James Andrew Fergusson

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Admiral Sir James A. Fergusson, 1930.
Photograph: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR James Andrew Fergusson, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., Royal Navy (16 April, 1871 – 13 April, 1942) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

On 21 July, 1892 he was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, dated 14 February, 1891.[1] On the same day, he was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 67 for manoeuvres.[2]

An appointment in Alacrity on the China Station ran from 15 August, 1892 to 15 May, 1895.[3]

During this deployment, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1893.[4]

Fergusson was specially promoted to the rank of Commander on 21 October, 1900, for services in South Africa.[5]

Captain

Fergusson was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1905.[6]

Fergusson was tried by Court Martial on 17 June 1912 aboard H.M.S. Europa at Devonport for having negligently or by default caused the grounding of Empress of India. He offered the seemingly assertive defence that the charge was based on no element of his written instructions which had contributed in the slightest manner to the incident. The court agreed and he was acquitted.[7]

Great War

He was appointed in command of the battleship Thunderer on 14 August, 1915,[8] and directed her operation as part of the Second Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland.[9] His report on the battle appears in the Official Despatches.

Fergusson was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 27 April, 1917.[10]

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.[11]

Post-War

Fergusson was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 6 April, 1922, vice Pakenham.[12]

He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 25 October, 1926, vice Tothill.[13] He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 11 June, 1928.[14]

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir James Fergusson" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 16 April, 1942. Issue 49211, col E, p. 7.

Service Records

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Pierce Ferris
Captain of H.M. T.B. 67
21 Jul, 1892[15] – 15 Aug, 1892[16]
Succeeded by
George H. Borrett
Preceded by
Arthur H. D. Ravenhill
Captain of H.M. T.B. 35
May, 1894[17]
Succeeded by
Hugh J. Woodward
as Captain of H.M. T.B. 035
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Shannon
10 Mar, 1908[18][19] – 9 Aug, 1910[20]
Succeeded by
George H. Baird
Preceded by
Charles L. Vaughan-Lee
Captain of H.M.S. Warrior
1 Dec, 1911[21][22] – 25 Aug, 1913[23]
Succeeded by
George H. Borrett
Preceded by
New Commission
Captain of H.M.S. Benbow
14 May, 1914[24] – 24 Aug, 1915[25]
Succeeded by
Henry W. Parker
Preceded by
Charles L. Vaughan-Lee
Captain of H.M.S. Thunderer
14 Aug, 1915[26] – 13 Aug, 1917[27]
Succeeded by
Thomas D. Pratt
Preceded by
Cecil F. Lambert
as Commodore First Class Commanding, Second Light Cruiser Squadron
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Second Light Cruiser Squadron
9 May, 1918[28]
Succeeded by
Squadron Abolished[29]
Preceded by
Douglas R. L. Nicholson
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Devonport Reserve
18 Mar, 1919[30] – 9 Apr, 1919[31]
Succeeded by
Maurice Woollcombe
Preceded by
Sir Sydney R. Fremantle
Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
1 May, 1919[32] – 23 Jul, 1919[33]
Succeeded by
Sir Osmond de B. Brock
Preceded by
Sir Alexander L. Duff
Assistant Chief of Naval Staff
24 Jul, 1919[34] – 15 Mar, 1920[35]
Succeeded by
Sir A. Ernle M. Chatfield
Preceded by
Sir Walter H. Cowan
Rear-Admiral Commanding, First Light Cruiser Squadron
Jul, 1920[36] – Apr, 1922[37]
Succeeded by
Hubert G. Brand
Preceded by
Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bart.
Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station
26 Jun, 1924[38] – 1 Jun, 1926[39]
Succeeded by
Walter Henry Cowan
as Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 26310. p. 4249. 26 July, 1892.
  2. "The Naval Manœuvres". The Times. Saturday, 16 July, 1892. Issue 33692, col A, p. 17.
  3. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  4. The London Gazette: no. 26422. p. 3981. 14 July, 1893.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 27244. p. 6779. 6 November, 1900.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 27870. p. 25. 2 January, 1906.
  7. "Naval Court Martial." The Times (London, England), Tuesday, June 18, 1912, Issue 39928, p.16.
  8. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  9. Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 43.
  10. The London Gazette: no. 30042. p. 4095. 1 May, 1917.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 79. 1 January, 1918.
  12. The London Gazette: no. 32672. p. 3030. 14 April, 1922.
  13. The London Gazette: no. 33221. p. 7406. 16 November, 1926.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 33394. p. 4107. 15 June, 1928.
  15. "The Naval Manœuvres". The Times. Saturday, 16 July, 1892. Issue 33692, col A, p. 17.
  16. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  17. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1894. p. 196.
  18. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  19. The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 374.
  20. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  21. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  22. The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 396.
  23. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  24. The Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 281.
  25. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  26. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  27. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  28. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. f. 25.
  29. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  30. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  31. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  32. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 199.
  33. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  34. The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. p. 123.
  35. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  36. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43 f. 199.
  37. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88 f. 102.
  38. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88 f. 102.
  39. Fergusson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/88 f. 102.