Deputy First Sea Lord

The Deputy First Sea Lord was an officer on the Board of Admiralty of the Royal Navy.

History

Vice-Admiral Sir Rosslyn E. Wemyss was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty as Second Sea Lord on 6 September, 1917. He was relieved as Second Sea Lord on 27 September by Vice-Admiral Herbert L. Heath. In his memoirs, he described the circumstances of his appointment:

The First Lord's [Geddes] original idea had been that I should be Second Sea Lord, but that the traditional duties of that office should be somewhat modified, so as to allow me to take up Staff Duties. The reason for this was that until now, should the First Sea Lord for any reason be absent from the Admiralty, the whole of the burden and responsibility of the war devolved automatically on the Second Sea Lord, whose duties in connection with the personnel did not allow him sufficient time to study Staff matters. Consequently he (Second Sea Lord) might find himself called upon at any moment to give decisions on matters with which he could not possibly be familiar. On considering the situation I advised the First Lord that it would be better not to interfere with the duties of Second Sea Lord, which were so well understood on all sides, and which required the full attention of one man, but appoint me as additional with my duties entirely confined to Staff work, and that an officer should be appointed as Second Sea Lord who would be junior to me. By this means the conduct of the war would, in the absence of the First Sea Lord, automatically fall into my hands.

Deputy First Sea Lords, 1917–1919

• Vice-Admiral Sir Rosslyn E. Wemyss 6 September, 1917 - 27 December, 1917.
• Rear-Admiral George P. W. Hope 1918–1919.

Bibliography

• Wester Wemyss, Lady (1935). The Life and Letters of Lord Wester Wemyss. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.