Ernest Troubridge
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Ernest Charles Thomas Troubridge KCMG, MVO (15 July 1862 – 28 January 1926) was an officer of the Royal Navy
who served during the First World War, later rising to the rank of admiral.
Troubridge was born into a family with substantial military connections, with several of his forebears being distinguished naval officers. He too embarked on a career in the navy, rising through the ranks during the late Victorian period
, and commanding ships in the Mediterranean. He served as a naval attaché
to several powers, including the Empire of Japan
during the Russo-Japanese War
. He spent some time immediately before the outbreak of the First World War as a staff officer and assisted in the drawing up of strategic plans to be adopted in the event of war, though these were later discredited. He returned to seagoing service just prior to the outbreak of war, and commanded a cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean with the rank of rear-admiral. Here his promising career was blighted by the events surrounding the pursuit
of two German warships, and . Despite being outclassed by the German warships Troubridge still intended to engage them, but was convinced otherwise by his flag captain
, and allowed them to escape to Constantinople
. He and his commanding officer were heavily criticised for their failure to intercept the German ships, particularly when it appeared that they became influential in the Turkish decision to enter the war. Troubridge was court-martialled, and acquitted, but his reputation had been damaged.
Troubridge never had another seagoing command, but did command naval detachments and flotillas on the Danube
during the Balkan campaigns, winning the respect of Serbian Crown Prince Alexander
. After the war he served on the Danube Commission
and was promoted to admiral, but remained out of favour with the Admiralty
. He spent several years as president of the commission, retiring in 1924 and dying in 1926. He had married twice, his second wife, the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor
left him to begin a lesbian relationship with the writer Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
.
, London
on 15 July 1862, the third son of Sir Thomas St Vincent Hope Cochrane Troubridge
and his wife Louisa Jane. Thomas Troubridge had served in the army during the Crimean War
, and had lost his right leg and left foot at the Battle of Inkerman
. The family had a particularly strong naval tradition, Ernest's great-grandfather, Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet
, had fought alongside Nelson
at Cape St Vincent, while his grandfather Sir Edward Troubridge, 2nd Baronet had also been an admiral. Ernest was also more distantly related to the distinguished admirals Sir Alexander Cochrane
and Thomas Cochrane, Lord Cochrane
. Ernest Troubridge briefly attended Wellington College
before joining the Royal Navy in 1875. He attended the Royal Naval College
, at Dartmouth
as a naval cadet, and by 1884 had been promoted to lieutenant. During his service with the fleet he was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society
, when in 1888 he saved the life of a young seaman who had fallen overboard in the night while their ship was in Suda Bay, Crete
.
aboard the flagship
of the fleet's second in command, , initially Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Harris
, and later Rear-Admiral Sir Gerard Noel. He was promoted to captain in 1901 and went on to serve as a naval attaché
to several powers, based at first in Vienna
, and from 1902 in Madrid
. He became a naval attaché in Tokyo
later in 1902, and served as such until 1904. With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
he went out with the Japanese warships and was present at the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
and subsequent operations
off Port Arthur. After the conclusion of the war Troubridge was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
by the Japanese, while the British appointed him Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, and Member of the Royal Victorian Order. He took command of the battleship
, serving as flag captain
to the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir Charles Drury
.
After the expiration of this posting Troubridge spent between 1908 and 1910 as commodore
commanding the royal naval barracks at Chatham
, and in 1910 became Private Naval Secretary
to the First Lord of the Admiralty. Until 1911 this was Reginald McKenna
, who was succeeded that year by Winston Churchill
. Troubridge was promoted to flag rank in March 1911 with his promotion to rear-admiral, and in 1912 he became chief of the War Staff. During his time on the War Staff he was involved in the drawing up of plans for naval strategy in the event of war. The plans, which involved the establishment of a massive cordon of warships in British waters, provoked criticism from a number of naval officers, and were eventually shown to be unsound in a series of naval exercises and manoeuvres in the summer of 1912. Churchill arranged for Troubridge to leave office at the end of the year, replacing him with Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Jackson. Troubridge returned to active service at sea in January 1913 with his appointment to command the Mediterranean Fleet's cruiser squadron, consisting of , , and , under the fleet's commander in chief, Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne
. During this period Troubridge flew his flag aboard Defence.
