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. His son, Jack Tuthill Borrett, would serve in the navy in both World Wars, attaining the rank of Captain.

Life & Career

Borrett was born in Wimbledon.

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 enrolled in a series of War and Gunnery and Torpedo Courses from mid-1907 to 1 January 1908, when he was appointed to command the second class protected cruiser Indefatigable of the Fourth Cruiser Squadron. After two years in this role, he enjoyed a brief stint in command of the destroyer Melpomene. On 31 January 1910, he began more Gunnery and Torpedo courses.

On 19 April 1910 he was appointed to the old battleship Ramillies, and given command of a group of ships, likely in Reserve.

A nineteen month command of the more imposing battleship Majestic came in February 1911.

On 20 September 1912, he assumed command of the armoured cruiser Donegal.[5]

Great War

At the outbreak of war, he was in command of Warrior, operating with the First Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.[6] As Captain of Warrior he temporarily became Senior Naval Officer of the Egyptian Station on 3 November, 1914.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

Borrett was appointed in command of the Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron on 6 April, 1918[10] and was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 16 August.[11]

Post-War

Borrett was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron, dated 1 March, 1919.[12]

He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 14 October, 1923, vice Colomb.[13] He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 17 February, 1925.[14]

He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 1 August, 1927.[15]

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."[16] 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.

See Also

Bibliography

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

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
James A. Fergusson
Captain of H.M. T.B. 67
11 Jul, 1893[17] – 19 Aug, 1893
Succeeded by
Guy L. Sclater
Preceded by
George P. W. Hope
Captain of H.M.S. Pioneer
29 Aug, 1904[18] – 9 Jan, 1907[19]
Succeeded by
Charles B. Miller
Preceded by
Philip Nelson-Ward
Captain of H.M.S. Indefatigable
1 Jan, 1908[20] – 25 Jan, 1910[21]
Succeeded by
Charles F. Henderson
as Captain of H.M.S. Melpomene
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][25] – 20 Sep, 1912[26]
Succeeded by
Guy R. A. Gaunt
Preceded by
Lionel Halsey
Captain of H.M.S. Donegal
20 Sep, 1912[27] – 25 Aug, 1913[28]
Succeeded by
Cunningham R. de C. Foot
Preceded by
James A. Fergusson
Captain of H.M.S. Warrior
25 Aug, 1913[29] – 16 Dec, 1915[30]
Succeeded by
Vincent B. Molteno
Preceded by
Frederick L. Field
Captain of H.M.S. Monarch
16 Dec, 1915[31] – 15 Mar, 1916[32]
Succeeded by
Michael H. Hodges
Preceded by
Michael H. Hodges
Captain of H.M.S. Monarch
Apr, 1916[33] – 6 Apr, 1918[34]
Succeeded by
Sidney R. Drury-Lowe
Preceded by
New Command
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron
6 Apr, 1918[35] – 28 Feb, 1919[36]
Succeeded by
Command Abolished
Preceded by
Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Harwich Force
1 Mar, 1919[37] – 23 Aug, 1919[38]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Alfred A. Ellison
Senior Naval Officer, Yangtse
May, 1920[39] – Oct, 1921[40]
Succeeded by
Crawford Maclachlan

Footnotes

  1. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), 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. (July, 1913). p. 302.
  6. Naval Operations. Volume I. p. 440.
  7. Telegram of 3 November, 1914. Churchill Papers. Churchill Archives Centre. CHAR 13/37/99.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 30343. p. 10762. 19 October, 1917.
  9. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 80. 1 January, 1918.
  10. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26ex.
  11. Borrett Service Record. f. 505.
  12. "End of Grand Fleet" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 3 April, 1919. Issue 42065, col D, p. 13.
  13. The London Gazette: no. 32886. p. 8537. 7 December, 1923.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 33025. p. 1426. 27 February, 1925.
  15. The London Gazette: no. 33300. p. 5105. 5 August, 1927.
  16. Diary entry for 4 May, 1917. Quoted in Marder. Portrait of an Admiral. p. 247.
  17. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jul 10, 1893; pg. 10; Issue 33999.
  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. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 342.
  26. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  27. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 302.
  28. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  29. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 399g.
  30. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  31. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 395s.
  32. Command apparently temporarily given to Hodges.
  33. Resuming service after Hodges's temporary captaincy.
  34. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  35. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26a.
  36. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 26ex.
  37. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  38. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 134.
  39. Borrett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 505.
  40. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.