Francis Gerald St. John

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Vice-Admiral (retired) Francis Gerald St. John, C.B., M.V.O., R.N. (22 December, 1869 – 15 February, 1947) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

St. John was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1892.[1]

In 1900, he invented a fitting that prevented fouling the barrel of 6-pdr Q.F. Hotchkiss guns. In an rare case, the Navy actually decided to adopt this device.[2]

St. John was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1904.[3]

While still a commander, he was appointed command of the scout cruiser Pathfinder on 20 January, 1908.[4] He was thanked for his material contributions to good gunnery results obtained by her later in the year. In 1909, he was blamed for damaging a pier .

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1910 and placed seventh of seven captains at a War College session from 12 September - 23 December of that year, though he still scored a first class.

St. John was appointed in command of the third class protected cruiser Sapphire, operating with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla, on 19 December, 1912.[5]

He was appointed Captain (D) of Seventh Destroyer Flotilla on 1 July, 1913.[6]

Great War

He was appointed Captain (D) of Third Destroyer Flotilla on 26 October, 1914, commanding the flotilla from light cruiser Undaunted.[7] He fought her in the Battle of Dogger Bank, and was mentioned in the second Supplement to the Gazette on 2 March, 1915. The Admiralty expressed its appreciation for how St. John was able to bring Undaunted and Landrail safely into harbour "under very trying circumstances" following a collision on 24 March, 1915.[8]

St. John was appointed in command of the light cruiser Coventry on 3 January, 1918.[9]

Post-War

Placed on the Retired List on 1 November, 1923 owing to non-service.[10]

World War II

St. John offered his services in 1938. In 1939 he was appointed to the Isle of Wight. In August 1940, he was reported to be in the A.R.P. Volunteer Service.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
David R. Beatty
Captain of H.M.S. Ranger
21 Jul, 1897[11] – 2 Jun, 1898[12]
Succeeded by
William D. Church
Preceded by
Arthur G. Craufurd
Captain of H.M.S. Arab
3 Jan, 1905[13] – 20 Jul, 1905[14]
Succeeded by
Claude A. Rombulow-Pearse
Preceded by
Claude A. Rombulow-Pearse
Captain of H.M.S. Lee
20 Jul, 1905[15] – 3 Aug, 1905[16]
Succeeded by
William H. H. S. Thomson
Preceded by
William H. H. S. Thomson
Captain of H.M.S. Colne
3 Aug, 1905[17] – 1 Dec, 1905[18]
Succeeded by
Charles J. Collins
Preceded by
James U. Farie
Captain of H.M.S. Kestrel
1 Dec, 1905[19] – 28 May, 1906[20]
Succeeded by
Arthur T. Blackwood
Preceded by
John G. de O. Coke
Captain of H.M.S. Waveney
28 May, 1906[21] – 10 Jul, 1906[22]
Succeeded by
Cecil H. Fox
Preceded by
Wilmot S. Nicholson
Captain of H.M.S. Nith
10 Jul, 1906[23][24] – 20 Jan, 1908[25]
Succeeded by
John S. Dumaresq
Preceded by
Wilmot S. Nicholson
Captain of H.M.S. Pathfinder
20 Jan, 1908[26][27] – 2 Feb, 1910[28]
Succeeded by
Arthur K. Waistell
Preceded by
Thomas E. Wardle
Captain of H.M.S. Canopus
15 Feb, 1910[29][30] – 2 Aug, 1910[31]
Succeeded by
Tristan Dannreuther
Preceded by
Thomas P. Bonham
Captain of H.M.S. Hecla
17 May, 1911[32][33] – 18 Dec, 1912[34]
Succeeded by
Judge D'Arcy
Preceded by
Noel Grant
Captain of H.M.S. Sapphire
19 Dec, 1912[35][36] – 1 Jul, 1913[37]
Succeeded by
Francis C. Brown
Preceded by
Arthur R. Hulbert
Captain (D), Seventh Destroyer Flotilla
20 Dec, 1912[38] – 5 Mar, 1914[39]
Succeeded by
Francis C. Brown
Preceded by
Charles N. Tindal-Carill-Worsley
Captain of H.M.S. Talbot
1 Jul, 1913[40] – 7 Oct, 1913[41]
Succeeded by
Spencer A. Hickley
Preceded by
John B. Sparks
Captain of H.M.S. Skirmisher
7 Oct, 1913[42][43] – 5 Mar, 1914[44]
Succeeded by
Francis C. Brown
Preceded by
Laurence R. Oliphant
Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable
21 Mar, 1914[45] – 26 Oct, 1914[46]
Succeeded by
Philip Streatfeild
Preceded by
Cecil H. Fox
Captain of H.M.S. Undaunted
26 Oct, 1914[47][48] – 3 Jan, 1918[49][50]
Succeeded by
Henry P. V. Hickman
Preceded by
Cecil H. Fox
Captain (D), Third Destroyer Flotilla
26 Oct, 1914[51][52]
Succeeded by
Harold E. Sulivan
Preceded by
?
Second in Command, Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron
28 Dec, 1917[53] – 4 Feb, 1919[54]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Coventry
3 Jan, 1918[55][56] – 4 Feb, 1919
Succeeded by
Howard J. L. W. K. Willcox
Preceded by
George C. Cayley
In Command, Shotley Training Establishment
1 Mar, 1919[57] – 1 Mar, 1921[58]
Succeeded by
Ernest Wigram
Preceded by
Herbert Algernon Adam
Senior Naval Officer, Harwich
1 Jan, 1920[59] – 1 Mar, 1921[60]
Succeeded by
Ernest Wigram

Footnotes

  1. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  2. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  3. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  4. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 352.
  5. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 372.
  6. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 1 July, 1913. Issue 40252, col D, p. 6.
  7. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 398s.
  8. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  9. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 767.
  10. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  11. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  12. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  13. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  14. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  15. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  16. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  17. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  18. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  19. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  20. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  21. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  22. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  23. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  24. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 350.
  25. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  26. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  27. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 352.
  28. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  29. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  30. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 291.
  31. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  32. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  33. The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 323.
  34. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  35. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90. Indicates 20th Dec.
  36. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 372.
  37. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  38. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  39. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  40. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  41. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  42. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  43. The Navy List. (February, 1914). p. 374.
  44. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  45. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  46. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  47. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  48. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 398o.
  49. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  50. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 767.
  51. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  52. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 398s.
  53. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  54. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  55. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  56. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 767.
  57. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  58. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  59. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.
  60. St. John Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/83. f. 90.