Montague George Bentinck Legge

Rear-Admiral Montague George Bentinck Legge, D.S.O. (16 December, 1883 – 11 February, 1951) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Legge was born in Paddington, the son of a Lieutenant Colonel E. H. Legge. He gained four months' time on passing out of Britannia. He was sent to join the Mars on 7 September, 1899.

Legge was specially recommended for advancement in April, 1905 and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 September, 1905.

Legge was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 September, 1913.

Legge was appointed in command of the destroyer Forester on 14 November, 1913.

Great War

In 1915, Forester and Archer collided. Legge was admonished for allowing the Officer of the Watch to undertake such a large alteration in course.

Legge commanded the destroyer Nerissa at the Battle of Jutland, where she fought as part of the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla. Legge was gazetted on 15 September 1916, "Having defeated the enemy destroyers, gallantly pressed home attack with torpedoes on the enemy Battle Cruisers." A D.S.O. was invested upon him by the King at Buckingham Palace on 10 February, 1917.

On 5 March, 1917, Nerissa lost a Maxim gun overboard in heavy weather and Legge was told to be more careful in future. Legge became ill with measles on 11 March.

Legge was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1917.

On 26 January, 1918, he left Nerissa when he was appointed in command of the destroyer Vesper. On 3 July he was hospitalised in Queensferry with influenza. He was found fit on 13 July.

Interbellum

Legge was appointed in command of the destroyer Tancred on 11 January, 1921.

Legge was appointed in command of the shallow draught steamer Widgeon on 8 November, 1921 (or 1922?) as Senior Naval Officer, Upper Yangtze. In January 1925, he was superseded in that command by Salisbury Hamilton Simpson.

Legge was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1925.

On 20 February, 1930 Legge assumed duty as the Royal Naval Attaché, Tokyo.

Legge was appointed in command of the battleship Centurion in June, 1933. He grounded her on 11 September, 1934 and was chastised for having failed to see she was being safely navigated by her pilot and for failing to take action upon seeing her developing predicament.

Legge was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 July, 1936 and was placed on the Retired List the following day in accord with the provisions of the Order in Council of 9 March, 1914.

World War II

Legge worked with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Selection Board from June, 1939. In November however, he was in Jamaica and was reportedly medically unfit and returning to the U.K. with his staff. In 1940, he was commenced work as the Roof Lookout Control Officer with the Air Ministry, with the rank of Captain. Presumably, this involved civilian observers reporting from their roofs.

Legge died of myocardial degeneration and bronchial emphysema on 11 February, 1951.

See Also

• Service Records
• Thirteenth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Hugh U. Fletcher	Captain of H.M.S. Surly 29 Mar, 1909 – 1 Jan, 1910	Succeeded by Edmond A. B. Stanley
Preceded by Hugh T. England	Captain of H.M.S. Fawn 1 Jan, 1910 – 23 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Adrian St. V. Keyes
Preceded by Walter L. Allen	Captain of H.M.S. Desperate 23 Aug, 1910 – 15 Nov, 1911	Succeeded by Edmond A. B. Stanley
Preceded by James F. Houstoun	Captain of H.M.S. Forester 14 Nov, 1913 – 4 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by Wilfred A. Thompson
Preceded by Wilfred A. Thompson	Captain of H.M.S. Nerissa 8 Apr, 1916 – 26 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Edward O. Tudor
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Vesper 26 Jan, 1918 – 25 Aug, 1920	Succeeded by Richard B. England
Preceded by Hamilton C. Allen	Captain of H.M.S. Tancred 11 Jan, 1921 – 15 Mar, 1922	Succeeded by Hugh M. Barnes
Preceded by Geoffrey Corlett	Captain of H.M.S. Widgeon c. Dec, 1922	Succeeded by Salisbury H. Simpson
Preceded by Sir Leonard P. Vavasour, Bart.	Captain of H.M.S. Dartmouth early 1926 – 15 Apr, 1926	Succeeded by Norman M. C. Thurstan
Preceded by Evelyn C. O. Thomson	Captain of H.M.S. Mackay 2 Dec, 1926 – 6 Apr, 1927	Succeeded by John H. K. Clegg
Preceded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe	Captain (D), Seventh Destroyer Flotilla 2 Dec, 1926 – 6 Apr, 1927	Succeeded by John H. K. Clegg
Preceded by George H. D'O. Lyon	Captain of H.M.S. Stuart 2 May, 1927 – 19 Dec, 1928	Succeeded by William J. Whitworth
Preceded by George H. D'O. Lyon	Captain (D), Second Destroyer Flotilla 2 May, 1927 – 19 Dec, 1928	Succeeded by William J. Whitworth
Preceded by Ragnar M. Colvin as Royal Navy Naval Attaché for Japan and China	Royal Navy Naval Attaché at Tokyo 20 Feb, 1930 – Jan, 1933	Succeeded by Henry B. Rawlings
Preceded by Francis S. W. de Winton	Captain of H.M.S. Centurion 1 Jun, 1933 – Jan, 1934	Succeeded by Geoffrey R. S. Watkins
Preceded by William J. Whitworth	Captain of H.M.S. Centurion 26 Jun, 1934 – 1 Jan, 1935	Succeeded by Irving M. Palmer
Preceded by Albert J. Robertson	Captain of H.M.S. Greenwich 1 Aug, 1935 – 4 Aug, 1936	Succeeded by Francis H. G. Walker
Preceded by William M. Kerr	Captain of Rosyth Dockyard ? – 4 Aug, 1936	Succeeded by Francis H. G. Walker
Preceded by Albert J. Robertson	Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet, Rosyth 1 Aug, 1935 – 4 Aug, 1936	Succeeded by Francis H. G. Walker
Preceded by Albert J. Robertson	King's Harbour Master, Rosyth 1 Aug, 1935 – 4 Aug, 1936	Succeeded by Francis H. G. Walker