Herbert Meade

Admiral Herbert Meade-Fetherstonhaugh as a Captain, 1921.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral THE HONOURABLE SIR Sir Herbert Meade-Fetherstonhaugh, G.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., (3 November, 1875 – 27 October, 1964) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born Herbert Meade, the son of Admiral The Earl of Clanwilliam, he changed his name on 1 November, 1932.

In December 1895 he took ill with malarial rheumatism. He was not fit until May of 1896, and he was discharged to H.M.S. Excellent.

On 10 February 1897 Captain Dudding reported that Sub-Lieutenant Meade volunteered for a life boat and saved the life of leading seaman Joseph Brailey who had gone overboard from H.M.S. Iphigenia. Meade was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1897.

On 6 May 1902, Meade's Syren collided with the first class protected cruiser Hawke. A Court of Enquiry concluded that no one was to blame in the misadventure.

Herbert convalescing with his brothers and father. Likely in 1904.
Photograph: Courtesy The Lord Clanwilliam.

On 15 March 1904, Meade broke both bones of a leg in an accident aboard the battleship Venerable, requiring his convalescence aboard the hospital ship Maine. At least one of these was a compound fracture, and he had to return to England via Marseilles. He was not found fit until December 1905. An injury pension of £50 for this would eventually be deemed perpetual.

Meade was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1908.

Meade would again suffer a broken leg on 8 March 1909. He was deemed fit only for harbour service on 28 December.

Meade was appointed in command of Goshawk on 19 May 1912 and commanded her in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and was commended for his "coolness and verve" and for helping sink the German destroyer Template:DE-V187. He was awarded a D.S.O. for service in this action.

In October 1914, he was appointed in command of the destroyer Faulknor, but on 24 November he was placed in charge of the destroyer Meteor, which was the half-flotilla leader in the First Destroyer Flotilla. Promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1914, he was given command of the light cruiser Royalist on 23 January 1915.

Meade would command the light cruiser Royalist at the Battle of Jutland, where she supported the Grand Fleet as one of the five ships in the Fourth Light Cruiser Squadron. She would fire a torpedo at enemy pre-dreadnoughts at around 9.5pm and turn away when taken under fire.

In June 1917, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Ceres.

From April 1919 to 24 May 1921, he served as Chief of Staff to Vice-Admiral Sir Herbert Leopold Heath, being granted the rank of Commodore, Second Class while holding this appointment.

In August 1921, he took command of the battlecruiser Renown. He left the ship as it began an extensive period of refit from 1923 to 1926.

Meade was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 25 November, 1925.

Meade was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 8 May, 1930.

Meade-Fetherstonhaugh was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 31 July, 1934.

See Also

• Service Records
• Fourth L.C.S. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Leonard A. B. Donaldson	Captain of H.M.S. Teazer 11 Feb, 1902 – 1902	Succeeded by Murray F. Sueter
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Syren 1902 – 12 Nov, 1902	Succeeded by Henry C. R. Brocklebank
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Goshawk 19 May, 1912 – 6 Oct, 1914	Succeeded by Dashwood F. Moir
Preceded by Cecil H. Fox	Captain of H.M.S. Faulknor 6 Oct, 1914 – 24 Nov, 1914	Succeeded by Anselan Stirling
Preceded by Alan F. W. Howard	Captain of H.M.S. Meteor 24 Nov, 1914 – 23 Jan, 1915	Succeeded by Arthur B. S. Dutton
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Royalist 23 Jan, 1915 – c. Jun, 1917	Succeeded by The Hon. Matthew R. Best
Preceded by ?	Captain (D), Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla 8 Dec, 1915 – 19 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by Rowland H. Bather
Preceded by George N. Tomlin	Captain of H.M.S. Ceres 13 Jun, 1917 – Apr, 1918	Succeeded by Henry G. E. Lane
Preceded by Henry T. Buller	Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord Apr, 1918 – Apr, 1919	Succeeded by Alexander Lowndes as Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
Preceded by Ernest A. Taylor	Captain of H.M.S. Renown 4 Aug, 1921 – 16 Oct, 1922	Succeeded by The Hon. E. Rupert Drummond
Preceded by Francis A. Marten	Captain of Royal Naval College, Dartmouth 2 Jan, 1923 – 2 Jan, 1926	Succeeded by Martin E. Dunbar-Nasmith
Preceded by Albert P. Addison	Rear Admiral (D) Commanding Destroyer Flotillas, Mediterranean 1 Aug, 1926 – 1 Aug, 1928	Succeeded by Arthur B. S. Dutton
Preceded by Henry T. Buller	Captain of H.M.Y. Victoria and Albert 1 Apr, 1931	Succeeded by Sir Dudley B. N. North
Preceded by Sir Henry T. Buller as Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts	Vice-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Yachts 1 Apr, 1931 – 15 Dec, 1934	Succeeded by Dudley B. N. North