George Astley Callaghan

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Admiral of the Fleet SIR George Astley Callaghan, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Royal Navy (21 December, 1852 – 23 November, 1920) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

George Astley Callaghan was born in London 21 December 1852, the third son of Captain Frederic Marcus Callaghan, J.P., of Lotabeg, co. Cork, by his wife, Georgina Frances, daughter of Captain James Hodgson, of the East India Company's service. He entered the Royal Navy in 23 January, 1866, being appointed to the training ship H.M.S. Britannia at Dartmouth as a Naval Cadet. He left Britannia on 16 April, 1877, with a Second Class Certificate and obtained six months' sea time.

He was appointed to the ironclad Caledonia on 17 April and to the battleship Lord Warden on 26 May. On 16 October he was rated Midshipman. He remained in Lord Warden until 25 September, 1870, when he was appointed to the corvette Wolverine. On 15 April, 1872, he was promoted Acting Sub-Lieutenant, having passed his seamanship examination for the rank of Lieutenant. He returned home and was borne on the books of Excellent from 16 May, 1874, to 23 April, 1875, while studying for and taking the various examinations for the rank of Lieutenant.[1]

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 April, 1875.[2] From 24 April to 3 May he was appointed to Royal Adelaide at Devonport before going on half pay. His first appointment as lieutenant was to the Ruby, East Indies station. During this commission one of the ship's boats capsized in the Irrawady, and Callaghan earned the commendation of the Admiralty by his gallant behaviour, which saved the lives of several of the crew.

In 1880 he returned home in order to qualify in gunnery, and was afterwards on the staff of the port gunnery schools. In 1885 he was again appointed to the Ruby, this time as first and gunnery lieutenant on the South-East coast of America station. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1887,[3] and in 1888 was appointed to the Bellerophon, the flagship on the North American station, in which ship he returned home in 1892. In the same year he was given the command of the Alacrity, yacht of the commander-in-chief, China station.

On 1 January, 1894, he was promoted to the rank of Captain.[4]

Captain

He was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Division, or Companion, of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 9 November, 1900, "in recognition of services rendered during the recent disturbance in China."[5]

He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to King Edward VII on 25 April, 1904, vice Milne.[6]

He was appointed in command the battleship Cæsar on 21 December, 1901.[7]

He was appointed to command the battleship Prince of Wales on 18 May, 1904.[8]

Flag Rank

Callaghan was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 29 June, 1905.[9]

He was appointed Rear-Admiral in the Channel Fleet on 16 November, 1906.

Callaghan was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Fifth Cruiser Squadron on 5 April, 1907,

On the occasion of the King's inspection of the Home Fleet Callaghan was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) on 3 August, 1907.[10]

He struck his flag in Shannon as Rear-Admiral Commanding in the morning of 16 November, 1908. On 27 November he was appointed Second-in-Command in the Mediterranean.

On the occasion of the visit of the King to Malta Callaghan was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 24 April, 1909.[11]

Callaghan was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 27 April, 1910, vice Niblett.[12] He was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 24 June.[13] He struck his flag in Duncan as Second-in-Command, Mediterranean, on 8 August, and was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding the Second Division of the Home Fleet on 9 August.[14]

On 24 July, 1911 he transferred his flag to the dreadnought Hercules.[15]

Commander-in-Chief

The new First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston S. Churchill, wrote to the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith, on 16 November, 1911, about succeeding Sir Francis Bridgeman, who was to leave the Home Fleet to become First Sea Lord:

The Home Fleet, wh [which] becomes vacant, has not, unhappily, any candidate of clear & pre-eminent qualifications. Admiral Jellicoe is not yet sufficiently practised in the handling of fleets or sufficiently in command of the confidence of the Sea Service, to justify what wd seemingly be a vy startling promotion. I shall therefore be taking the perfectly straightforward & unexceptionable course in placing Vice-Admiral Sir George Callaghan, the present 2nd in command, who has been in almost daily control of the largest manoevres in the Home Fleet, and who has previously been second in command in the Mediterranean, in the place of Sir F. Bridgeman. Admiral Sir John Jellicoe will be his 2nd in command, & we will thus be able to see what fitness he will develop for the succession.[16]

Churchill wrote to offer the post to Callaghan on 20 November. In reply on 22 November, Callaghan wrote that "In accepting your very flattering offer I need not assure you that it will be my earnest endeavour to carry out the important duties to the best of my ability."[17] Callaghan was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet on 5 December with the rank of Acting Admiral. He assumed command on the same day.[18]

