George Holmes Borrett

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Admiral George Holmes Borrett, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (10 March, 1868 – 10 June, 1952) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Borrett scored 1,322 marks in the competitive examinations for cadetships in the Royal Navy, coming third out of his batch of twenty.[1]

Borrett was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 13 November, 1889.[2]

Borrett was specially promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1901, for services in China.[3]

Borrett was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1906.[4]

He was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Indefatigable on 23 January, 1908.[5] A nineteen month command of the more imposing battleship Majestic came in February 1911.[6]

On 20 September 1912, he assumed command of the armoured cruiser Donegal.[7]

Great War

At the outbreak of war, he was in command of Warrior, operating with the First Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.[8]

He commanded the battleship Monarch at the Battle of Jutland.

On 5 October, 1917, he was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to King George V, vice Ley.[9] 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.) on 1 January, 1918.[10]

Borrett was appointed in command of the Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron on 6 April, 1918[11] and was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 16 August.[12]

Post-War

Borrett was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron, dated 1 March, 1919.[13]

He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 14 October, 1923, vice Colomb.[14] He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 17 February, 1925.[15]

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

Assessment

Speaking to Captain Herbert W. Richmond in 1917, Borrett apparently said of Jutland, "We had them [the Germans] stone cold & we let them go."[17] Accepting that this conversation took place, this writer has been unable to find among the Jutland papers any mention of Captain Borrett hauling Monarch out of the line after the Germans, or of him signalling his immediate superior in the battle line, Rear-Admiral Leveson, suggesting that he do the same. — SIMON HARLEY, Co-editor.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral G. H. Borrett" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 11 June, 1952. Issue 52335, col D, p. 8.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
George P. W. Hope
Captain of H.M.S. Pioneer
29 Aug, 1904[18] – 9 Jan, 1907[19]
Succeeded by
William F. Blunt
Preceded by
Philip Nelson-Ward
Captain of H.M.S. Indefatigable
1 Jan, 1908[20] – 25 Jan, 1910[21]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Arthur W. Ewart
Captain of H.M.S. Ramillies
18 Apr, 1910[22] – 24 Feb, 1911[23]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Bertram M. Chambers
Captain of H.M.S. Majestic
24 Feb, 1911[24] – 20 Sep, 1912[25]
Succeeded by
Guy R. A. Gaunt
Preceded by
Lionel Halsey
Captain of H.M.S. Donegal
20 Sep, 1912[26] – 25 Aug, 1913[27]
Succeeded by
Cunningham R. de C. Foot
Preceded by
James A. Fergusson
Captain of H.M.S. Warrior
25 Aug, 1913[28] – 16 Dec, 1915[29]
Succeeded by
Vincent B. Molteno
Preceded by
Frederick L. Field
Captain of H.M.S. Monarch
16 Dec, 1915[30] – 15 Mar, 1916[31]
Succeeded by
Michael H. Hodges
Preceded by
Michael H. Hodges
Captain of H.M.S. Monarch
Apr, 1916[32] – 6 Apr, 1918[33]
Succeeded by
Sidney R. Drury-Lowe
Preceded by
New Command
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron
6 Apr, 1918[34] – 28 Feb, 1919[35]
Succeeded by
Command Abolished
Preceded by
Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Harwich Force
1 Mar, 1919[36]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Alfred A. Ellison
Senior Naval Officer, Yangtze
May, 1920[37]
Succeeded by
Crawford Maclachlan

Footnotes

  1. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 27 June, 1881. Issue 30231, col E, p. 8.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 25994. p. 6135. 19 November, 1889.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 27263. p. 82. 4 January, 1901.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 27982. p. 31. 1 January, 1907.
  5. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 331.
  6. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  7. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 302.
  8. Naval Operations. Volume I. p. 440.
  9. The London Gazette: no. 30343. p. 10762. 19 October, 1917.
  10. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 80. 1 January, 1918.
  11. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26ex.
  12. Borrett Service Record. f. 505.
  13. "End of Grand Fleet" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 3 April, 1919. Issue 42065, col D, p. 13.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 32886. p. 8537. 7 December, 1923.
  15. The London Gazette: no. 33025. p. 1426. 27 February, 1925.
  16. The London Gazette: no. 33300. p. 5105. 5 August, 1927.
  17. Diary entry for 4 May, 1917. Quoted in Marder. Portrait of an Admiral. p. 247.
  18. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  19. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  20. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  21. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  22. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  23. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  24. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  25. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  26. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 302.
  27. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  28. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 399g.
  29. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  30. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 395s.
  31. Command apparently temporarily given to Hodges.
  32. Resuming service after Hodges's temporary captaincy.
  33. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  34. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26a.
  35. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26ex.
  36. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  37. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.

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