had two ships in the Mediterranean, forming their Mittelmeerdivision
, the battlecruiser
and the light cruiser
. The German ships, under Rear-Admiral Wilhelm Souchon
, had been shadowed by a British battlecruiser force, while Milne deployed his fleet to bottle up the German ships. After carrying out a shore bombardment the Germans were observed to coal at Messina, causing Milne to send most of his force to wait west of Sicily
, to prevent Souchon from interfering with French troop convoys. Troubridge and his force of four cruisers were sent to cruise west of Cephalonia in case Souchon should try to enter the Adriatic
and join the Austro-Hungarian fleet
. The Germans sailed from Messina on 6 August, and were observed to be making for the Adriatic. They were shadowed by the light cruiser , which reported that the Germans were not intending to enter the Adriatic, but were in fact heading east towards Cape Matapan
. Gloucester carried out an attack on the German ships, hoping to slow them down sufficiently for Troubridge's cruisers to bring them to action. Troubridge had however received orders from Milne in late January, that on the instructions of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, the British force in the Mediterranean was not to engage superior forces. Churchill had intended this to mean the Austro-Hungarian and Italian fleets, but Troubridge took it to include the Germans. The orders transmitted to Milne stated that his primary objective was to support the transport of French troops, with the engagement of individual German ships a secondary objective. A superior force should only be engaged in combination with the French.
From his experiences in the Russo-Japanese War, Troubridge was aware that modern naval ordnance could devastate his squadron, and that the Goebens 11-inch guns considerably outranged his own, which consisted of 9.1-inch and 7.5-inch guns. A night attack on the German force using the cruiser failed when the British ship failed to make contact, so Troubridge attempted to catch the Germans in narrow waters to reduce the range. Troubridge was still unaware of German intentions, and feared they might double-back to the north east and effect a junction with the Austro-Hungarian fleet. Troubridge resolved to intercept the German squadron and headed southwards to do so, but his flag captain, Fawcett Wray, argued against seeking battle. Troubridge was reluctant to do so anyway, knowing his ships would be outranged, and attacking in daylight but felt it was the only honourable option. Wray argued that it would be suicide for the squadron to fight the bigger and longer-ranging guns of the Goeben, and as Wray had a particular reputation in the fleet as an expert on gunnery, Troubridge allowed himself to be persuaded. In tears Troubridge ordered the chase to be abandoned, a decision that caused Wray to say 'Sir, this is the bravest thing you have ever done.' Troubridge's signal was transmitted shortly afterwards:
, and were later turned over the Turkish Navy.
. After investigating the events surrounding the chase of Goeben and Breslau, the court of inquiry decided to court-martial Troubridge on the grounds of his failure to engage the enemy. The court martial was held on board , moored at Portland
, from 5 to 9 November 1914. After deliberations the court came to the conclusion that the charge was not proved, owing to the nature of his orders and the Admiralty
's failure to clarify them, and Troubridge was ‘fully and honourably acquitted’. Despite this victory the criticism lingered, with accusations that he had let the fleet down. Neither Troubridge nor Milne received another seagoing command, and in January 1915 Troubridge was appointed to head the British naval mission to Serbia
.
and patrol vessels, operating on the Danube
. For this task Troubridge commanded a small group of seaman and marines
armed with eight 4.7 inch naval guns. They were later reinforced with a 45 foot picket boat fitted with torpedo
dropping gear. Allied control of the Danube became strategically vital after the Gallipoli Campaign began, as it prevented river-borne supplies from reaching the Black Sea
, from where they could be transported to Turkey
. Despite initial success in preventing Austro-Hungarian domination of the waterway, the entry of Bulgaria to the war and the combined Austrian-German-Bulgarian offensive in October caused the disintegration of the Serbian position. Troubridge and his force retreated with the Serbian army to the Adriatic coast, reaching the small port of San Giovanni di Medua. Troubridge took command of the evacuation and oversaw the withdrawal of the remains of the army and many thousands of refugees to Corfu
throughout December and January.
