King Edward VII) under May. During this command, Beresford attempted to obtain Milne's testimony for his inquiry against Fisher. Milne, though no friend of Fisher's, refused, writing that "Considering my present position, I think it would be inadvisable to name me as a witness before the Court."[12]

On the occasion of the King's birthday Milne was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 25 June, 1909.[13]

Milne was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 19 September, 1911, vice Gamble.[14]

In November, 1913, Milne was offered the Command-in-Chief at the Nore by Churchill:

I have not come to this conclusion without careful consideration of your own interests as well as those of the Service and full appreciation of your conduct of the Mediterranean Command, which has during your tenure become so much more important, than was expected at the time of your appointment.[15]

On 13 June, Milne ordered the Mediterranean Fleet to depart Malta for its summer cruise. The first port of call was Corfu.[16]

On Friday, 27 June, 1914, Milne had a private audience with the Ottoman Sultan. As he left, he remarked to his dragoman (interpreter) in a loud whisper that the Sultan was "just an imbecile", a suggestion with which the dragoman (Sir Andrew Ryan) could not disagree.[17] On 22 July the Admiralty formally ordered Milne to return to Chatham on 29 August in Inflexible and to hoist his flag at Admiralty House there on 30 August.[18] It had been announced on 13 July that he was to succeed Sir Richard Poore on 29 August.[19]

The Escape of Goeben & Breslau

On the morning of 18 August Milne inquired of the Admiralty "as to whether my Flag is to continue flying in INFLEXIBLE until hoisted at Chatham 30th August. Captain Prowse appointed Flag Captain at Chatham taking passage in INFLEXIBLE." Evidently he believed that he was still going to the Nore as Commander-in-Chief. In the afternoon Battenberg replied: "There will be no change in the Nore Command for the present. On arrival at Devonport you are to strike your flag and report yourself to the Admiralty."[20]

Ultimately Sir Richard Poore remained in command at the Nore until the end of 1914 and was relieved by Sir George Callaghan on 1 January, 1915.[21] Milne received no more appointments.

Post-War

He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 12 February, 1919, "in order to facilitate the promotion of Junior Officers."[22]

In 1921 Milne published a small book, The Flight of the Goeben and the Breslau, in which he challenged Sir Julian Corbett's account in the (official) History of the Great War: Naval Operations and the implied censure of his conduct. Milne's book set forth clearly his own account and justified the official approbation which had been repeated in the Admiralty's announcement of his retirement in 1919.

Milne was an able officer, popular in the service and in London society, where his long association with King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra made him well known. He was a keen fisherman and deer stalker and a good shot, and devoted much of his half-pay time to horticulture at his ancestral residence, Inveresk Gate, Musselburgh, Midlothian. He bequeathed a collection of rare shrubs and orchids to the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens.

Milne died in London on 5 July, 1938 at the age of eighty-three.[23] His funeral took place at Inveresk Church, Musselburgh, on Friday, 8 July. The pall-bearers were Captain the Hon. Bertram Mitford, Sir I. H. Milne-Home, Mr. J. Cochran, Colonel A. C. P. Cochran, the Duke of Atholl, Admiral Sir A. Hotham, Mr. M. W. Soutar (Milne's butler) and Mr. J. Scott, his head gardener. Lieutenant-Commander Hunter represented the Admiralty, and wreaths were presented on behalf of the Admiralty and trustees, committee, and members of the Naval and Military Club.[24]

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Deaths" (Deaths). The Times. Wednesday, 6 July, 1938. Issue 48039, col B, p. 1.
  • "Funerals" (Deaths). The Times. Monday, 11 July, 1938. Issue 48043, col C, p. 17.
  • "Admiral Sir A. B. Milne" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 6 July, 1938. Issue 48039, col D, pg. 18.
  • Milne, Admiral Sir A. Berkeley, Bt. (1921). The Flight of the 'Goeben' and the 'Breslau'. London: Eveleigh Nash Company.
  • Ryan, Sir Andrew (1951). The Last of the Dragomans. London: Geoffrey Bles Ltd.

