George Frederick Basset Edward-Collins

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Admiral SIR George Frederick Basset Edward-Collins, K.C.V.O., K.C.B., Royal Navy (26 December, 1883 – 17 February, 1958) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 26 December, 1904.[1]

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 26 December, 1912.[Inference]

Edward-Collins was appointed to Tiger as Navigating Officer on 14 February, 1917 and promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1917. He was discharged from Tiger on 16 January, 1918 and went two days later to the Operations Division, where he remained through the end of the war.[2]

Post-War

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1923.[3]

Edward-Collins was appointed in command of the light cruiser Carysfort in April, 1925.

In September, 1925, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Comus.

On 29 March, 1932 he was appointed Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord, Dudley Pound. Pound would be a frequent superior to him, and in summing up his service as Naval Assistant, Pound stressed Edward-Collins's "exceptional ability" and that he was a "keen sportsman and keeps himself very fit."[4]

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 13 September, 1935.[5]

On 20 March, 1936, he was appointed to Barham additional as Chief of Staff to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, again Dudley Pound. On 3 July, this appointment carried over as he transferred to Queen Elizabeth. His appointment as Chief of Staff terminated on 3 May, 1938.[6]

On 13 June, 1938, he was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Second Cruiser Squadron. This seagoing command would carry into World War II.[7]

In August, 1938, the Commander-in-Chief on the Mediterranean Station, once again Admiral Dudley Pound assessed Edward-Collins for purposes of promotion as 88 marks, tying him with Tovey in the most favourable echelon for advancement in a list of five flag officers. Pound found the two men quite similar, but found that Edward-Collins possessed the keener mind, though not one that worked quickly.[8]

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 16 May, 1939.[9]

World War II

On 15 June, 1940 he was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding the Eighteenth Cruiser Squadron and Second-in-Command, Home Fleet. This appointment terminated on 23 November and on 9 December, 1940 he was appointed as Flag Officer Commanding, North Atlantic. An assessment from Admiral of the Fleet Charles Morton Forbes from around this period noted that Edward-Collins had performed well in the Norwegian Campaign and was unflappable, even when under bombing attack.[10]

He was appointed as Acting Governor of Gibraltar on 8 May, 1942, but stayed in the post only until 19 June.

Edward-Collins was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 21 January, 1943 and reappointed as Admiral, Gibraltar in continuation. Edward-Collins was placed on the Retired List to facilitate the promotion of younger officers on 7 February, 1944, but he was appointed as Flag Officer in Charge, Falmouth, vice Thesiger, under the rank of Rear-Admiral, on 1 March, 1944.[11]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Edward C. Boyle
Captain of H.M.S. Carysfort
30 Apr, 1925[12] – 8 Sep, 1925[13]
Succeeded by
Herbert A. Buchanan-Wollaston
Preceded by
Wilfred N. Custance
Captain of H.M.S. Comus
8 Sep, 1925[14] – 30 Apr, 1927[15]
Succeeded by
Edward McC. W. Lawrie
Preceded by
Francis H. Sandford
Assistant Director of Plans
29 Aug, 1927[16] – 1 May, 1928[17]
Succeeded by
Edward L. S. King
Preceded by
Harold O. Reinold
Deputy Director of Plans
1 May, 1928[18] – 12 Dec, 1929[19]
Succeeded by
John H. D. Cunningham
Preceded by
Cecil P. Talbot
Captain of H.M.S. Renown
22 Dec, 1930[20] – 21 Mar, 1932[21]
Succeeded by
Henry G. Thursfield
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord
29 Mar, 1932[22] – 6 Jan, 1935[23]
Succeeded by
Henry E. C. Blagrove
Preceded by
Robert H. T. Raikes
Chief of Staff, Mediterranean Station
20 Mar, 1936[24]
Succeeded by
Algernon U. Willis
Preceded by
Thomas F. P. Calvert
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Second Cruiser Squadron
13 Jun, 1938[25] – 30 May, 1940[26]
Succeeded by
Alban T. B. Curteis
Preceded by
Geoffrey Layton
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Eighteenth Cruiser Squadron
15 Jun, 1940[27] – 23 Nov, 1940[28]
Succeeded by
Edward N. Syfret

Footnotes

  1. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 24.
  2. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  3. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  4. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  5. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  6. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  7. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  8. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  9. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  10. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  11. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  12. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  13. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  14. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  15. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  16. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  17. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  18. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  19. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  20. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  21. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  22. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  23. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  24. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 290.
  25. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  26. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  27. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.
  28. Edward-Collins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91. f. 154.