Visiting Callaghan at Portland, Churchill noted in a letter to his wife on 24 March, 1912: "They are vy simple these sailors; but this one — Callaghan — is sensible."[19] He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) on 11 May.[20]

He was confirmed in the rank of Admiral on 17 May, 1913.[21]

Although he never knew Callaghan closely, Admiral The Hon. Sir Reginald A. R. P.-E.-E.-Drax (a Commander on the staff of the First Battle Cruiser Squadron from 1913) later recalled him to Arthur Marder as being "of the old sea-dog type like Charlie Beresford and A.K. Wilson."[22]

Supersession and the Great War

Callaghan was ordered to strike his flag and hand over to Jellicoe on 4 August.

On 27 August he wrote to Sir George Egerton, Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth:

My dear Egerton,
Thankyou very much for your letter & sympathy.
As you say I was treated abominally.
However, one must not let personal grievances come to the front just now.
I have a clear conscience in having left the Home Fleet ready —
Meanwhile I am doing what I can to help here.
Please remember me very kindly to Lady Egerton.
Yrs Very Sincerely,
George A. Callaghan[23]

Callaghan was immediately appointed for special service at the Admiralty and on 11 September, 1914 was appointed First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp, vice Admiral Sir Edmund Poë.[24] This was followed on 1 January, 1915 by his appointment as Commander-in-Chief at the Nore.[25] On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the First Class, or Knight Grand Cross, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) on 3 June, 1916.[26] On 2 April, 1917 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet in the place of Sir Arthur D. Fanshawe.[27]

His funeral took place on Saturday, 27 November at Bathwick Cemetery, Bath.[28]

Footnotes

  1. ADM 196/18. f. 380.
  2. London Gazette: no. 24204. p. 2342. 30 April, 1875.
  3. London Gazette: no. 25772. p. 15. 3 January, 1888.
  4. London Gazette: no. 26471. p. 7580. 29 December, 1893.
  5. London Gazette: no. 27245. p. 6853. 9 November, 1900.
  6. London Gazette: no. 27676. p. 3081. 13 May, 1904.
  7. Callaghan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/18. f. 535.
  8. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 16 May, 1904. Issue 37395, col A, pg. 7.
  9. London Gazette: no. 27814. p. 4700. 7 July, 1905.
  10. London Gazette: no. 28048. p. 5390. 6 August, 1907.
  11. London Gazette: no. 28246. p. 3277. 30 April, 1909.
  12. London Gazette: no. 28362. p. 3063. 3 May, 1910.
  13. London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28388. p. 4475. 24 June, 1910.
  14. ADM 196/38. f. 202.
  15. "Exchange of Flagships" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 27 June, 1911. Issue 39622, col G, pg. 16.
  16. Churchill. Winston S. Churchill. Companion Volume II. Part 2. p. 1336.
  17. Callaghan to Churchill, 22 November 1911, CHAR 13/1, f. 28, Chartwell MSS, Churchill Archive Centre, Churchill College.
  18. ADM 196/38. f. 202.
  19. Churchill. Winston S. Churchill. Companion Volume II. Part 2. p. 1529.
  20. London Gazette: no. 28607. p. 3475. 14 May, 1912.
  21. London Gazette: no. 28722. p. 3753. 27 May, 1913.
  22. Notes on Marder's draft of chapter 14 of From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, 11 November 1959, DRAX 6/18, Drax MSS., Churchill Archives Centre, Churchill College.
  23. Letter of 27 August, 1914. Liddle Collection. University of Leeds. Egerton Papers. RNMN/EGERTON/3.
  24. London Gazette: no. 28902. p. 7293. 15 September, 1914.
  25. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (March, 1915). p. 3.
  26. London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29608. p. 5553. 2 June, 1916.
  27. London Gazette: no. 30008. p. 3206. 3 April, 1917.
  28. "Funerals" (Deaths). The Times. Monday, 29 November, 1920. Issue 42580, col D, pg. 17.

Bibliography

  • "Death of Admiral Callaghan" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 24 November, 1920. Issue 42576, col E, pg. 14.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Sir Francis C. B. Bridgeman
Commander-in-Chief,
Home Fleets

1911 – 1914
Succeeded by
Sir John R. Jellicoe
Preceded by
Sir Edmund S. Poë
First and Principal
Naval Aide-de-Camp

1914 – 1917
Succeeded by
Sir Henry B. Jackson
Preceded by
Sir Richard Poore, Bart.
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore
1915 – 1918
Succeeded by
Sir F. C. Doveton Sturdee, Bart.