Wilmot Hawkesworth Fawkes

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Admiral SIR Wilmot Hawkesworth Fawkes, G.C.B., K.C.V.O., HON. LL.D., Royal Navy (22 December, 1846 – 29 May, 1926) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Fawkes was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 19 November, 1867.

Fawkes was promoted to the rank of Commander on 19 March, 1880.

Captain

Fawkes was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1886.[1]

He served as Flag Captain in the screw frigate Raleigh from March of 1888 to August 1890 and then was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Mercury from November, 1892 to March, 1896.[2] The ship touched ground on 3 June 1893, just two days after erecting a monument to the people lost in the P. & O. steamer Bokhara on Saud Island in the Pescadores. The Commander-in-Chief, China absolved Fawkes of all blame in the incident, a finding with which the Admiralty disagreed.[3]

He was appointed to H.M.S. Victory on 1 July, 1896, for Terrible.

On 26 April, 1897, he was appointed Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, George J. Goschen.

He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria on 1 January, 1899, vice Holland,[4] and became a paid Aide-de-Camp on 30 June.

On 20 November, 1899, he was appointed to H.M.S. Duke of Wellington, additional, for command of the battleship Canopus, which he commissioned on 5 December.[Citation needed] He had been granted fourteen days' leave from 20 November in order "to maintain relations with the Admiralty for a short time." Fawkes was superseded in Canopus on 9 November, 1900, by Captain Harry S. F. Niblett.[Citation needed] He arrived in England on 14 November, and on the 15th he was again appointed Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty, this time to the Earl of Selborne.

Flag Rank

Fawkes was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 January, 1901, vice Oxley.[5] On 1 July he was appointed tot he Executive Committee charged with preparations for the coronation of King Edward VII.[6] Captain George F. King-Hall committed to his diary on 3 October, 1902, "Custance does not know who is going to succeed him [as Director of Naval Intelligence]. He did not think Battenberg ought to, but says Royalty is getting too much of a hold on the Navy and we both agreed that Fawkes was influenced too much by titles."[7] King-Hall apparently, "Paid a round of visits at the Admiralty. Lord Walter, Sir Evan MacGregor, Fawkes. Told the latter Court influence was making itself felt too much, which Fawkes did not like, especially as he has been one of the worst offenders."[8]

He was appointed Rear-Admiral Commanding the Cruiser Squadron on 8 November, 1902, which immediately took the Colonial Secretary, Joseph Chamberlain, on a visit to South Africa. His Flag Captain in the Good Hope was Charles Madden, the Commander was Lionel Halsey, and the Gunnery Lieutenant was A. Ernle M. Chatfield. On the occasion of the King's visit to Ireland Fawkes was appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 11 August, 1903.[9]

He hauled down his flag on 3 November, 1904, and went on leave until his appointment expired on 8 November. He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 3 March, vice Douglas.[10] On 10 September, 1905, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief on the Australian Station, and assumed command on 2 December.

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 28 June, 1907.[11] He was superseded on 31 December and returned to Plymouth on the S.S. Orontes on 3 April, 1908. He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth on 9 April, with the Acting Rank of Admiral. He was confirmed in the rank of Admiral on 12 October, vice Harris.[12]

He was superseded at Plymouth on 11 April, 1911, and, in accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 8 December, 1903, was placed on the Retired List on 12 April at his own request.[13] On the occasion of King George V's coronation he was appointed an Additional Member of the First Class, or Knight Grand Cross, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) on 19 June.[14]

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir Wilmot Fawkes" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 31 May, 1926. Issue 44285, col B, p. 19.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
? 		Captain of H.M.S. Osborne
1 Jul, 1884[15] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Hedworth Lambton
Preceded by
Edmund S. Poë 		Naval Adviser to the Inspector-General of Fortifications
12 Jan, 1891[16] 		Succeeded by
H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg
Preceded by
Charles J. Balfour 		Captain of H.M.S. Mercury
Nov, 1892[17] – Mar, 1896[18] 		Succeeded by
Thomas Y. Greet
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Terrible
1 Jul, 1896[19] 		Succeeded by
Robert L. Groome
Preceded by
The Hon. Hedworth Lambton 		Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
26 Apr, 1897[20] – 20 Nov, 1899[21] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Maurice A. Bourke
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Canopus
5 Dec, 1899[22] 		Succeeded by
Harry S. F. Niblett
Preceded by
The Hon. Maurice A. Bourke 		Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
15 Nov, 1900[23] – 8 Nov, 1902[24] 		Succeeded by
The Hon. Hugh Tyrwhitt
Preceded by
Alfred L. Winsloe
as Commodore Commanding, Cruiser Squadron 		Rear-Admiral Commanding, Cruiser Squadron
8 Nov, 1902[25] – 8 Nov, 1904 		Succeeded by
Edmund S. Poë
Preceded by
Sir Arthur D. Fanshawe 		Commander-in-Chief, Australian Station
10 Sep, 1905[26] 		Succeeded by
Sir Richard Poore, Bart.
Preceded by
Sir Lewis A. Beaumont 		Commander in Chief, Plymouth Station
9 Apr, 1908[27] 		Succeeded by
Sir William H. May

 

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25604. p. 3189. 2 July, 1886.
  2. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/86. f. 59/118.
  3. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36. f. 449.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27043. p. 298. 17 January, 1899.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27262. p. 4. 1 January, 1901.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27329. p. 4398. 2 July, 1901.
  7. ↑ Diary entry for 3 October, 1902.
  8. ↑ Diary entry for 6 October, 1902.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27586. p. 5057. 11 August, 1903.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27772. p. 1845. 7 March, 1905.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28034. p. 4430. 28 June, 1907.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28185. p. 7381. 13 October, 1908.
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28485. p. 2967. 14 April, 1911.
  14. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28505. p. 4588. 19 June, 1911.
  15. ↑ The Navy List. (September, 1885). p. 228.
  16. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36/1001.
  17. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/86. f. 59/118.
  18. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/86. f. 59/118.
  19. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 449.
  20. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36. f. 449.
  21. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36. f. 449.
  22. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1900). p. 235.
  23. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36. f. 449.
  24. ↑ Fawkes Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/36. f. 449.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (June, 1903). p. 217.
  26. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 14 August, 1905. Issue 37785, col E, p. 9.
  27. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 9 April, 1908. Issue 38616, col C, p. 10.

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