Caspar John
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir Caspar John GCB
(22 March 1903 – 11 July 1984) was the British First Sea Lord
from 1960 to 1963. He was pioneer in the Fleet Air Arm
, and rose to become Vice-Chief of Naval Staff to Sea Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
in 1957 and subsequently First Sea Lord
from 1960 to 1963.
(1878–1961) and his first wife, Ida. Caspar John's mother died when he was three. He and his siblings were raised in an undisciplined manner, frequently dressing as ragamuffins, to such an extent that his maternal grandmother attempted to secure and raise them herself. At the age of nine, he went with his brothers to Dane Court preparatory school in Parkstone, Dorset. There he won the prize for the best gentleman in the school and a copy of Jane's Fighting Ships
, and it was this, together with a wish to seek a more orderly existence, that inspired him to join the Royal Navy
. His father strenuously objected, but his stepmother help persuade him to support his son. In 1916 he entered the Royal Naval College, Osborne, on the Isle of Wight
, at the age of thirteen. He transferred to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
, in 1917 and passed out eighty-third of a hundred in 1920. John is remembered at BRNC Dartmouth by the naming of the college's theatre and lecture hall, the Caspar John Hall, affectionately known as 'CJH'.
years were spent aboard the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, , against a background of Graeco-Turkish disturbances and the problem of Russian refugees caused by the Russian Revolution of 1917
. It was at this time (1922–3) that the future of naval aviation was being debated. The issue caught his imagination and he decided to become involved. He envisaged the role of the aeroplane as broadening the naval horizon, and during his qualifying exams for Lieutenant
in 1925 (he gained first class certificates in gunnery and torpedo), he applied to train as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm
, then under the dual administration of the navy and Royal Air Force
. He gained 'his wings' in 1926 and thenceforth devoted his naval career to building up the strength of the Fleet Air Arm, of which he was one of the early members.
In the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes
, John spent the years 1927 to 1929 in the China
station during the conflict between the communists and Chiang Kai-shek
's nationalist armies. On returning from China he bought his own aeroplane, an open cockpit Avro Avian
. He eventually became involved with the design of naval aircraft and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
in 1933, becoming Commander
in 1936. During Italy
's war with Abyssinia
, he spent 1936 based in the western desert outside Alexandria
, attached to the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous
. In 1937 he was appointed to the Admiralty's naval air division, where he worked ceaselessly to free the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) from what he described as ‘the folly’ of dual control between the navy and Royal Air Force. The air force's hold on the FAA was ended with the Inskip decision in July 1937.
, patrolling the North Sea
, participating in the Norwegian campaign
, and transporting arms around the coast of Africa
to Egypt
for the campaign in the western desert. Subsequently he had eighteen months at the Ministry of Aircraft Production (he was promoted to captain in 1941), and in 1943–4 he was in the USA as naval air representative in the British Admiralty delegation in Washington D.C., and naval air attaché at the British embassy. He helped procure American naval aircraft for the under-equipped FAA and to set up the organization and training of British pilots in Canada and the USA. His meeting with the Russian aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky
was in large part responsible for the introduction of the helicopter into its first practical military use by the Royal Navy after the war.
He spent the last year of the war in home waters in command of two aircraft-carriers, HMS Pretoria Castle
, and, until 1946, HMS Ocean
, a brand-new light carrier. As captain of HMS Ocean, his main concerns were to boost the morale of his men (with the war ended, many longed to return home), and to maintain strict discipline in all flying activities. In 1944 he married Mary, daughter of Stuart Vanderpump, of New Zealand. They had two daughters and one son.
in 1954 and was made Flag Officer, (Air) Home 1955. He was further promoted to full Admiral
in 1957, the year he became Vice Chief of the Naval Staff to Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
.
He became First Sea Lord
, the professional head of the Royal Navy
in 1960, a position he held until 1963. He was primarily concerned with the cold war and with plans for the building of a new generation of large aircraft-carriers. In 1962 he was promoted Admiral of the Fleet
but later declined a peerage offered to him by Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
(1964–73), chairman of the Housing Corporation (1964–6), member of the Plowden committee and of the Templer committee (1965), chairman of the Star and Garter Home for disabled servicemen, chairman of the Back Pain Association, and chairman of the tri-service Milocarian Club (athletics). He was briefly picked by the Industrial Society
to be the public figurehead for the "I'm Backing Britain
" campaign in 1968.
