Sackville Hamilton Carden
Admiral SIR Sackville Hamilton Carden, K.C.M.G., Royal Navy (3 May, 1857 – 6 May, 1930) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He is chiefly remembered today as Vice-Admiral Commanding the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron in the run-up to the Dardanelles Campaign.
Early Life & Career
Carden was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 4 February, 1881.[1]
Carden was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1894.[2]
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1899.[3]
He was appointed in command of the battleship Magnificent in October 1902.[4]
He served as captain of the battleship Irresistible from November 1904 until December of the following year.[5]
He was given command of battleship Repulse some time in 1906,[6] and then returned to command of Magnificent in December 1906.[7]
As soon as he completed that posting, he took command of the battleship Agamemnon on 21 May, 1907.[8]
Flag Rank
Carden was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 15 November, 1908, vice Finnis.[9]
Great War
On 27 August, 1914, Carden was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, vice Fisher.[10]
In a 23 December letter to Fisher, now First Sea Lord, Churchill scathingly noted, "As for Carden, he has never commanded a cruiser squadron, and I am not aware of anything that he has done which is in any way remarkable."[11] This ignores the fact that Carden had at least commanded a division of battleships as Rear-Admiral in the Atlantic Fleet, which was certainly more sea-going experience than Limpus had.
On 16 March he relinquished command and went on the Sick List, being succeeded by Rear-Admiral de Robeck. On that day Fisher noted in a letter to Jellicoe, "Who expected Carden to be in command of a big fleet? He was made Admiral Superintendent of Malta to shelve him!"[12]
From April until June, 1915 Carden was appointed to the Admiralty on special service. He was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K.C.M.G.) on 1 January, 1916.[13]
On 1 September, 1917 he was promoted to the rank of Admiral, vice Slade,[14] and placed on the retired list at his own request on 23 October.[15]
Retirement
He died at Lymington 6 May, 1930.
Carden, who was created K.C.M.G. in 1916, married twice: first, in 1879 Maria Louisa, daughter of Captain Loftus J. Nunn, of the 99th Foot; secondly, in 1909 Henrietta, daughter of William English Harrison, K.C., of Hitchin, Hertfordshire. He had one daughter, by his first marriage.
Footnotes
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24934. p. 547. 8 February, 1881.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26471. p. 7581. 29 December, 1893.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27150. p. 3. 2 January, 1900.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
- ↑ The Navy List (October, 1908). p. 273.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28201. p. 9182. 1 December, 1908.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28881. p. 6794. 28 August, 1914.
- ↑ Quoted in Marder. From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow. II. p. 231.
- ↑ Fear God and Dread Nought. III. p. 166.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29423. p. 83. 1 January, 1916.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30267. p. 9151. 4 September, 1917.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 30369. p. 11474. 6 November, 1917.
Bibliography
- "Admiral Sir Sackville Carden" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 8 May, 1930. Issue 45507, col C, p. 18.
- Fisher of Kilverstone, Lord (1959). Marder, Arthur J.. ed. Fear God and Dread Nought: The Correspondence of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher of Kilverstone: Restoration, Abdication and Last Years, 1914-1920. Volume III. London: Jonathan Cape.
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/87.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/38.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/20.
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Sir Colin R. Keppel |
Rear-Admiral in the Admiral Fleet 1910 – 1911 |
Succeeded by Christopher G. F. M. Cradock |
| Preceded by Ernest A. Simons |
Admiral Superintendent of Malta Dockyard 1912 – 1914 |
Succeeded by George A. Ballard |
| Preceded by Sir A. Berkeley Milne, Bart. |
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron 1914 – 1915 |
Succeeded by Sir John M. de Robeck |
