Henry Deacon Barry

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Vice-Admiral SIR Henry Deacon Barry, K.C.V.O., Royal Navy (27 November, 1849 – 14 November, 1908) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Barry was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 23 September, 1873.[1]

Barry commanded the gunvessel Curlew in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1890, the ship acting as part of Fleet Number 2 which represented a hypothetical Hostile Fleet attacking British trade routes.[2]

Barry was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1892.[3]

In November 1895, he assumed command of the second class protected cruiser Astræa. He may have stayed with the ship until June 1899.

He was captain of battleship Mars from September 1900 until December of 1902.

Barry was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 October, 1904.[4]

On the occasion of the visit of the French fleet to Britain Barry was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (C.V.O.) on 11 August, 1905.[5]

Appointed Admiral Superintendent, Portsmouth Dockyard on 24 February, 1905, Barry would play an important role in meeting the tight schedule demanded in the rapid completion of the revolutionary battleship Dreadnought.

On the occasion of the King's visit to Portsmouth to launch Dreadnought Barry was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 10 February, 1906.[6]

In August, as constructional work on Dreadnought was winding down somewhat, Barry shared his thoughts on the new ship to Gerard Noel:

The Dreadnought has been a great effort but I am extremely glad it is over. The discharges being on weekly during the time she was being built make it difficult, & of course it upset the whole yard & disorganized everything, but at the same time in other ways it did good. Of course she is a very powerful ship two Dreadnoughts being about equal to three King Edwards, but personally I would back the three K.E's.

They have made some great mistakes in placing the armour[,] also the conning tower, the side armour is in two thicknesses 11" & 8" but when she is full up and drawing 31ft the 11" armour will as usual be under water. Her designed draft [sic] is 26ft 6" with 900 tons of coal but she carries 2900 tons & about 1500 tons of oil, the latter is not counted.
She is expected to go about 21 ½ [knots] at 26ft 6in perhaps more but no one knows very much about these turbines, some people think the 4 propellers are wrongly placed but of course these are only conjectures.
Personally I think that the barbette armour is too thin being only 8in all round in one barbette & 11" to 8" in the others. The K.E's are 12" all round.

Of course rushing a ship through like this mistakes are made which will be rectified in the next ship, at any rate she will be the most powerful ship afloat, but as for saying that she will make all previous battleships obsolete is nonsense, that statement is only made for advertising purposes.[7]

Barry was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 2 July, 1908, vice Craigie.[8]

He died one month after giving up command of the Third Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean.[9]

His funeral in Botley was attended by a host of sailors and flag officers including Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Admiral Sir Arthur D. Fanshawe, Vice-Admiral Francis C. B. Bridgeman, Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, Vice-Admiral C. G. Robinson, Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard, Rear-Admiral R. S. Lowry, Royal Naval War College, Rear-Admiral the Hon. S. C. J. Colville, and Rear-Admiral P. W. Bush. The colours of all ships in harbour and at Spithead were half-masted during the funeral.[10]

Bibliography

  • "Vice-Admiral Sir H. D. Barry" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 16 November, 1908. Issue 38805, col C, p. 13.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles J. Norcock 		Captain of H.M.S. Curlew
31 Aug, 1889[11] – c. 30 Aug, 1888[Fact Check] 		Succeeded by
Arthur N. Heathcote
Preceded by
Arthur W. Torlesse 		Captain of H.M.S. Rattlesnake
c. mid Jul, 1890[12] – 20 Aug, 1890[13] 		Succeeded by
Frederick T. Hamilton
Preceded by
The Hon. Assheton G. Curzon-Howe 		Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence, Foreign Division
8 Oct, 1892[14] – 5 Nov, 1895[15] 		Succeeded by
Charles G. Dicken
Preceded by
Henry B. Lang 		Captain of H.M.S. Astræa
5 Nov, 1895[16] 		Succeeded by
Alfred W. Paget
Preceded by
Henry M. T. Tudor 		Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee
5 Jan, 1899[17] – 18 Sep, 1900[18] 		Succeeded by
Randolph F. O. Foote
Preceded by
Henry J. May 		Captain of H.M.S. Mars
18 Sep, 1900[19] – 21 Jan, 1902 		Succeeded by
George Neville
Preceded by
William Des V. Hamilton 		Captain of H.M.S. Duke of Wellington
21 Jan, 1903[20] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Angus MacLeod 		Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes
1 Jan, 1904[21] – 24 Feb, 1905[22] 		Succeeded by
John R. Jellicoe
Preceded by
Reginald F. H. Henderson 		Admiral Superintendent, Portsmouth Dockyard
24 Feb, 1905[23] – 10 Nov, 1906[24] 		Succeeded by
Charles G. Robinson
Preceded by
Sir Hedworth Lambton 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, Third Cruiser Squadron
10 Nov, 1906[25] – 16 Oct, 1908 		Succeeded by
Sir Henry B. Jackson

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24020. p. 4329. 26 September, 1873.
  2. ↑ "Naval Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 19, 1890; pg. 12; Issue 33068.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26309. p. 4187. 22 July, 1892.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27720. p. 6441. 7 October, 1904.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27826. p. 5532. 11 August, 1905.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27885. p. 1037. 13 February, 1906.
  7. ↑ Barry to Noel, 28 August 1906, NOE/4/B, Noel MSS, National Maritime Museum.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28156. p. 4940. 7 July, 1908.
  9. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 195/38/55. f. 83.
  10. ↑ Obituary.
  11. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1891). p. 214.
  12. ↑ "Naval Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 19, 1890; pg. 12; Issue 33068.
  13. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Wednesday, Aug 20, 1890; pg. 5; Issue 33095.
  14. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38/55. f. 64.
  15. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38/55. f. 64.
  16. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 226.
  17. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 64.
  18. ↑ Foote Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38/486. f. 468.
  19. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 279.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 248.
  21. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 195/38/55. f. 83.
  22. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 195/38/55. f. 83.
  23. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, 25 February, 1905. Issue 37640, col B, p. 10.
  24. ↑ Barry Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 195/38/55. f. 83.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1906). p. 268.

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