Difference between revisions of "Archibald Peile Stoddart"

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==Early Life & Career==
 
==Early Life & Career==
Stoddart entered the training ship [[H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship)|''Britannia'']] at Dartmouth on 15 January, 1874, and left on 16 December, 1875, after the usual four terms in the ship. He received six months for Second Class for Study and three months for Very Good Conduct, and therefore under the regulations then obtaining had to wait three months before being rated {{MidRN}}. On 17 December, 1875, he was appointed to the sloop ''Opal'', which then proceeded to the [[Pacific Station]], and spent her whole commission there. She returned to England and paid off on 6 January, 1880. Stoddart then went on full pay leave, and on 17 March passed his seamanship examination and was appointed Acting {{SubRN}}. In April he was appointed to the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich]], with a Second Class (1,025 marks), then in December went to the gunnery school at Portsmouth, [[H.M.S. Excellent (Gunnery Training School)|H.M.S. ''Excellent'']], where obtained a Second Class with 515 marks. On 26 March, 1881, he was appointed to the corvette ''Briton'', where he remained until he was appointed to the gunboat ''Bullfrog''. On 17 October, 1883, he was appointed Acting {{LieutRN}} to the gunboat ''Flirt''. He was formally promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1883, and reappointed to the ''Flirt'' from that date.
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Stoddart entered the training ship [[H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship)|''Britannia'']] at Dartmouth on 15 January, 1874, and left on 16 December, 1875, after the usual four terms in the ship. He received six months for Second Class for Study and three months for Very Good Conduct, and therefore under the regulations then obtaining had to wait three months before being rated {{MidRN}}. On 17 December, 1875, he was appointed to the sloop ''Opal'', which then proceeded to the [[Pacific Station]], and spent her whole commission there. She returned to England and paid off on 6 January, 1880. Stoddart then went on full pay leave, and on 17 March passed his seamanship examination and was appointed Acting {{SubRN}}. In April he was appointed to the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich]], with a Second Class (1,025 marks), then in December went to the gunnery school at Portsmouth, [[H.M.S. Excellent (Gunnery Training School)|H.M.S. ''Excellent'']], where he obtained a Second Class with 515 marks. On 26 March, 1881, he was appointed to the corvette ''Briton'', on the [[Cape of Good Hope Station|Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station]], where he remained until he was appointed to the gunboat ''Bullfrog'' on the same station on 12 September, 1882. At some point in 1881/1882 he was recommended for promotion "for zealous conduct while in charge of signals of West Africa Squadron". On 17 October, 1883, he was appointed Acting {{LieutRN}} to the gunboat ''Flirt'' on the Cape station. He was formally promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1883, and reappointed to the ''Flirt'' from that date. The ship paid off on 29 February, 1884, and he went on a month's full pay leave.
  
He was appointed Lieutenant and Commander of the {{UK-Thrush}} on the [[Cape of Good Hope Station|Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station]] on 28 August, 1895. He was present at the bombardment of Zanzibar in August, 1896, for which he was praised by the Commander-in-Chief, [[Harry Holdsworth Rawson|Harry H. Rawson]].<ref>{{TNA|ADM 196/39.}}  f. 1231.</ref>  He was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 31 December.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26809/pages/3 no. 26809.  p. 3.]  1 January, 1897.</ref>
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On 19 April, 1884, he was appointed to ''Excellent'' for the Short Course in Gunnery, in which he obtained First Class marks, and a Second Class Torpedo certificate. He was appointed to the corvette ''Diamond'' on the [[Australian Station]] on 21 October, joining her on 14 January, 1885. On 22 October, 1887, he was lent to the cruiser ''Nelson'' by the Commander-in-Chief. He was ordered home on 19 March, 1888, but on 14 April obtained permission from the Commander-in-Chief to return home at his own expense in S.S. ''Cuzco'', arriving back on 9 June. He was appointed to the cruiser ''Mersey'' for the annual man&oelig;uvres from 4 July to 22 August, then completed his foreign service leave. On 21 September he was appointed as First Lieutenant of the paddle steamer ''Cockatrice'' on the [[Mediterranean Station]]. On 29 November, 1889, he was ordered home, arriving back in the United Kingdom on 27 December.
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Stoddart on his return was appointed to ''Excellent'' for Short Courses in Gunnery and Torpedo, obtaining First Classes in both. On 17 July he was appointed to the cruiser ''Melpomene'' in the Pacific as First Lieutenant and gunnery officer. In November, 1892, the Commander-in-Chief, [[Charles Frederick Hotham|Charles F. Hotham]], recommended him for promotion. It was recorded in December that, "Adml Hotham speaks of this Officer as a very good energetic hardworking Officer." He served a full commission in ''Melpomene'' which paid off on 14 February, 1894. Captain [[Alfred Arthur Chase Parr|Alfred A. C. Parr]] considered Stoddart, "V.G. [Very Good], very zealous, great tact & judgement, in every way deserving of advancement."
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On 4 April, 1894, he was given temporary command of the torpedo gunboat ''Spider'', which he retained through the Summer man&oelig;uvres. He paid her off on 5 October. On 1 November he was appointed First Lieutenant and gunnery officer of the cruiser ''Gibraltar'' on Particular Service. ''Gibraltar'' paid off on 18 June, 1895. Her Captain, [[Angus MacLeod]], wrote of him, "Zealous, most able Gunnery Officer, excellent 1<sup><u>st</u></sup> Lieut, & in every way recommended for advancement. Have the highest opinion of him."
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He joined ''Excellent'' to requalify in gunnery on 19 June, 1895. He was praised by the Captain, [[Archibald Lucius Douglas|Archibald L. Douglas]], for his "zeal and attention". On 24 July he was appointed in command of the destroyer ''Bruizer'' for the annual man&oelig;uvres, giving up command on 23 August. He was appointed Lieutenant and Commander of the {{UK-Thrush}} on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station on 28 August, 1895, joining her on 26 September. He was present at the bombardment of Zanzibar in August, 1896, for which he was praised by the Commander-in-Chief, [[Harry Holdsworth Rawson|Harry H. Rawson]]. He was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 31 December.
  
