Reginald Thomas Herbert Fletcher, First Baron Winster

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Lord Winster in later life.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Lieutenant-Commander R.N.R. Reginald Thomas Herbert Fletcher, First Baron Winster, K.C.M.G., R.N. (27 March, 1885 – 7 June, 1961) was an officer of the Royal Navy, a politician, and a colonial governor.

Early Life & Naval Career

Fletcher was born in Lewisham, the son of Nicholas and Dinah Fletcher of Rampholme, Westmorland.[1] Nicholas was an Instructor of Mathematics at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, for 26 years (not a Professor, as frequently stated).[2][3]

On 15 May, 1900, Reginald entered the Royal Navy as a Naval Cadet at the Britannia. After 16 months he passed out with two months' time towards the rating of Midshipman. On 15 September, 1901, he was appointed to the battleship Repulse in the Channel Squadron. On 15 November he was rated Midshipman without examination. Captain Spencer H. M. Login considered him "Attentive & persevering." After two and a half years in Repulse he was appointed to the battleship Cornwallis in the Mediterranean. Captain William B. Fisher considered him "Wanting in method." On 15 February, 1905, he passed the seamanship examination with a first class, with 918 out of 1,000 marks, and from that day became an Acting Sub-Lieutenant. He then went to study at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, joining on 14 March, and in May passed Navigation Part I (A and B) at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, with a third class certificate, and in October passed Pilotage with a first class (900 out of 1,000 marks). On 18 July his father died at Windermere, aged only 56.[4] After a course at Vernon in Portsmouth Fletcher passed in torpedo with a third class certificate (130 out of 200 marks) on 23 February, 1906. A month later, after study at Excellent, he failed in gunnery, but on 4 April later passed with a second class certificate, 795 out of 1,000 marks.

On 17 April, 1906, he was appointed to the Sapphire for the destroyer Liffey. However, his time in the Excellent caught up with him, as in August it was noted: 'Informed of T.L. [their Lordships'] displeasure at his unsatisfactory conduct in connection with debts incurred while serving in "Colossus" [tender to Excellent], & that he will be superseded in the "Liffey" at an early date.' He was superseded on 20 September, and remained unemployed until appointed to the armoured cruiser Carnarvon on 8 December. An appointment to the cruiser Aboukir on 5 March, 1907, was cancelled, and on 11 March he was appointed to the Cochrane instead. On 18 April his name was removed from the list of officers of the Royal Navy. His service record eloquently states: 'Gave further trouble in regard to debts: & in view of having been warned (12 March 1907[?]) his services are dispensed with forthwith.' Having just turned 22 he had no rank and no career.

Fletcher's obituary in The Times and his entry in the Dictionary of National Biography (subsequently the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography) imply that his naval service was continuous. The next seven years of his working life are a mystery. All that is known is that on 13 October, 1909, he married Elspeth, daughter of the Reverend H. J. Lomax of Abbotswood, Buxted, Sussex, niece of a Mrs. Edward Trotter, granddaughter of Robert Lomax of Great Harwood, Lancashire and of G. C. Dewhurst, Aberuchill Castle. The couple honeymooned at Woodside, Chenies, Buckinghamshire, lent to them by the Duchess of Bedford.[5]

Return to the Navy

On 19 September, 1914, Fletcher was granted a commission as a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. He was appointed to Excellent on 1 October for a short course, and on 28 October to the battleship Vengeance. After a few months in her he was appointed to the destroyer Jed in the Mediterranean on 12 February. He left the ship on 20 March, two days after the abortive assault on the Dardanelles.[6] On 8 April he was invalided home with neurasthenia. After a stay in Plymouth Hospital he was found fit on 11 May and appointed to the battleship Albemarle on 17 May. He was injured when the ship was badly damaged in heavy weather on 7 November in the Pentland Firth. The Court of Inquiry would commend him for his conduct. He was admitted to Chatham Hospital with "Lacerated wounds of scalp & nose." He would not be found fit, and only then for shore duty, until 6 September, 1916. On 18 September he was appointed as assistant to the officer in charge of 'Defensive Armaments in Bristol Channel Ports', and on 6 November was found fit for sea service. On 21 December he was appointed to Dido for Druid, and on 16 March, 1917, was appointed to the Courageous. The same month he applied for reinstatement in the Royal Navy. Lieutenant-Commander Thomas C. C. Bolster reported that he had 'carried out his duties with zeal & ability, worked hard & been successful in the organisation of the ship. Has shewn great tact in the treatment of the ship's coy [company]'.

