Charles John Briggs: Difference between revisions

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Briggs relieved Rear-Admiral [[Stanley Cecil James Colville|The Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville]] as Rear-Admiral in the First Division of the [[Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Home Fleet]] on 4 January, 1909.
Briggs relieved Rear-Admiral [[Stanley Cecil James Colville|The Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville]] as Rear-Admiral in the First Division of the [[Home Fleet (Royal Navy)|Home Fleet]] on 4 January, 1909.


On the authority of Marder, Briggs was apparently called "the old sheep farmer" by Battenberg and Fisher, successive First Sea Lords.<ref>Marder.  '''I'''.  p. 418.</ref>  In 1911 Fisher informed [[Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill|Winston S. Churchill]], the new First Lord of the Admiralty, that Briggs and his D.N.O., [[Archibald Gordon Henry Wilson Moore|Gordon Moore]], were "Slugs who want you to perpetuate Battleships of the <u>Tortoise</u> type[,] all armour and no speed and d&mdash;d costly as compared with a <u>far cheaper, far faster</u> and <u>63 per cent more powerful ship!!</u>"<ref>Churchill.  ''Winston S. Churchill.  Companion Volume II.  Part 2''.  p. 1349.</ref>
On the authority of Marder, Briggs was apparently called "the old sheep farmer" by Battenberg and Fisher, successive First Sea Lords.<ref>Marder.  '''I'''.  p. 418.</ref>  In 1911 Fisher informed [[Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill|Winston S. Churchill]], the new First Lord of the Admiralty, that Briggs and his D.N.O., [[Archibald Gordon Henry Wilson Moore|Gordon Moore]], were "Slugs who want you to perpetuate Battleships of the <u>Tortoise</u> type[,] all armour and no speed and d&mdash;d costly as compared with a <u>far cheaper, far faster</u> and <u>63 per cent more powerful ship!!</u>"<ref>Churchill.  ''Winston S. Churchill.  Companion Volume II.  Part 2''.  p. 1349.</ref> [[Ernest Charles Thomas Troubridge|Ernest Troubridge]] however considered Briggs "clever".<ref>Troubridge to Battenberg. 12 November 1911. MB1/T9/47. Battenberg MSS. University of Southampton. Quite what this says about Briggs depends on the reader's opinion of Troubridge!</ref>


At Portsmouth on 1 July, 1912, he hoisted his flag in the battleship [[H.M.S. Venerable (1899)|''Venerable'']] as Acting Vice-Admiral Commanding the Fourth Squadron.  The following day he transferred his flag to [[H.M.S. Exmouth (1901)|''Exmouth'']].<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 2 July, 1912.  Issue '''39940''', col D, p. 6.</ref>  He was confirmed in the rank of Vice-Admiral on 13 July, vice [[Louis Alexander Mountbatten, First Marquess of Milford Haven|Battenberg]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28627/pages/5182 no. 28627.  p. 5182.]  16 July, 1912.</ref>
At Portsmouth on 1 July, 1912, he hoisted his flag in the battleship [[H.M.S. Venerable (1899)|''Venerable'']] as Acting Vice-Admiral Commanding the Fourth Squadron.  The following day he transferred his flag to [[H.M.S. Exmouth (1901)|''Exmouth'']].<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices).  ''The Times''.  Tuesday, 2 July, 1912.  Issue '''39940''', col D, p. 6.</ref>  He was confirmed in the rank of Vice-Admiral on 13 July, vice [[Louis Alexander Mountbatten, First Marquess of Milford Haven|Battenberg]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28627/pages/5182 no. 28627.  p. 5182.]  16 July, 1912.</ref>

Revision as of 21:39, 6 June 2013

Admiral SIR Charles John Briggs, K.C.B., Royal Navy (15 July, 1858 – 16 July, 1951) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Briggs was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 27 February, 1879.[1]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1892.[2]

Briggs was promoted to the rank of Captain on 22 June, 1897.[3]

He was appointed in command of the battleship Revenge on 7 January, 1898.[4]

Briggs was appointed in command of H.M.S. Vernon on 24 December, 1904, a post he would retain for three years.[5]

Flag Rank

Briggs was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 May, 1907, vice Chisholm-Batten.[6]

Briggs relieved Rear-Admiral The Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville as Rear-Admiral in the First Division of the Home Fleet on 4 January, 1909.

On the authority of Marder, Briggs was apparently called "the old sheep farmer" by Battenberg and Fisher, successive First Sea Lords.[7] In 1911 Fisher informed Winston S. Churchill, the new First Lord of the Admiralty, that Briggs and his D.N.O., Gordon Moore, were "Slugs who want you to perpetuate Battleships of the Tortoise type[,] all armour and no speed and d—d costly as compared with a far cheaper, far faster and 63 per cent more powerful ship!!"[8] Ernest Troubridge however considered Briggs "clever".[9]

At Portsmouth on 1 July, 1912, he hoisted his flag in the battleship Venerable as Acting Vice-Admiral Commanding the Fourth Squadron. The following day he transferred his flag to Exmouth.[10] He was confirmed in the rank of Vice-Admiral on 13 July, vice Battenberg.[11]

On the occasion of the King's birthday he was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 3 June, 1913.[12]

Briggs was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 10 January, 1916, vice Bush,[13] and was placed on the Retired List on 2 July, 1917.[14]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24686. p. 1793. 28 February, 1879.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26239. p. 3. 1 January, 1892.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26865. p. 3443. 22 June, 1897.
  4. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 8 January, 1898. Issue 35408, col C, p. 10.
  5. ↑ Blond. Technology and Tradition. p. 167.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28018. p. 2992. 3 May, 1907.
  7. ↑ Marder. I. p. 418.
  8. ↑ Churchill. Winston S. Churchill. Companion Volume II. Part 2. p. 1349.
  9. ↑ Troubridge to Battenberg. 12 November 1911. MB1/T9/47. Battenberg MSS. University of Southampton. Quite what this says about Briggs depends on the reader's opinion of Troubridge!
  10. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 2 July, 1912. Issue 39940, col D, p. 6.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28627. p. 5182. 16 July, 1912.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28724. p. 3903. 3 June, 1913.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29439. p. 626. 14 January, 1916.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30161. p. 6549. 3 July, 1917.

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir Charless Briggs" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 20 July, 1951. Issue 52058, col D, p. 8.

Service Records


Naval Appointments
Preceded by
The Hon. Stanley C. J. Colville 		Rear-Admiral, Nore Division, Home Fleet
1909 		Succeeded by
F. C. Doveton Sturdee
Rear-Admiral in the First Division, Home Fleet
1909 – 1910
Preceded by
Sir John R. Jellicoe 		Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy
1910 – 1912 		Succeeded by
A. Gordon H. W. Moore

Preceded by
New Command 		Vice-Admiral Commanding,
Fourth Battle Squadron
1912 – 1914 		Succeeded by
Sir Douglas A. Gamble

Template:CatAdmiral

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