Joseph Charles Walrond Henley

Vice-Admiral Joseph Charles Walrond Henley, C.B., D.L., J.P. (12 September, 1879 – 9 June, 1968) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

On 12 December, 1895, Henley was appointed to the new battleship Magnificent.

Henley was awarded the Goodenough Medal and the Beaufort Testimonial for 1899.

Having passed the best examination in practical Gunnery when qualifying for Gunnery Lieutenant, Henley was awarded the Commander Egerton Prize for 1903.

Lieutenant

In April of 1906, Henley was appointed to Excellent for duty in connection with the Hydraulic Manual.

On 19 August, 1907, Henley was lent to the Naval Ordnance Department to look after the work of Lieutenant Frederic C. Dreyer, who was lecturing on gunnery the nucleus crews of the Home Fleet. In 1908 he was appointed gunnery officer of Agamemnon, "to join as soon he can be spared by DNO [Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]." He injured and admitted to Chatham Hospital on 13 August, and discharged to duty on 13 October. Some time in 1909, on relief from Agamemnon, he was appointed to President as an additional Lieutenant (G) in the Naval Ordnance Department. On 15 December he was appointed an Assistant to the D.N.O., responsible for fire control in succession to now-Commander Dreyer.

Commander

Henley was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1910. He was reappointed as an Assistant to D.N.O., where he served until 30 December, 1911, when he was appointed to Prince of Wales as Flag Commander to the new Vice-Admiral Commanding the Atlantic Fleet, Vice-Admiral Jellicoe. He was qualified for the War Staff on 1 July, 1912, without having to pass the course at the Royal Naval War College. On 10 January, 1913, he was appointed to Queen, and on 13 June he was appointed to Egmont as Flag Commander to the Second-in-Command, Mediterranean, Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney.

On 30 April, 1914, Henley was appointed as Commander (Executive Officer) of Lord Nelson, flagship of Vice-Admiral Burney, now Vice-Admiral Commanding the Second and Third Fleets of the Home Fleets.

Great War

Upon the outbreak of war the Second and Third Fleets became the Channel Fleet. On 19 December Burney was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding the First Battle Squadron in the Grand Fleet, flying his flag in Marlborough, and Henley went with him as Flag Commander and War Staff Officer. He served at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May, 1916, and on 30 June he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He was reappointed to Burney's staff for War Staff Duties. On 1 December, 1916, he was appointed Captain of the light cruiser Conquest, which command he held until 16 May, 1917, when he was appointed Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty under Captain Dreyer, now Director of Naval Ordnance.

Post-War

Henley was appointed in command of the battleship Emperor of India on 2 January, 1919. He was superseded in command on 21 February, 1921, and on 7 March was appointed a member of the Ordnance Committee. He held this position until 1 November, 1922, when he was appointed to President for duty inside the Admiralty, and on 1 December was appointed Director of Naval Ordnance (D.N.O.) in succession to Captain Roger R. C. Backhouse. He was superseded as D.N.O. on 11 May, 1925, on which date he was appointed in command of Iron Duke, and as Flag Captain and Chief Staff Officer to Vice-Admiral Michael H. Hodges from 29 May.

He was appointed in command of the battleship H.M.S. Barham in March 1926, remaining with her fourteen months.

Flag Rank

Henley was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 3 August, 1927, vice McClintock. After several months of half pay he was appointed to President on 3 May, 1928, for service inside the Admiralty, and on 15 May as Director of Naval Equipment. On 14 March, 1930 he was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the First Cruiser Squadron, assuming command on 11 April.

Invergordon Mutiny & Retirement

At a meeting of the Sea Lords of the Board of Admiralty on 1 January, 1932, in the wake of the Invergordon Mutiny, it was minuted that:

The Sea Lords decided that Rear Admiral Henley should be retired on promotion to Vice Admiral.

He was superseded in command of the First Cruiser Squadron on 11 April. He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 1 July, and on 2 July was placed on the Retired List.

Bibliography

• Brooks, John (2005). Dreadnought Gunnery and the Battle of Jutland: The Question of Fire Control. Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 0714657026. (on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk).
• Dreyer, Admiral Sir Frederic C. (1955). The Sea Heritage: A Study of Maritime Warfare. London: Museum Press Limited.

Papers

• Uncatalogued papers in the possession of the National Maritime Museum.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/142.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/125.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/90.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/45.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Roger R. C. Backhouse	Captain of H.M.S. Conquest 1 Dec, 1916 – 16 May, 1917	Succeeded by Argentine H. Alington
Preceded by Herbert R. Norbury	Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance 16 May, 1917 – 2 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Cecil V. Usborne
Preceded by Charles W. R. Royds	Captain of H.M.S. Emperor of India 2 Jan, 1919 – 21 Feb, 1921	Succeeded by Arthur E. F. Bedford
Preceded by Oliver Backhouse	Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee 7 Mar, 1921 – 1 Nov, 1922	Succeeded by Lionel V. Wells
Preceded by Roger R. C. Backhouse	Director of Naval Ordnance 1 Dec, 1922 – 11 May, 1925	Succeeded by Julian F. C. Patterson
Preceded by Charles M. Forbes	Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke 29 May, 1925 – Mar, 1926	Succeeded by Raymond Fitzmaurice
Preceded by Francis A. Marten	Captain of H.M.S. Barham Mar, 1926 – May, 1927	Succeeded by James F. Somerville
Preceded by Henry W. Parker	Director of Naval Equipment 15 May, 1928 – 14 Mar, 1930	Succeeded by Harold O. Reinold
Preceded by Henry W. Parker	Rear-Admiral Commanding, First Cruiser Squadron 14 Mar, 1930 – 11 Apr, 1932	Succeeded by George K. Chetwode