In 1978 John had both his legs amputated because of vascular trouble. His wife was a great support during this difficult time, and together they made their home in the Cornish village of Mousehole
, where John became a much loved and familiar figure on the quayside and in The Ship Inn. He died on 11 July 1984 at Hayle
, Cornwall
.
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Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
Sir Caspar John GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(22 March 1903 – 11 July 1984) was the British First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
from 1960 to 1963. He was pioneer in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
, and rose to become Vice-Chief of Naval Staff to Sea Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
in 1957 and subsequently First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
from 1960 to 1963.
Early life
He was born at his parents' home, 18 Fitzroy Street, London, on 22 March 1903. He was the second of the five sons of the artist Augustus JohnAugustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
(1878–1961) and his first wife, Ida. Caspar John's mother died when he was three. He and his siblings were raised in an undisciplined manner, frequently dressing as ragamuffins, to such an extent that his maternal grandmother attempted to secure and raise them herself. At the age of nine, he went with his brothers to Dane Court preparatory school in Parkstone, Dorset. There he won the prize for the best gentleman in the school and a copy of Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships
Jane's Fighting Ships is an annual reference book of information on all the world's warships arranged by nation, including information on ship's names, dimensions, armaments, silhouettes and photographs, etc...
, and it was this, together with a wish to seek a more orderly existence, that inspired him to join the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
. His father strenuously objected, but his stepmother help persuade him to support his son. In 1916 he entered the Royal Naval College, Osborne, on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
, at the age of thirteen. He transferred to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
, in 1917 and passed out eighty-third of a hundred in 1920. John is remembered at BRNC Dartmouth by the naming of the college's theatre and lecture hall, the Caspar John Hall, affectionately known as 'CJH'.
Early years in the Royal Navy
His MidshipmanMidshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
years were spent aboard the flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet, , against a background of Graeco-Turkish disturbances and the problem of Russian refugees caused by the Russian Revolution of 1917
Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
. It was at this time (1922–3) that the future of naval aviation was being debated. The issue caught his imagination and he decided to become involved. He envisaged the role of the aeroplane as broadening the naval horizon, and during his qualifying exams for Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1925 (he gained first class certificates in gunnery and torpedo), he applied to train as a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
, then under the dual administration of the navy and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He gained 'his wings' in 1926 and thenceforth devoted his naval career to building up the strength of the Fleet Air Arm, of which he was one of the early members.
In the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (95)
HMS Hermes was an aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. The ship was begun during World War I and finished after the war ended. She was the world's first ship to be designed and built as an aircraft carrier, although the Imperial Japanese Navy's was the first to be commissioned...
, John spent the years 1927 to 1929 in the China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
station during the conflict between the communists and Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
's nationalist armies. On returning from China he bought his own aeroplane, an open cockpit Avro Avian
Avro Avian
The Avro Avian was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and '30s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants....
. He eventually became involved with the design of naval aircraft and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in 1933, becoming Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1936. During Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's war with Abyssinia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, he spent 1936 based in the western desert outside Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, attached to the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous
HMS Courageous (50)
HMS Courageous was the lead ship of the cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord, John Fisher, the ship was very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Courageous was completed in late...
. In 1937 he was appointed to the Admiralty's naval air division, where he worked ceaselessly to free the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) from what he described as ‘the folly’ of dual control between the navy and Royal Air Force. The air force's hold on the FAA was ended with the Inskip decision in July 1937.
Second World War
During the Second World War, John spent eighteen months as second in command of the cruiser HMS YorkHMS York (90)
HMS York, pennant number 90, was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy built in the late 1920s. She mostly served on the North America and West Indies Station before World War II. Early in the war the ship escorted convoys in the Atlantic and participated in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940...
