Edward Montgomery Phillpotts

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Admiral Edward Montgomery Phillpotts, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (1 August, 1871 – 9 April, 1952) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War.

Early Life & Career

Edward Montgomery Phillpotts was born on 1 August, 1871, the son of the Reverend H. J. Phillpotts of Lamerton Vicarage, Tavistock.

Phillpotts was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant on 28 January, 1892, dated 1 August, 1890, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant dated 1 February, 1891.[1]

Phillpotts was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1902.[2]

He was appointed as Acting Flag Captain of Bulwark on 24 February, 1905 and was thanked for contributing to good results in the gunlayer tests of that year.[3]

Captain

Phillpotts was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1906.[4] He served as an umpire in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1906[5] and assumed command of the first class protected cruiser Grafton in August.[6]

Phillpotts was appointed to command the armoured cruiser Euryalus on 8 February, 1907.[7]

He was appointed to command the battleship Prince of Wales on 4 February, 1909.[8]

Phillpotts assumed the duties of Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord on 31 July, 1912.[9]

Great War

Phillpotts grounded Warspite on 17 September, 1915 in what the Admiralty regarded as a severe error in judgement on his part, earning him their "severe displeasure". In a letter of 4 September, 1916, Sir Henry Jackson wrote to Arthur Balfour:

We were discussing the Naval Secretary's relief recently & I stated I saw no objection to Captain Phillpotts & that I thought his appointment would be popular in the Grand Fleet.

I have just heard from 4th Sea Lord, without having mentioned the matter to him, that amongst a certain section of senior officer, mostly based at Rosyth, that the reverse opinion is held there, owing to the record of his services afloat as well as of his seniority. You may like to hear of this as you have not made a decision. My only criticism is his seniority.[10]

On 15 September he 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, 1916.[11]

Warspite collided with her sister, H.M.S. Valiant on 24 August, 1916 while the two were engaged in a night firing exercise. Phillpotts was tried by Court Martial on 5/6 October 1916 on a charge of having hazarded his vessel, and was sentenced to be reprimanded for not having made definite arrangements for the programme. The sentence was cancelled when it was argued that the Rear-Admiral of the squadron was responsible for making such arrangements.[12]

Phillpotts served as Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord, Sir John Jellicoe from December, 1916 to October, 1917. He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral, vice Duff, on 15 January, 1918.[13]

Post-War

On 1 May, 1920, Phillpotts was appointed President of the Ordnance Committee in succession to Rear-Admiral Arthur Craig Waller.[14]

On 7 October, 1923, Phillpotts was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Jackson. He was placed on the Retired List on 8 October.[15]

He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 1 August, 1927.[16]

Bibliography

  • "Adml. Phillpotts" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 14 April, 1952. Issue 52285, col D, p. 8.

Papers

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Frederick T. Hamilton
Captain of H.M.S. Bulwark
24 Feb, 1905[17] – 1 Jan, 1906[18]
Succeeded by
Osmond de B. Brock
Preceded by
Frederick C. A. Ogilvy
Captain of H.M.S. Grafton
16 Aug, 1906[19] – 10 Jan, 1907[20]
Succeeded by
Charles F. Thorp
Preceded by
A. Gordon H. W. Moore
Captain of H.M.S. Euryalus
8 Feb, 1907[21][22] – 4 Feb, 1909[23]
Succeeded by
Arthur L. Cay
Preceded by
Herbert W. Savory
Captain of H.M.S. Prince of Wales
4 Feb, 1909[24][25] – 20 Dec, 1910[26]
Succeeded by
Ronald A. Hopwood
Preceded by
Herbert MacI. Edwards
Captain of Portsmouth Signal School
10 Jan, 1911[27] – 31 Jul, 1912[28]
Succeeded by
Frederick L. Field
Preceded by
Herbert MacI. Edwards
Superintendent of Signal Schools
10 Jan, 1911[29] – 31 Jul, 1912[30]
Succeeded by
Frederick L. Field
Preceded by
Cecil F. Lambert
Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord
31 Jul, 1912[31] – 22 Feb, 1915[32]
Succeeded by
Hubert G. Brand
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Warspite
22 Feb, 1915[33] – 18 Dec, 1916[34]
Succeeded by
Charles Martin-de-Bartolomé
Preceded by
Argentine H. Alington
Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord
16 Dec, 1916[35] – 8 Oct, 1917[36]
Succeeded by
Hamnet H. Share
Preceded by
Christopher R. Payne
Head of Signal Section
before 17 Aug, 1917[37]
Succeeded by
Richard L. Nicholson
as Director of Signal Division
Preceded by
Clement Greatorex
Director of Naval Equipment
8 Oct, 1917[38] – 1 May, 1920[39][40]
Succeeded by
Edward F. Bruen
Preceded by
Arthur W. Craig
President of the Ordnance Committee
1 May, 1920[41] – 8 Oct, 1923[42]
Succeeded by
Henry R. Crooke

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 26253. p. 544. 2 February, 1892.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 27393. p. 3. 3 January, 1902.
  3. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 27927. p. 4466. 29 June, 1906.
  5. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  6. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  7. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 311.
  8. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  9. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, 8 July, 1912. Issue 39945, col C, p. 11.
  10. Balfour Papers. British Library. Add. MSS. 49714. ff. 6-7.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29751. p. 9070. 15 September, 1916.
  12. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  13. The London Gazette: no. 30488. p. 1092. 22 January, 1918.
  14. "Naval Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 16 April, 1920. Issue 42386, col D, p. 19.
  15. The London Gazette: no. 32871. p. 6966. 16 October, 1923.
  16. The London Gazette: no. 33300. p. 5105. 5 August, 1927.
  17. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  18. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  19. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  20. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  21. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 311.
  22. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  23. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  24. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  25. The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 361.
  26. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  27. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  28. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  29. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  30. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  31. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  32. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  33. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  34. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  35. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  36. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  37. See Docket dated 17 August, 1917. The National Archives. ADM 116/3403.
  38. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  39. "Naval Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 16 April, 1920. Issue 42386, col D, p. 19.
  40. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  41. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.
  42. Phillpotts Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 170.