Thomas Webster Kemp: Difference between revisions

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to navigationJump to search
Line 15: Line 15:
Kemp was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 31 December, 1905.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27870/pages/25 no. 27870.  p. 25.]  2 January, 1906.</ref>
Kemp was promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 31 December, 1905.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27870/pages/25 no. 27870.  p. 25.]  2 January, 1906.</ref>


On 19 March, 1907, he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Europa|f=t}}.  He was appointed to ''President'' for a third war course on 11 February, 1908, where he was placed first out of eight class III officers.  He was adjudged, "Good, but wanting in tact and judgement, difficult to employ with thus."  Dr. Mary Jones in a recent work cites this comment on Kemp by War College head Rear-Admiral Lowry as "the sort of confidential report that appeared for torpedo officers."<ref>Jones.  pp. 170-171.</ref>  It's a quaint notion but completely undermined by the fact that Kemp wasn't a torpedo officer.
On 19 March, 1907, he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Europa|f=t}}.  He was appointed to ''President'' for a third war course on 11 February, 1908, where he was placed first out of eight class III officers.  He was adjudged, "Good, but wanting in tact and judgement, difficult to employ with thus."  Dr. Mary Jones in a recent work cites this comment on Kemp by War College head Rear-Admiral Lowry as "the sort of confidential report that appeared for torpedo officers."<ref>Jones.  pp. 170-171.</ref>  The argument is completely undermined by the fact that Kemp ''wasn't'' a torpedo officer, and she provides no other examples to support her contention.


He was appointed in command of {{UK-Hogue|f=t}} on 11 May before being appointed to ''Vivid'' for trials of {{UK-Defence|f=t}}.  On 5 October he was appointed to ''President'' for an {N) course.  In October he was appointed in command of {{UK-Diana|f=t}}.
He was appointed in command of {{UK-Hogue|f=t}} on 11 May before being appointed to ''Vivid'' for trials of {{UK-Defence|f=t}}.  On 5 October he was appointed to ''President'' for an {N) course.  In October he was appointed in command of {{UK-Diana|f=t}}.

Revision as of 17:48, 8 May 2013

Admiral Thomas Webster Kemp, C.B., C.M.G., C.I.E., Royal Navy, Retired (27 September, 1866 – 13 January, 1928) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Kemp was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 January, 1890.[1] He remained in Partridge in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant (N) until paying off on 14 March, 1892. On 21 July he was appointed to Tribune for the annual manœuvres, and on 15 August he was appointed to Abyssinia for the Indian defence torpedo boat. He was appointed to Magdala on 1 January, 1893 for the same duty. He remained in this appointment until 24 August, 1894.

On 14 January, 1895, he was appointed to Mersey, Coastguard ship at Harwich. He was appointed to Blonde on the Cape Station on 10 September, where he remained until 1898.

Kemp was appointed to Vivid for the Dockyard Reserve at Plymouth on 5 October, 1898, and was appointed to Aurora on the China Station on 16 February, 1899. For his services in China he was promoted to the rank of Commander on 9 November, 1900.[2]

Following promotion he took a Signals course and a Senior Officers' (G) course. He was appointed to Arrogant on the China Station on 1 April, but requested to be relieved in July, 1901, which request was granted and he was superseded on 23 July. He was appointed in command of Sphinx on the East Indies Station on 29 October. he remained in her until 14 October, 1904. During this time he served as Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf.

Kemp was appointed a Companion of the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.) on 2 January, 1905.[3]

Captain

Kemp was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1905.[4]

On 19 March, 1907, he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Europa. He was appointed to President for a third war course on 11 February, 1908, where he was placed first out of eight class III officers. He was adjudged, "Good, but wanting in tact and judgement, difficult to employ with thus." Dr. Mary Jones in a recent work cites this comment on Kemp by War College head Rear-Admiral Lowry as "the sort of confidential report that appeared for torpedo officers."[5] The argument is completely undermined by the fact that Kemp wasn't a torpedo officer, and she provides no other examples to support her contention.

He was appointed in command of armoured cruiser Hogue on 11 May before being appointed to Vivid for trials of armoured cruiser Defence. On 5 October he was appointed to President for an {N) course. In October he was appointed in command of destroyer Diana.

Kemp was appointed captain of the battleship London on 15 September, 1913, and paid her off on 17 February, 1914.

Great War

On 5 September, 1914, Kemp was appointed Captain of the Armed Merchant Cruiser Calgarian, which command he held until 6 September, 1915, and on 26 September he was appointed to Pembroke for command of the Iphigenia.[6] At some point in 1915 he returned his commission but was informed that he could not resign from the Service in a time of war for the reasons he gave.[7] On 10 June, 1916, he was appointed Commodore, Second Class whilst Senior Naval Officer at Archangel. On 14 October he was appointed to Vindictive, again as Commodore, Second Class,[8] as Senior Naval Officer, White Sea.[9]

Kemp was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 27 April, 1917. He was placed on the Retired List on 28 April.[10] On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 4 June.[11] In the King's birthday honours of 3 June, 1918, he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (C.M.G.) for his services as Rear-Admiral in charge at Murmansk.[12][13]

Retirement

Kemp was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 May, 1922,[14] and advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 8 November, 1926.[15]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26007. p. 7553. 31 December, 1889.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27245. p. 6855. 9 November, 1900.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27750. p. 22. 3 January, 1905.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27870. p. 25. 2 January, 1906.
  5. ↑ Jones. pp. 170-171.
  6. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 52.
  7. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 103.
  8. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 52.
  9. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/88. f. 103.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30042. p. 4095. 1 May, 1917.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30111. p. 5454. 4 June, 1917.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30723. p. 6530. 3 June, 1918.
  13. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 52.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 32695. p. 3625. 9 May, 1922.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33222. p. 7477. 19 November, 1926.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Kemp" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 16 January, 1928. Issue 44791, col B, p. 14.
  • Jones, Mary (2012). "Towards a Hierarchy of Management: The Victorian and Edwardian Navy, 1860-1918". In Doe, Helen; Harding, Richard. Naval Leadership and Management, 1650-1950: Essays in Honour of Michael Duffy. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. ISBN 9781843836957.

Service Records


Naval Appointments

 

Template:CatAdmiral

Retrieved from "http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=Thomas_Webster_Kemp&oldid=68189"