His wish came true on 2 June, 1917, when he was reinstated on the Active List of the Navy and granted the rank of Lieutenant, with seniority of 19 September, 1914. He was reappointed to Courageous dated 16 April, 1917. In September he was again hospitalised, this time at Queensferry Hospital, and on 23 October was found fit for shore service and a week later appointed to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He remained there for the rest of the war. Christopher Andrew's claim that Fletcher 'spent most of the war serving on destroyers' is evidently not true.[7]

One of his wards at Dartmouth in the last year of the war was Stephen W. Roskill, who recalled in his memoirs:

He was a rich man, and something of a dandy in his dress; but he showed no real understanding of the problems of youth, and left far too much power in the hands of the Cadet Captains. His one innovation was to divide the term into 'Performers' and 'Passengers'. We all began in the latter category, but by achieving some distinction, such as College colours in any sport, one could be transferred to the Performer category.[8]

On 28 November, 1918, he was appointed for a course of instruction at the Intelligence School, and on 28 November joined the Intelligence Division on the Naval Staff at the Admiralty, 'to assist during absence of I.D. Offrs [officers] in Paris'. He remained in the division until November, 1921. On 14 May, 1920, his reception of the Order of the Crown of Roumania was gazetted. The Director of Naval Intelligence, Rear-Admiral Hugh F. P. Sinclair noted of him in July, 1921: "An exceptionally intelligent officer with an unusual grasp of foreign affairs. Does not get on with his equals or subordinates." On 19 September, 1922, he was was automatically promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander.

Politics

While unemployed he entered politics, standing as Liberal candidate for the division of Basingstoke in 1922.[9] He lost, but 'unexpectedly' won by 348 votes in 1923, becoming a Member of Parliament.[10] He was placed on the Retired List on 8 November, 1924, less than a fortnight after he lost his seat in the 1924 General Election.

In 1935 he stood as Labour candidate for Nuneaton in Warwickshire, taking the seat from the Unionists with a majority of 5,237.[11]

On 6 February, 1942, he was raised to the peerage and took the title of Baron Winster, of Withserslack in the County of Westmorland.[12]

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Lord Winster" (Obituary). The Times. Friday, 9 June, 1961. Issue 55103, col A, p. 20.
  2. ↑ The Navy List, Corrected to the 20th March, 1891. p. 360.
  3. ↑ "Deaths" (Death notice). The Times. Monday, 24 July, 1905. Issue 37767, col A, p. 1.
  4. ↑ "Deaths" (Death notice). The Times. Monday, 24 July, 1905. Issue 37767, col A, p. 1.
  5. ↑ "Marriages" (Marriage announcement). The Times. Thursday, 7 October, 1909. Issue 39084, col A, p. 11.
  6. ↑ "HMS JED." Naval-History.net. https://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-10-HMS_Jed.htm.
  7. ↑ Andrew. Her Majesty's Secret Service. p. 345.
  8. ↑ Roskill. A Sailor's Ditty Box. f. 11. Roskill Papers. Churchill Archives Centre. ROSK 24/3.
  9. ↑ "The Nominations" (News). The Times. Monday, 6 November, 1922. Issue 43181, col A, p. 20.
  10. ↑ "The By-Elections" (News). The Times. Tuesday, 13 March, 1934. Issue 46701, col B, p. 9.
  11. ↑ "General Election Results–1935" (News). The Times. Saturday, 16 November, 1935. Issue 47223, col A, p. 31.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 35446. p. 609. 6 February 1942.

Bibliography

Service Records

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