, patrolling the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, participating in the Norwegian campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
, and transporting arms around the coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
for the campaign in the western desert. Subsequently he had eighteen months at the Ministry of Aircraft Production (he was promoted to captain in 1941), and in 1943–4 he was in the USA as naval air representative in the British Admiralty delegation in Washington D.C., and naval air attaché at the British embassy. He helped procure American naval aircraft for the under-equipped FAA and to set up the organization and training of British pilots in Canada and the USA. His meeting with the Russian aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky
Igor Sikorsky , born Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky was a Russian American pioneer of aviation in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft...
was in large part responsible for the introduction of the helicopter into its first practical military use by the Royal Navy after the war.
He spent the last year of the war in home waters in command of two aircraft-carriers, HMS Pretoria Castle
HMS Pretoria Castle (F61)
HMS Pretoria Castle was an armed merchant cruiser and escort aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that saw service during World War II...
, and, until 1946, HMS Ocean
HMS Ocean (R68)
HMS Ocean was a Royal Navy Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier of 13,190 tons built in Glasgow by Alexander Stephen and Sons. Her keel was laid in November 1942, and she was commissioned on 30 June 1945....
, a brand-new light carrier. As captain of HMS Ocean, his main concerns were to boost the morale of his men (with the war ended, many longed to return home), and to maintain strict discipline in all flying activities. In 1944 he married Mary, daughter of Stuart Vanderpump, of New Zealand. They had two daughters and one son.
1947 to 1963 and First Sea Lord
In 1947 John attended the Imperial Defence College, London, for a course in world affairs and in 1948 he was given the command of the large and complex naval air station, Lossiemouth. He then returned to the Admiralty, first as deputy chief of naval air equipment and then as director of air organization and training. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1951 and took command of the Heavy Squadron, Home Fleet. He spent two years (1952–4) at the Ministry of Supply as Deputy Controller of Aircraft, updating naval aircraft preceded the important administrative post of flag officer (air) home at Lee-on-Solent. He was promoted Vice AdmiralVice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
in 1954 and was made Flag Officer, (Air) Home 1955. He was further promoted to full Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in 1957, the year he became Vice Chief of the Naval Staff to Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
.
He became First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, the professional head of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1960, a position he held until 1963. He was primarily concerned with the cold war and with plans for the building of a new generation of large aircraft-carriers. In 1962 he was promoted Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
but later declined a peerage offered to him by Sir Alec Douglas-Home.
Final Years
After 1963 he retired from the Royal Navy and took several civilian positions including member of the Security CommissionSecurity Commission
The Security Commission is a UK non-departmental public body established in 1964 to investigate breaches of security in the public sector.Current members are:*The Rt Hon Lady Justice Butler-Sloss, DBE...
(1964–73), chairman of the Housing Corporation (1964–6), member of the Plowden committee and of the Templer committee (1965), chairman of the Star and Garter Home for disabled servicemen, chairman of the Back Pain Association, and chairman of the tri-service Milocarian Club (athletics). He was briefly picked by the Industrial Society
The Work Foundation
The Work Foundation is a British not-for-profit organisation and independent authority providing advice, consultancy and research on the future of work, improving the quality of working life, leadership, economic and organisational effectiveness. The foundation works with government, business...
to be the public figurehead for the "I'm Backing Britain
I'm Backing Britain
I'm Backing Britain was a brief patriotic campaign aimed at boosting the British economy which flourished in early 1968. The campaign started spontaneously when five Surbiton secretaries volunteered to work an extra half an hour each day without pay in order to boost productivity, and urged others...
" campaign in 1968.
In 1978 John had both his legs amputated because of vascular trouble. His wife was a great support during this difficult time, and together they made their home in the Cornish village of Mousehole
Mousehole
Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately 2½ miles south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay.The village is in the civil parish of Penzance...
, where John became a much loved and familiar figure on the quayside and in The Ship Inn. He died on 11 July 1984 at Hayle
Hayle
Hayle is a small town, civil parish and cargo port in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated at the mouth of the Hayle River and is approximately seven miles northeast of Penzance...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
External links
Further reading
- Caspar John, John Rebecca, William Collins Sons & Co Ltd, 1987, ISBN 0 00217136 8
- The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0-85052-835-6
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