Rudolf Miles Burmester

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Admiral Sir Rudolf M. Burmester, 1931.
© National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR Rudolf Miles Burmester K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., R.N. (11 November, 1875 – 27 December, 1956) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Burmester was born at The Elms in Thames Ditton. After entering the Navy he was rated Midshipman on 15 August, 1890.[1]

Burmester was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant on 14 September, 1894.[1]

Burmester was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1897.[1]

Burmester married Marjorie Gladys Lloyd on March 20, 1907, and was promoted to the rank of Commander three months later on 30 June.[1]

He was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Latona on 20 August, 1913.[2]

Burmester was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1914.[3]

Great War

Burmester was appointed in command of the armoured cruiser Euryalus on 21 October, 1914 and became the Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. He was mentioned in despatches as a result of service at Gallipoli in 1915.[4] On 24 March, 1917, he relinquished command of Euryalus but remained aboard and retained his duties as Chief of Staff until 12 August, 1917.[5]

He served as Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, The Honourable Sir Somerset A. Gough-Calthorpe, from 22 August, 1917 to 26 August, 1919.[6][7]

Post-War

In 1922 he was appointed Chief of Staff to Gough-Calthorpe, now Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

In April, 1923, he was appointed in command of Warspite.[8]

Having been promoted to Rear Admiral in 1924, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Africa Station in 1929.[9]

World War II

Burmester also served in World War II as Commander of Naval Forces based in the Swansea area from 4 July, 1940. From February, 1941, he was Flag Officer in Charge, Cardiff, vice Vice-Admiral Tomkinson, serving in the rank of Rear Admiral.[10]

On 8 February, 1944 was superseded as Flag Officer in Charge, Cardiff by Thomas Hugh Binney.[11]

Bibliography

  • "Adml. Sir R. Burmester" (Obituaries). The Times. Saturday, 29 December, 1956. Issue 53725, col E, p. 8.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Alan C. Bruce
Captain of H.M. T.B. 77
8 Jul, 1896[12]
Succeeded by
Thomas J. Croker
Preceded by
John W. Renshaw
Captain of H.M.S. Hunter
16 Jul, 1901[13]
Succeeded by
Edward Duffett
Preceded by
James U. Farie
Captain of H.M.S. Latona
20 Aug, 1913[14][15] – 25 Jul, 1914[16]
Succeeded by
Thomas H. M. Maurice
Preceded by
Claude W. B. Scobell
Captain of H.M.S. Charybdis
1 Aug, 1914[17] – 21 Oct, 1914[18]
Succeeded by
Robert W. Glennie
Preceded by
Eustace La T. Leatham
Captain of H.M.S. Euryalus
21 Oct, 1914[19] – 24 Mar, 1917[20]
Succeeded by
Robert H. R. MacKay
Preceded by
Maurice S. FitzMaurice
Chief of Staff, Mediterranean Station
12 Aug, 1917[21]
Succeeded by
Barry E. Domvile
Preceded by
?
Director of the Communications Division
15 Nov, 1919[22] – 28 Apr, 1920[23]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Robert N. Bax
Captain of H.M.S. Warspite
5 Apr, 1923[24] – 4 Jan, 1926[25]
Succeeded by
Stephen St. L. Moore
Preceded by
John W. L. McClintock
Director of the Mobilisation Department
18 Dec, 1926[26] – 18 Dec, 1928[27]
Succeeded by
Edward A. Astley-Rushton
Preceded by
David M. Anderson
Commander-in-Chief, Africa Station
27 Dec, 1928[28] – 26 Feb, 1931[29]
Succeeded by
Hugh J. Tweedie

Footnotes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Royal Navy Admirals 1904–1945
  2. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 337.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 28842. p. 4880. 22 June, 1914.
  4. Galipolli Campaign – Naval Mentions
  5. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 31262 p. 4195. 25 March, 1919.
  7. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  8. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  9. Whitaker's Almanack 1930
  10. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 235.
  11. Binney Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/9. f. 412.
  12. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), 3 July, 1896; pg. 12.
  13. "The Naval Manoeuvres." The Times (London, England), Thursday, July 11, 1901, Issue 36504, p.8.
  14. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 337.
  15. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  16. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  17. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  18. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  19. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  20. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  21. The Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 783.
  22. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  23. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  24. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  25. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  26. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  27. Superseded that day. Astley-Rushton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45. f. 55.
  28. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.
  29. Burmester Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/39. f. 39.