Papers

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
The Hon. Hedworth Lambton 		Captain of H.M.S. Osborne
8 Nov, 1889[25] 		Succeeded by
George A. Primrose
Preceded by
Charles G. Robinson 		Captain of H.M.S. Trafalgar
5 Mar, 1894[26] – 4 May, 1896[27] 		Succeeded by
Reginald C. Prothero
Preceded by
Frederick R. Boardman 		Captain of H.M.S. Warspite
15 Jun, 1897[28] – 30 Jul, 1897[29] 		Succeeded by
Thomas P. Walker
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Venus
9 Nov, 1897[30][31] – 31 Mar, 1900[32] 		Succeeded by
Henry M. T. Tudor
Preceded by
John Durnford 		Captain of H.M.S. Jupiter
15 Dec, 1900[33] – Dec, 1902 		Succeeded by
Sir Richard Poore, Bart.
Preceded by
The Hon. Hedworth Lambton 		Captain of H.M.Y. Victoria and Albert
23 Apr, 1903[34] 		Succeeded by
Colin R. Keppel
Preceded by
The Hon. Hedworth Lambton 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts
23 Apr, 1903[35] – 4 Aug, 1905[36][37] 		Succeeded by
Sir Colin R. Keppel
Preceded by
Francis C. B. Bridgeman 		Second-in-Command, Atlantic Fleet
26 Aug, 1905[38] – 25 Aug, 1906[39] 		Succeeded by
George Le C. Egerton
Preceded by
Sir Reginald N. Custance 		Second-in-Command, Channel Fleet
12 Jun, 1908[40] – 24 Mar, 1909[41] 		Succeeded by
Second Division of Home Fleet
Preceded by
Sir Edmund S. Poë 		Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station
1 Jun, 1912[42] – 24 Aug, 1914[43] 		Succeeded by
In abeyance until 1917

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  2. ↑ "Sir Alexander Milne" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 30 December, 1896. Issue 35087, col A, p. 4.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24339. p. 3616. 23 June, 1876.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25393. p. 3994. 5 September, 1884.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26239. p. 3. 1 January, 1892.
  6. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27586. p. 5057. 11 August, 1903.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27673. p. 2840. 3 May, 1904.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27676. p. 3081. 13 May, 1904.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27704. p. 5192. 12 August, 1904.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28138. p. 3669. 19 May, 1908.
  12. ↑ Milne to Beresford. c. 29 April, 1909. Milne Papers. Caird Library. National Maritime Museum.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28263. p. 4853. 25 June, 1909.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28533. p. 6949. 22 September, 1911.
  15. ↑ Churchill to Milne. Draft letter of 21 November, 1913. Churchill Papers. Churchill Archives Centre. CHAR 13/20/97.
  16. ↑ "The British Fleet Abroad." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jun 15, 1914; pg. 6; Issue 40550.
  17. ↑ Ryan. The Last of the Dragomans. pp. 89-90.
  18. ↑ Admiralty to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean. The National Archives. ADM 137/HS19.
  19. ↑ "Second Sea Lord" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 23 July, 1914. Issue 40586, col G, p. 10.
  20. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 1/8384/184.
  21. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 396j.
  22. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 31201. p. 2738. 25 February, 1919.
  23. ↑ "Deaths" (Deaths). The Times. Wednesday, 6 July, 1938. Issue 48039, col B, p. 1.
  24. ↑ "Funerals" (Deaths). The Times. Monday, 11 July, 1938. Issue 48043, col C, p. 17.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1892). p. 240.
  26. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  27. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  28. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  29. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  30. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 306.
  31. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  32. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 891.
  33. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 272.
  34. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 311.
  35. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  36. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  37. ↑ Day of year from successor. Keppel Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 168.
  38. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  39. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  40. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 893.
  41. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  42. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 893.
  43. ↑ Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.

Retrieved from "http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=Archibald_Berkeley_Milne,_Second_Baronet&oldid=326839"