 
==Captain==
 
==Captain==

Revision as of 16:40, 3 November 2016

Admiral Archibald P. Stoddart, seen as a Rear-Admiral.
Photograph: Imperial War Museum. © IWM (Q 69172).

Admiral Archibald Peile Stoddart, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (5 September, 1860 – 18 December, 1939) was an officer of the Royal Navy. As a Rear-Admiral he was second-in-command of the British naval forces which defeated the German East Asia Squadron at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December, 1914.

Early Life & Career

Stoddart entered the training ship Britannia at Dartmouth on 15 January, 1874, and left on 16 December, 1875, after the usual four terms in the ship. He received six months for Second Class for Study and three months for Very Good Conduct, and therefore under the regulations then obtaining had to wait three months before being rated Midshipman. On 17 December, 1875, he was appointed to the sloop Opal, which then proceeded to the Pacific Station, and spent her whole commission there. She returned to England and paid off on 6 January, 1880. Stoddart then went on full pay leave, and on 17 March passed his seamanship examination and was appointed Acting Sub-Lieutenant. In April he was appointed to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, with a Second Class (1,025 marks), then in December went to the gunnery school at Portsmouth, H.M.S. Excellent, where he obtained a Second Class with 515 marks. On 26 March, 1881, he was appointed to the corvette Briton, on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station, where he remained until he was appointed to the gunboat Bullfrog on the same station on 12 September, 1882. At some point in 1881/1882 he was recommended for promotion "for zealous conduct while in charge of signals of West Africa Squadron". On 17 October, 1883, he was appointed Acting Lieutenant to the gunboat Flirt on the Cape station. He was formally promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1883, and reappointed to the Flirt from that date. The ship paid off on 29 February, 1884, and he went on a month's full pay leave.

On 19 April, 1884, he was appointed to Excellent for the Short Course in Gunnery, in which he obtained First Class marks, and a Second Class Torpedo certificate. He was appointed to the corvette Diamond on the Australian Station on 21 October, joining her on 14 January, 1885. On 22 October, 1887, he was lent to the cruiser Nelson by the Commander-in-Chief. He was ordered home on 19 March, 1888, but on 14 April obtained permission from the Commander-in-Chief to return home at his own expense in S.S. Cuzco, arriving back on 9 June. He was appointed to the cruiser Mersey for the annual manœuvres from 4 July to 22 August, then completed his foreign service leave. On 21 September he was appointed as First Lieutenant of the paddle steamer Cockatrice on the Mediterranean Station. On 29 November, 1889, he was ordered home, arriving back in the United Kingdom on 27 December.

Stoddart on his return was appointed to Excellent for Short Courses in Gunnery and Torpedo, obtaining First Classes in both. On 17 July he was appointed to the cruiser Melpomene in the Pacific as First Lieutenant and gunnery officer. In November, 1892, the Commander-in-Chief, Charles F. Hotham, recommended him for promotion. It was recorded in December that, "Adml Hotham speaks of this Officer as a very good energetic hardworking Officer." He served a full commission in Melpomene which paid off on 14 February, 1894. Captain Alfred A. C. Parr considered Stoddart, "V.G. [Very Good], very zealous, great tact & judgement, in every way deserving of advancement."

On 4 April, 1894, he was given temporary command of the torpedo gunboat Spider, which he retained through the Summer manœuvres. He paid her off on 5 October. On 1 November he was appointed First Lieutenant and gunnery officer of the cruiser Gibraltar on Particular Service. Gibraltar paid off on 18 June, 1895. Her Captain, Angus MacLeod, wrote of him, "Zealous, most able Gunnery Officer, excellent 1st Lieut, & in every way recommended for advancement. Have the highest opinion of him."