Impressed with his services, Serbian Crown Prince Alexander
requested Troubridge as his personal advisor and aide. Troubridge, having been promoted to vice-admiral in June 1916, went out to Salonika to join the reformed Serbian armies. He remained in the Balkans throughout the campaigns of the next two years, which culminated in the final collapse of Bulgaria in September 1918. The French commander in chief in the area, Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, appointed Troubridge admiral commanding on the Danube. Troubridge quickly requested the formation of a new naval brigade, to be supported with artillery and torpedo gear in order to prosecute the Danube campaign, but this was rejected by the Admiralty in favour of a gunboat flotilla. Displeased by Troubridge's acceptance of a French appointment, they tried to prevent him from having command of the flotilla.
's Hungarian Soviet Republic
in March 1919. His actions brought questionable results, and he remained out of favour with the Admiralty. His experience in the Danube area led to his appointment as president of a provisional inter-allied Danube Commission
in 1919. He was replaced by a representative favoured by the Foreign Office on the establishment of the permanent international Danube commission, but when this representative, and a representative favoured by the Admiralty both departed, Troubridge was recalled in June 1920. He had been created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
in June 1919. His tenure as president of the commission lasted until March 1924, during which time he was placed on the retired list by the Admiralty, on the grounds that his salary came from the commission.
, who followed his father into the navy and became a vice-admiral. Edith died in 1900, and Ernest remarried on 10 October 1908. His second wife was the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor
, more commonly known as Una Vincenzo. The couple had a daughter, but separated in 1919, Una having begun a relationship in 1915 with Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
. Admiral Ernest Troubridge died suddenly in Biarritz
on 28 January 1926, and was buried there.
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...
who served during the First World War, later rising to the rank of admiral.
Troubridge was born into a family with substantial military connections, with several of his forebears being distinguished naval officers. He too embarked on a career in the navy, rising through the ranks during the late Victorian period
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, and commanding ships in the Mediterranean. He served as a naval attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to several powers, including the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. He spent some time immediately before the outbreak of the First World War as a staff officer and assisted in the drawing up of strategic plans to be adopted in the event of war, though these were later discredited. He returned to seagoing service just prior to the outbreak of war, and commanded a cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean with the rank of rear-admiral. Here his promising career was blighted by the events surrounding the pursuit
Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
The pursuit of Goeben and Breslau was a naval action that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea at the outbreak of the First World War when elements of the British Mediterranean Fleet attempted to intercept the German Mittelmeerdivision comprising the battlecruiser and the light cruiser...
of two German warships, and . Despite being outclassed by the German warships Troubridge still intended to engage them, but was convinced otherwise by his flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
, and allowed them to escape to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. He and his commanding officer were heavily criticised for their failure to intercept the German ships, particularly when it appeared that they became influential in the Turkish decision to enter the war. Troubridge was court-martialled, and acquitted, but his reputation had been damaged.
Troubridge never had another seagoing command, but did command naval detachments and flotillas on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
during the Balkan campaigns, winning the respect of Serbian Crown Prince Alexander
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
. After the war he served on the Danube Commission
Commissions of the Danube River
See Internationalization of the Danube River for events before 1856.The Commissions of the Danube River were authorized by the Treaty of Paris after the close of the Crimean War...
and was promoted to admiral, but remained out of favour with the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. He spent several years as president of the commission, retiring in 1924 and dying in 1926. He had married twice, his second wife, the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor
Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge
Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge was a British sculptor and translator. She is best known as the long-time partner of Marguerite "John" Radclyffe-Hall, the author of The Well of Loneliness.Troubridge was an educated woman who had many achievements in her own right...
left him to begin a lesbian relationship with the writer Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
.
