Robin George Bruce Giffard-Brine

Midshipman Robin George Bruce Giffard-Brine, R.N. (3 February, 1899 – 31 May, 1916) served in the Royal Navy and died at the Battle of Jutland.

Life & Career

Robin George Bruce Giffard (nicknamed "Chips") was born the son of Admiral George Augustus Giffard. Frederic Giffard was his eldest brother. Another older brother, Charles, would die in a shooting accident in Canada in 1921. Robin would add his mother's maiden name, Brine, to Giffard some time around 1911.

Giffard-Brine was appointed to the second class protected cruiser Charybdis straight out of an accelerated course at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in August, 1914. He was promoted to the rank of Midshipman with seniority of 28 August, 1914, which was adjusted to 2 August.

In mid-November, he was sent briefly to Pembroke before winding up in the battleship Hindustan, appointed 25 November. On 17 October 1915, he was admitted to Queensferry Hospital with a severe concussion and scalp wound. He was to be allowed six weeks to convalesce, but this was extended after a visit to Haslar Hospital. He was declared fit on 3 January, 1916.

Giffard-Brine was appointed to the battlecruiser Invincible on 8 January, 1916. He died in her when she was destroyed at the Battle of Jutland, having only days before shown his ship to a reporter of the Grey River Argus, who reported on 27 July, "My personal interest in the Invincible list centred, however, rather in one of the midshipmen, who had constituted himself my courteous and informing guide through the vessel. Robin G. Giffard Brine had not seen action before, but he had served for some time in Invincible and other vessels, and, like the typical British midshipman, was full of boyish confidence and eagerness. There are many homes darkened today for the loss of just such boys."

See Also

• Service Records

Bibiliography

• Email from Ben Giffard (whose father was a great nephew to Admiral G. A. Giffard) to Tone, 20180813, who also provided me his Service Record.