He joined Excellent to requalify in gunnery on 19 June, 1895. He was praised by the Captain, Archibald L. Douglas, for his "zeal and attention". On 24 July he was appointed in command of the destroyer Bruizer for the annual manœuvres, giving up command on 23 August. He was appointed Lieutenant and Commander of the Thrush on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station on 28 August, 1895, joining her on 26 September. He was present at the bombardment of Zanzibar in August, 1896, for which he was praised by the Commander-in-Chief, Harry H. Rawson. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December.

Captain

Stoddart was promoted to the rank of Captain on 26 June, 1902.[1]

In June, 1904, he became captain of the battleship Royal Oak.[2]

Stoddart was appointed in command of the battleship Cæsar on 7 March, 1905.[3]

He was again appointed in command of Cæsar on 28 May, 1907.[4]

He took the reins of battleship New Zealand from October 1908 to November of 1911.[5]

Flag Rank

Stoddart was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 19 May, 1912, vice Bush.[6]

On 9 May, 1914, Stoddart succeeded Arthur H. Christian as Rear-Admiral in the Home Fleets at Devonport.[7]

Great War

Upon the outbreak of war, Stoddart was given command of Cruiser Force D, the Fifth Cruiser Squadron, with his flag in the Carnarvon.[8]

On the occasion of the King's birthday Stoddart 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, 1917.[9] He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 1 September, vice Carden.[10]

Stoddart was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 January, 1918.[11] He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired list on 7 October, 1920.[12]

Retirement

Stoddart died on 18 December, 1939,[13] at Broomhill, North Cornwall, and was buried in a private ceremony at King's Nympton, Devon, on 21 December.[14]

Bibliography

  • "Death of Admiral Stoddart" (News). The Times. Wednesday, 20 December, 1939. Issue 48493, col D, p. 10.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Spider
4 Apr, 1894[15] – 5 Oct, 1894[16]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Henry L. Tottenham
Captain of H.M.S. Thrush
28 Aug, 1895[17] – 25 Mar, 1897[18]
Succeeded by
Warren H. D'Oyly
Preceded by
Sackville H. Carden
Captain of H.M.S. Immortalité
16 Oct, 1902[19] – 12 May, 1904[20]
Succeeded by
William O. Boothby
Preceded by
Robert S. Rolleston
Captain of H.M.S. Royal Oak
6 Jun, 1904[21] – 7 Mar, 1905[22]
Succeeded by
Frederick S. Pelham
Preceded by
Hugh Evan-Thomas
Captain of H.M.S. Cæsar
8 Mar, 1905[23] – 5 Dec, 1905[24]
Succeeded by
Sydney R. Fremantle
Preceded by
Herbert Lyon
Captain of H.M.S. Cornwall
12 Jan, 1907[25] – 27 May, 1907[26]
Succeeded by
Herbert C. C. Da Costa
Preceded by
Sydney R. Fremantle
Captain of H.M.S. Cæsar
28 May, 1907[27] – 11 Oct, 1908
Succeeded by
Robert H. Anstruther
Preceded by
F. C. Doveton Sturdee
Captain of H.M.S. New Zealand
12 Oct, 1908[28] – 1 Apr, 1909[29]
Succeeded by
James C. Ley
Preceded by
The Hon. Algernon D. E. H. Boyle
Captain of H.M.S. Hibernia
1 Apr, 1909[30] – 5 Apr, 1909[31]
Succeeded by
James C. Ley
Preceded by
James C. Ley
Captain of H.M.S. New Zealand
26 May, 1909[32][33] – 6 Jun, 1911[34]
Succeeded by
Ernest G. Barton
Preceded by
F. C. Doveton Sturdee
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Fifth Cruiser Squadron
9 May, 1914[35] – 8 May, 1915[36]
Succeeded by
Harold T. C. Walker

 

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 27448. p. 4198. 26 June, 1902.
  2. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  3. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  4. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  5. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 28610. p. 3685. 21 May, 1912.
  7. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 11 May, 1914. Issue 40520, col B, p. 4.
  8. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September 1914). p. 4.
  9. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30111. p. 5454. 4 June, 1917.
  10. The London Gazette: no. 30267. p. 9151. 4 September, 1917.
  11. The London Gazette: no. 30488. p. 1092. 22 January, 1918.
  12. The London Gazette: no. 32081. p. 9891. 12 October, 1920.
  13. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 1231.
  14. "Deaths" (Deaths). The Times. Wednesday, 20 December, 1939. Issue 48493, col B, p. 1.
  15. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 228.
  16. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  17. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  18. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  19. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  20. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  21. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  22. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  23. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  24. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  25. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  26. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  27. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  28. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 589.
  29. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  30. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  31. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  32. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 348.
  33. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  34. Stoddart Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1231.
  35. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 16.
  36. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. p. 16.

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