Cecil Henry Fox

Rear-Admiral (retired) Cecil Henry Fox, C.B., (27 May, 1873 – 1963) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Monkstown, Fox entered Britannia in January, 1886 after placing thirty-ninth in order of merit of the forty candidates for naval cadetship that were accepted for acceptance following a round of examinations in late November, 1885.

He received eight months time on passing out of Britannia in December, 1887. He was appointed first to the armoured cruiser Orlando on the Australia Station on 24 May, 1898.

Fox was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1894.

Fox was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1904.

Fox was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1911.

He was appointed as Captain (D) of the Third Destroyer Flotilla on 3 April, 1913, commanding the flotilla from Boadicea and, from August of that year, from Forward.

Great War

In April, 1914, he assumed command of the scout cruiser Amphion, continuing to command the Third Flotilla from her. Fox was to suffer the misfortune of losing her to a mine on 6 August – the first Royal Navy warship to be lost in the war. Fox was badly burned in the sinking and admitted to Shotley Hospital. He mended well, and while doing so was placed on the books of H.M.S. Vivid for charge of the new flotilla leader Faulknor, which was still being completed.

He was next appointed in command of the Undaunted on 6 October, 1914, almost immediately to fight the Action of 17 October, 1914, where he eradicated the entire enemy force of four torpedo boats off Texel. Fox was issued a letter on vellum commending him for his services in this battle, this being equivalent to a mention in despatches.

On 26 October, 1914 Fox was superseded in Undaunted and in command of the Third Flotilla by Francis G. St. John and became Captain in Charge of the Naval Base at Methil in the Firth of Forth. On 18 November, he was transferred to be Captain in Charge of Naval Base, Granton.

On 29 October, 1918, Fox was appointed to be Captain Superintendent, Clyde District and Senior Naval Officer, Clyde. He left the post when the depot closed down on 10 July, 1920.

Fox was granted a General Service Pension of 150 pounds a year on 5 July, 1921 and placed on the Retired List with the rank of Rear-Admiral on 2 May, 1922, vice Lumsden.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Joseph Sanders	Captain of H.M. T.B. 63 11 Jul, 1893 – c. 20 Aug, 1893[Inference]	Succeeded by Harold B. Bedwell
Preceded by The Hon. Hubert G. Brand	Captain of H.M.S. Contest 10 Sep, 1898	Succeeded by Charles Tibbits
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Jed 24 Jan, 1905 – 10 Jul, 1906	Succeeded by Charles John Wintour
Preceded by Francis G. St. John	Captain of H.M.S. Waveney 10 Jul, 1906 – 1 Oct, 1906	Succeeded by Alan C. Bruce
Preceded by Alan C. Bruce	Captain of H.M.S. Kale 1 Oct, 1906 – 14 Jan, 1908	Succeeded by Alan C. Bruce
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Mohawk 20 Apr, 1908 – 25 Feb, 1909	Succeeded by Cyril Asser
Preceded by Wilmot S. Nicholson	Captain of H.M.S. Attentive 25 Feb, 1909 – 13 Feb, 1911	Succeeded by Henry F. G. Talbot
Preceded by Ernest S. Carey	Captain of H.M.S. Boadicea 3 Apr, 1913 – 5 Jul, 1913	Succeeded by Louis C. S. Woollcombe
Preceded by Ernest S. Carey	Captain (D), Third Destroyer Flotilla 3 Apr, 1913 – 26 Oct, 1914	Succeeded by Francis G. St. John
Preceded by Charles J. Wintour	Captain of H.M.S. Forward Aug, 1913	Succeeded by Frederick P. Loder-Symonds
Preceded by Thomas D. Pratt	Captain of H.M.S. Amphion 3 Apr, 1914 – 6 Aug, 1914	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Faulknor 25 Aug, 1914 – 6 Oct, 1914	Succeeded by Herbert Meade
Preceded by H. Ralph Crooke	Captain of H.M.S. Undaunted 6 Oct, 1914 – 26 Oct, 1914	Succeeded by Francis G. St. John
Preceded by ?	Captain in Charge, Methil 26 Oct, 1914 – 18 Dec, 1914	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Captain in Charge, Granton 18 Nov, 1914 – 5 Mar, 1915	Succeeded by Sir James Startin as Senior Naval Officer, Granton
Preceded by William J. B. Law	Captain of H.M.S. Topaze 5 May, 1915 – 14 May, 1915	Succeeded by Francis C. Brown
Preceded by Herbert J. Savill	Captain of H.M.S. Powerful 16 May, 1915 – 4 Jul, 1917	Succeeded by Frederic W. Dean
Preceded by John H. Loftie	Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable 4 Jul, 1917 – 23 Aug, 1918	Succeeded by Charles P. Beaty-Pownall
Preceded by Charles F. Thorp	Flag Captain, Plymouth Station 4 Jul, 1917 – 3 Aug, 1918	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by John F. E. Green as Senior Naval Officer and Admiral Superintendent, Clyde	Captain Superintendent, Clyde District and Senior Naval Officer, Clyde 29 Oct, 1918 – 10 Jul, 1920	Succeeded by Depot Closed