Family and early life
Ernest Troubridge was born in HampsteadHampstead
Hampstead is an area of London, England, north-west of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Camden in Inner London, it is known for its intellectual, liberal, artistic, musical and literary associations and for Hampstead Heath, a large, hilly expanse of parkland...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 15 July 1862, the third son of Sir Thomas St Vincent Hope Cochrane Troubridge
Sir Thomas Troubridge, 3rd Baronet
Sir Thomas St Vincent Hope Cochrane Troubridge, 3rd Baronet CB was an officer of the British Army who served with distinction during the Crimean War....
and his wife Louisa Jane. Thomas Troubridge had served in the army during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
, and had lost his right leg and left foot at the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
. The family had a particularly strong naval tradition, Ernest's great-grandfather, Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet
Sir Thomas Troubridge, 1st Baronet was a British naval commander and politician.Troubridge was educated at St Paul's School, London. He entered the Royal Navy in 1773 and, together with Nelson, served in the East Indies in the frigate Seahorse. In 1785 he returned to England in the Sultan as...
, had fought alongside Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
at Cape St Vincent, while his grandfather Sir Edward Troubridge, 2nd Baronet had also been an admiral. Ernest was also more distantly related to the distinguished admirals Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
and Thomas Cochrane, Lord Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
. Ernest Troubridge briefly attended Wellington College
Wellington College, Berkshire
-Former pupils:Notable former pupils include historian P. J. Marshall, architect Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, impressionist Rory Bremner, Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge, author Sebastian Faulks, language school pioneer John Haycraft, political journalist Robin Oakley, actor Sir Christopher...
before joining the Royal Navy in 1875. He attended the Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
, at 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...
as a naval cadet, and by 1884 had been promoted to lieutenant. During his service with the fleet he was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
, when in 1888 he saved the life of a young seaman who had fallen overboard in the night while their ship was in Suda Bay, Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
.
Rise through the ranks
Troubridge was promoted to the rank of commander in 1895, serving with the Mediterranean FleetMediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
aboard the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the fleet's second in command, , initially Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Harris
Robert Harris (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Robert Hastings Penruddock Harris KCB was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station.-Naval career:...
, and later Rear-Admiral Sir Gerard Noel. He was promoted to captain in 1901 and went on to serve as a naval attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to several powers, based at first in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and from 1902 in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. He became a naval attaché in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
later in 1902, and served as such until 1904. With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
he went out with the Japanese warships and was present at the Battle of Chemulpo Bay
Battle of Chemulpo Bay
The Battle of Chemulpo Bay was an early naval battle in the Russo-Japanese War , which took place on 9 February 1904, off the coast of present-day Incheon, Korea.-Background:...
and subsequent operations
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
off Port Arthur. After the conclusion of the war Troubridge was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
by the Japanese, while the British appointed him Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, and Member of the Royal Victorian Order. He took command of the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, serving as flag captain
Flag captain
In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First Captain", with the "flag captain" as the ship's...
to the commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral Sir Charles Drury
Charles Carter Drury
Admiral Sir Charles Carter Drury, GCB, GCVO, KCSI was a Canadian Royal Navy Admiral who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.-Naval career:...
.
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
commanding the royal naval barracks at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, and in 1910 became Private Naval Secretary
Naval Secretary
The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the RN. It is a senior RN appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Rear-Admiral. The Naval Secretary's counterpart in the British Army is...
to the First Lord of the Admiralty. Until 1911 this was Reginald McKenna
Reginald McKenna
Reginald McKenna was a British banker and Liberal politician. He notably served as Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer during the premiership of H. H. Asquith.-Background and education:...
, who was succeeded that year by Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
. Troubridge was promoted to flag rank in March 1911 with his promotion to rear-admiral, and in 1912 he became chief of the War Staff. During his time on the War Staff he was involved in the drawing up of plans for naval strategy in the event of war. The plans, which involved the establishment of a massive cordon of warships in British waters, provoked criticism from a number of naval officers, and were eventually shown to be unsound in a series of naval exercises and manoeuvres in the summer of 1912. Churchill arranged for Troubridge to leave office at the end of the year, replacing him with Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Jackson. Troubridge returned to active service at sea in January 1913 with his appointment to command the Mediterranean Fleet's cruiser squadron, consisting of , , and , under the fleet's commander in chief, Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne
Archibald Berkeley Milne
Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne, 2nd Baronet GCVO KCB was a senior Royal Navy officer who commanded the Mediterranean Fleet at the outbreak of the First World War.- Naval career :...
