James Rose Price Hawksley

Vice-Admiral James R. P. Hawksley as a Commodore, Second Class, 1917.
Portrait: Francis Dodd. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1748).

Vice-Admiral James Rose Price Hawksley, C.B., C.V.O., Royal Navy, Retired (1 August, 1871 – 7 April, 1955) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Hawksley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1894.

He was found at fault for the grounding of Sturgeon on 29 October, 1898 though no clear record exists of his being appointed to that ship.

After a succession of destroyer commands, Hawksley was promoted to the rank of Acting Commander on 24 February, 1905 and to Commander on 30 June, 1905.

His string of destroyer commands then continued. He was appointed in command of the "A" Class destroyer Spitfire on 11 July, 1905.

At the end of 1911 after a short stint in command of Victorious, he was appointed to help refine instructions for training destroyers.

Captain

Hawksley was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1912.

He was appointed in command of the destroyer depot ship Venus on 4 April, 1913, supporting the First Destroyer Flotilla.

On 6 January 1914, he was appointed in command of the scout cruiser Active, being made Captain (D) of the Second Destroyer Flotilla in March 1914. He remained in command of the flotilla upon moving to the light cruiser Galatea when she replaced Active, moving back to Active on 10 February, 1915.

In November 1915, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Castor.

At the Battle of Jutland, he commanded the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla from light cruiser Castor as Commodore (F).

Hawkesley was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Inflexible in November, 1917.

Hawksley was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 23 July, 1922, and was placed on the Retired List, at his own request, on 24 July. He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 14 January, 1928.

See Also

• Eleventh D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

Bibliography

• "Vice-Admiral J. R. P. Hawksley" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 22 April, 1955. Issue 53201, col B, p. 15.

Papers

• Papers in the possession of the Imperial War Museum. Catalogue Number 12223 Con Shelf.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/43.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by William F. De Salis	Captain of H.M.S. Swordfish 10 Sep, 1898	Succeeded by Alan C. Bruce
Preceded by John F. E. Green	Captain of H.M.S. Salmon 10 Sep, 1898 – 8 Oct, 1898	Succeeded by Guy de L. O. Johnson
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Ariel 8 Oct, 1898 – Apr, 1899[Inference]	Succeeded by Thomas F. T. Michell
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Tiger 5 Oct, 1900 – 5 Jan, 1902	Succeeded by Alexander H. Quicke
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Ostrich 5 Jan, 1902 – 13 May, 1902	Succeeded by Henry R. Heathcote
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Lively 13 May, 1902 – 25 Oct, 1902	Succeeded by Ernest E. Parker
Preceded by Reginald G. Gregory	Captain of H.M.S. Spitfire 11 Jul, 1905 – 3 Sep, 1905	Succeeded by Robert J. Buchanan
Preceded by Robert J. Buchanan	Captain of H.M.S. Ure 4 Sep, 1905 – 10 Apr, 1906	Succeeded by George K. Chetwode
Preceded by William N. England	Captain of H.M.S. Teviot 10 Apr, 1906 – 28 May, 1906	Succeeded by Charles H. Morgan
Preceded by George K. Chetwode	Captain of H.M.S. Ure 28 May, 1906 – 12 Mar, 1908	Succeeded by Osmond J. Prentis
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Cossack 12 Mar, 1908 – 6 Aug, 1909	Succeeded by Hugh P. Buckle
Preceded by Arthur A. M. Duff	Captain of H.M.S. Adventure 10 Aug, 1909 – 10 Aug, 1911	Succeeded by George Trewby
Preceded by Ernest H. Grafton	Captain of H.M.S. Victorious 22 Aug, 1911 – 26 Sep, 1911	Succeeded by William Mellor
Preceded by Charles E. Le Mesurier	Captain of H.M.S. Spartiate 9 Jan, 1912 – 5 Feb, 1912	Succeeded by The Hon. George A. Hardinge
Preceded by Charles W. Keighly-Peach	Captain of H.M.S. Hogue 22 Apr, 1912 – 19 Aug, 1912	Succeeded by Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by Thomas L. Shelford	Captain of H.M.S. Venus 25 Apr, 1913 – 1 Oct, 1913	Succeeded by Hugh Gaultier-Coghill Somerville
Preceded by Maurice Woollcombe	Captain of H.M.S. Diana 1 Oct, 1913 – 6 Jan, 1914	Succeeded by George B. Hutton
Preceded by George Trewby	Captain of H.M.S. Active 6 Jan, 1914 – 1914	Succeeded by Thomas D. Pratt
Preceded by James U. Farie	Captain (D), Second Destroyer Flotilla 11 Mar, 1914 – 1915	Succeeded by John B. Sparks
Preceded by Thomas D. Pratt	Captain of H.M.S. Galatea Dec, 1914 – 10 Feb, 1915	Succeeded by Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair
Preceded by Hugh J. Tweedie	Captain of H.M.S. Active 10 Feb, 1915 – 1915	Succeeded by Percy Withers
Preceded by Cyril S. Townsend	Captain of H.M.S. Castor Nov, 1915 – Nov, 1917	Succeeded by Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by ?	Captain (D), Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla before 31 May, 1916	Succeeded by Edward O. Gladstone
Preceded by ?	Commodore (F), Grand Fleet before Jun, 1916	Succeeded by Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by Bertram S. Thesiger	Captain of H.M.S. Inflexible Nov, 1917 – 15 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by Ernest W. Denison
Preceded by Douglas R. L. Nicholson as Rear-Admiral, Reserve Fleet, Portland, etc	Captain in Charge, Portland 1 Apr, 1920 – 4 Apr, 1922	Succeeded by Arthur C. S. H. D'Aeth