Hugh Evan-Thomas
Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, G.C.B., K.C.M.G. (27 October, 1862 – 30 August, 1928) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War. Evan-Thomas played an important part during the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
Early Life and Career
Evan-Thomas was born at Llwynmadog, Brecknockshire, Wales, on 27 October, 1862, the fifth son of Charles Evan-Thomas (1817–1902), a J.P. and Deputy Lieutenant, of Gnoll, Glamorgan, a member of a prominent Welsh family, and his wife, Cara (d. 1909), eldest daughter of Henry Shepherd Pearson, of the East India Company service. He entered the Britannia as a naval cadet in January, 1876. In the following year the princes Albert Victor and George (afterwards King George V) also joined the ship, and, when they were sent on their three-year cruise in the Bacchante, Evan-Thomas was chosen as one of the midshipmen to join them in the gunroom. Before the cruise was over he was promoted Sub-Lieutenant, and at the end of 1883 was sent to the Sultan on the China station until July, 1886, being promoted Lieutenant at the end of 1884. He was for a short time Flag Lieutenant to Admiral Sir Algernon Lyons in the Bellerophon on the North America station, then returned to England where he undertook a course on gunnery and torpedo. He served for two years (1890–92) in the Victoria in the Mediterranean, after which he was appointed to the Royal Yacht Osborne. In 1894 he married Hilda Florence Awdry, who survived him, daughter of Thomas Barnard, of Cople House, Bedfordshire. They had no children.
From January, 1894 Evan-Thomas was for three years Flag Lieutenant to Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour in the Ramillies, Mediterranean, and was promoted Commander in 1897. In 1898 he was put in charge of the signal school at Portsmouth for two years. After another two years in command of the Pioneer in the Mediterranean, he was promoted Captain on 26 June, 1902, and was then employed at the Admiralty assisting with the development of Lord Fisher's reform proposals for naval personnel. He was Flag Captain to Lord Charles Beresford in the channel for two years, and in May, 1905 he was chosen for the command of the Admiralty yacht Enchantress. By this time he had become known as "one of the most capable and progressive captains in the Navy". (The Times, 4 Sept 1928)
In the autumn of 1905 Evan-Thomas was appointed to act as temporary naval secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Earl Cawdor. He was confirmed in this post on a continuing basis when the new Liberal administration replaced the Balfour government, and held the office until the end of 1908. He was a more junior officer than was normally appointed to this important post, the holder of which is responsible to the First Lord for advice on all naval promotions and appointments to command, but he took the opportunity to become "acquainted with every side of naval organization and administration". (The Times, 4 Sept 1928)
Evan-Thomas then took command of the Bellerophon in the Home Fleet until August, 1910, when he was appointed captain of the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He was aide-de-camp to the King from February, 1911 until he was promoted to Flag Rank on 9 July, 1912. After a year on half pay he was appointed Rear-Admiral of the 1st Battle Squadron with his flag in the St. Vincent. The outbreak of the First World War in 1914 found him still in this command, which he retained until August, 1915, when he was transferred to the command of the 5th Battle Squadron, flying his flag in the Barham.
Battle of Jutland
At the time of the Battle of Jutland (31 May, 1916), Evan-Thomas's squadron, consisting of the Barham, Valiant, Warspite, and Malaya (Queen Elizabeth was refitting), sister ships, armed with eight 15-inch guns and capable of 25 knots speed, was acting with the Battle-Cruiser Fleet under the command of Admiral Sir David Beatty. The combined force, which cleared the Forth at 11 p.m. on 30 May, reached the appointed rendezvous off the Danish coast at 2.15 p.m. on the 31st, and turned to the northward to meet Admiral Jellicoe coming with the British battle fleet from Scapa Flow. The 5th battle squadron was stationed 5 miles north-north-west from Beatty's flagship, the Lion, and directed to look out for the battle fleet, when at 2.32 Beatty, acting on the Galatea's report of enemy ships in sight, turned to the east, signalling the course to the Barham. This signal was not received until 2.37, and at 2.38 the 5th battle squadron turned to the south-south-east and increased to full speed in order to catch Beatty, who was now 8 miles ahead. The distance of the 5th battle squadron from the Lion prevented Evan-Thomas from giving the battle cruisers full support during the opening stages of the action, and they suffered severely with the loss of the Indefatigable and Queen Mary. Evan-Thomas was severely criticized for his part in this tragic incident, for failing to realize more quickly Beatty's intentions. In an episode which hurt Evan-Thomas deeply, Winston Churchill repeated these criticisms a decade later in his work The World Crisis (vol. 3, 1927). Arthur Marder considered that perhaps his only real crime was to have been slightly ‘slow on the uptake’ (Marder, 3.53). Richard Hough concurred that ‘while Evan-Thomas demonstrated a certain lack of imagination, he did not deserve the vilification he suffered from some quarters’ and that his actions suggested in fact the ‘negative initiative’ created by Royal Navy procedures and training at that time (Hough, 293–4). Indeed once Evan-Thomas had joined the battle, in Beatty's words, the 5th battle squadron supported him ‘brilliantly and effectively’ (The Times, 4 Sept 1928, 17). Through skilful manoeuvring and courageous engagement Evan-Thomas's ships inflicted serious damage upon the German fleet and protected much of the rest of the British force. His squadron saw some of the heaviest fighting of the day: his flagship was hit six times and his wireless was wrecked, and the Warspite and Malaya suffered heavily. Admiral Jellicoe commented later that:
- "The magnificent squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Evan-Thomas formed a support of great value to Sir David Beatty during the afternoon and was brought into action in rear of the battle fleet in the most judicious manner in the evening." (The Times, 4 Sept 1928)
At least in regard to this part of the battle, a number of commentators have suggested that ‘but for the 5th Battle Squadron, the outcome would have been disastrous’ (Marder, 3.66).
For his services in the battle Evan-Thomas was appointed CB (1916) and immediately afterwards promoted KCB, was made a member of the French Légion d'honneur, and was given the first class of the Russian order of St Anne, the second class of the Japanese order of the Rising Sun, and the order of the Crown of Italy.
Evan-Thomas was promoted vice-admiral in September 1917. He retained the command of the 5th battle squadron until October 1918. In 1919 he was created KCMG. He remained without command until March 1921, when, having been promoted admiral in October 1920, he was appointed commander-in-chief at the Nore. In 1924 he retired at his own request. In the same year he was promoted GCB. Despite the controversy over his role at Jutland, he was remembered as ‘an efficient officer with a highly deserved reputation as a ship and squadron handler’ and as a ‘loveable, straightforward and unassuming man’ (Marder, 2.441). After his retirement he lived at Charlton House, near Shaftesbury. He died on 30 August 1928 at Cople House, Bedfordshire, and his funeral took place at Cople on 2 September.
Commands
| Naval Office | ||
| Preceded by Sir Doveton Sturdee |
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore 1921 – 1924 |
Succeeded by ? |
