Charles John Briggs
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]
Bibliography
- "Admiral Sir Charless Briggs" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 20 July, 1951. Issue 52058, col D, p. 8.
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/87.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/38.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/20.
| 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 | ||
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Reginald C. Prothero |
Captain of H.M.S. Revenge 7 Jan, 1898[15] |
Succeeded by George F. King-Hall |
| Preceded by ? |
Head of War Division 6 Mar, 1900 – 11 Dec, 1901[16] |
Succeeded by Herbert L. Heath |
| Preceded by Frederick S. Inglefield |
Head of Mobilisation Division 11 Feb, 1904[17] – 23 Dec, 1904[18] |
Succeeded by Charles L. Ottley |
| Preceded by Henry B. Jackson |
Captain of H.M.S. Vernon 24 Dec, 1904[19] |
Succeeded by Douglas A. Gamble |
| Preceded by Sir John R. Jellicoe |
Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy 20 Dec, 1910 |
Succeeded by A. Gordon H. W. Moore as Third Sea Lord |
| Preceded by New Command |
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Fourth Battle Squadron 1 Jul, 1912[20] |
Succeeded by Sir Douglas A. Gamble |
Footnotes
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24686. p. 1793. 28 February, 1879.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26239. p. 3. 1 January, 1892.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26865. p. 3443. 22 June, 1897.
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 8 January, 1898. Issue 35408, col C, p. 10.
- ↑ Blond. Technology and Tradition. p. 167.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28018. p. 2992. 3 May, 1907.
- ↑ Marder. I. p. 418.
- ↑ Churchill. Winston S. Churchill. Companion Volume II. Part 2. p. 1349.
- ↑ 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!
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 2 July, 1912. Issue 39940, col D, p. 6.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28627. p. 5182. 16 July, 1912.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28724. p. 3903. 3 June, 1913.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 29439. p. 626. 14 January, 1916.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30161. p. 6549. 3 July, 1917.
- ↑ Briggs Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. p. 654.
- ↑ Briggs Service Record. The National Archives. ADMK 196/20. f. 654.
- ↑ Briggs Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 654.
- ↑ Briggs Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 654.
- ↑ Blond. Technology and Tradition. p. 167.
- ↑ Briggs Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 168.