. During this period Troubridge flew his flag aboard Defence.
Pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
On the entry of the British to the First World War in early August 1914, GermanyGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
had two ships in the Mediterranean, forming their Mittelmeerdivision
Mediterranean Division
The Mediterranean Division was a division consisting of one battlecruiser , one light cruiser , and a yacht of the Kaiserliche Marine. It saw service in the First Balkan War, Second Balkan War, and First World War...
, the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
and the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
. The German ships, under Rear-Admiral Wilhelm Souchon
Wilhelm Souchon
Wilhelm Anton Souchon was a German and Ottoman admiral in World War I who commanded the Kaiserliche Marine's Mediterranean squadron in the early days of the war...
, had been shadowed by a British battlecruiser force, while Milne deployed his fleet to bottle up the German ships. After carrying out a shore bombardment the Germans were observed to coal at Messina, causing Milne to send most of his force to wait west of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, to prevent Souchon from interfering with French troop convoys. Troubridge and his force of four cruisers were sent to cruise west of Cephalonia in case Souchon should try to enter the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and join the Austro-Hungarian fleet
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Its official name in German was Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine , abbreviated as k.u.k. Kriegsmarine....
. The Germans sailed from Messina on 6 August, and were observed to be making for the Adriatic. They were shadowed by the light cruiser , which reported that the Germans were not intending to enter the Adriatic, but were in fact heading east towards Cape Matapan
Cape Matapan
Cape Tainaron , also known as Cape Matapan , is situated at the end of the Mani, Laconia, Greece. Cape Matapan is the southernmost point of mainland Greece. It separates the Messenian Gulf in the west from the Laconian Gulf in the east.-History:...
. Gloucester carried out an attack on the German ships, hoping to slow them down sufficiently for Troubridge's cruisers to bring them to action. Troubridge had however received orders from Milne in late January, that on the instructions of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, the British force in the Mediterranean was not to engage superior forces. Churchill had intended this to mean the Austro-Hungarian and Italian fleets, but Troubridge took it to include the Germans. The orders transmitted to Milne stated that his primary objective was to support the transport of French troops, with the engagement of individual German ships a secondary objective. A superior force should only be engaged in combination with the French.
4.49am, 7/8/14, to Milne:The chase abandoned, the Germans made it to Constantinople
Being only able to meet Goeben outside the range of our guns and inside his, I have abandoned the chase with my squadron. Goeben evidently going to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and were later turned over the Turkish Navy.
Court-martial
Both Troubridge and Milne came under considerable criticism for their failure to engage and destroy the German squadron, criticism which intensified when it appeared that the presence of the German ships had been influential in the subsequent Turkish decision to enter the war. Troubridge was ordered back to Britain in September, and faced a court of inquiry held at the Navigation School, PortsmouthPortsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
. After investigating the events surrounding the chase of Goeben and Breslau, the court of inquiry decided to court-martial Troubridge on the grounds of his failure to engage the enemy. The court martial was held on board , moored at Portland
Isle of Portland
The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...
, from 5 to 9 November 1914. After deliberations the court came to the conclusion that the charge was not proved, owing to the nature of his orders and the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
's failure to clarify them, and Troubridge was ‘fully and honourably acquitted’. Despite this victory the criticism lingered, with accusations that he had let the fleet down. Neither Troubridge nor Milne received another seagoing command, and in January 1915 Troubridge was appointed to head the British naval mission to Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
.
Balkan service
The British naval mission to Serbia was intended to support Serbian efforts to resist the Austro-Hungarian flotilla, consisting of monitorsMonitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
and patrol vessels, operating on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
. For this task Troubridge commanded a small group of seaman and marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
armed with eight 4.7 inch naval guns. They were later reinforced with a 45 foot picket boat fitted with torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
dropping gear. Allied control of the Danube became strategically vital after the Gallipoli Campaign began, as it prevented river-borne supplies from reaching the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
, from where they could be transported to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Despite initial success in preventing Austro-Hungarian domination of the waterway, the entry of Bulgaria to the war and the combined Austrian-German-Bulgarian offensive in October caused the disintegration of the Serbian position. Troubridge and his force retreated with the Serbian army to the Adriatic coast, reaching the small port of San Giovanni di Medua. Troubridge took command of the evacuation and oversaw the withdrawal of the remains of the army and many thousands of refugees to Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
throughout December and January.
Impressed with his services, Serbian Crown Prince Alexander
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
requested Troubridge as his personal advisor and aide. Troubridge, having been promoted to vice-admiral in June 1916, went out to Salonika to join the reformed Serbian armies. He remained in the Balkans throughout the campaigns of the next two years, which culminated in the final collapse of Bulgaria in September 1918. The French commander in chief in the area, Louis Franchet d'Espèrey, appointed Troubridge admiral commanding on the Danube. Troubridge quickly requested the formation of a new naval brigade, to be supported with artillery and torpedo gear in order to prosecute the Danube campaign, but this was rejected by the Admiralty in favour of a gunboat flotilla. Displeased by Troubridge's acceptance of a French appointment, they tried to prevent him from having command of the flotilla.
Post-war service
Troubridge remained in the Balkans for several months after the end of the war, and returned to Britain in early 1919, having been promoted to admiral in January 1919. While he was able to restore his position, he attempted to intervene without orders in the establishment of Béla KunBéla Kun
Béla Kun , born Béla Kohn, was a Hungarian Communist politician and a Bolshevik Revolutionary who led the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919.- Early life :...
's Hungarian Soviet Republic
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Hungarian Soviet Republic or Soviet Republic of Hungary was a short-lived Communist state established in Hungary in the aftermath of World War I....
in March 1919. His actions brought questionable results, and he remained out of favour with the Admiralty. His experience in the Danube area led to his appointment as president of a provisional inter-allied Danube Commission
Commissions of the Danube River
See Internationalization of the Danube River for events before 1856.The Commissions of the Danube River were authorized by the Treaty of Paris after the close of the Crimean War...
in 1919. He was replaced by a representative favoured by the Foreign Office on the establishment of the permanent international Danube commission, but when this representative, and a representative favoured by the Admiralty both departed, Troubridge was recalled in June 1920. He had been created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
in June 1919. His tenure as president of the commission lasted until March 1924, during which time he was placed on the retired list by the Admiralty, on the grounds that his salary came from the commission.
Personal life
Troubridge married Edith Mary Duffus on 29 December 1891. The couple had one surviving son, Thomas Hope TroubridgeThomas Hope Troubridge
Vice Admiral Sir Thomas Hope Troubridge KCB DSO & Bar was a Royal navy officer who went on to become Fifth Sea Lord.-Naval career:...
, who followed his father into the navy and became a vice-admiral. Edith died in 1900, and Ernest remarried on 10 October 1908. His second wife was the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor
Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge
Una Vincenzo, Lady Troubridge was a British sculptor and translator. She is best known as the long-time partner of Marguerite "John" Radclyffe-Hall, the author of The Well of Loneliness.Troubridge was an educated woman who had many achievements in her own right...
, more commonly known as Una Vincenzo. The couple had a daughter, but separated in 1919, Una having begun a relationship in 1915 with Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall
Radclyffe Hall
Radclyffe Hall was an English poet and author, best known for the lesbian classic The Well of Loneliness.- Life :...
. Admiral Ernest Troubridge died suddenly in Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
on 28 January 1926, and was buried there.
Honours and awards
- Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Member of the Royal Victorian Order
- Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(Japan) - Royal Humane SocietyRoyal Humane SocietyThe Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
silver medal - Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus
- Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle with Swords (Serbia)
- Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
(France) - Grand Officer of the Order of Karageorge with Swords (Serbia)
- Grand Officer of the Order of the RedeemerOrder of the RedeemerThe Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
(Greece) - Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of RomaniaOrder of the Star of RomaniaThe Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
- Czechoslovak War Cross