Fitzroy Talbot
Encyclopedia
Vice-Admiral
Sir Arthur Allison Fitzroy Talbot KBE
CB
DSO
& Bar
DL
(22 October 1909 – 16 June 1998) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
.
, Fitzroy Talbot joined the Royal Navy
in 1926. He went to sea as a midshipman
in the battleship
HMS Royal Oak.
He served in World War II
initially as commander of the 10th Anti-Submarine Striking Force in the North Sea
and then as Commander of the 3rd Motor Gun Boat Flotilla in the Channel
. He commanded the destroyer
s HMS Whitshed
and HMS Teazer
, in the latter capacity supporting the advance through Italy
. Finally he was Chief of Staff to the Commodore, Western Isles.
After the War he became Chief Staff Officer (Operations) for the Far East Station before taking command of the frigate
HMS Alert
in 1949. In 1950 he was appointed Naval Attaché
in Moscow
and then, as Commander of 3rd Destroyer Squadron, he took part in the Suez Crisis
in 1956 after which he became Commodore, Royal Navy Barracks, Portsmouth
in 1957. His next appointment was as Flag Officer Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf in 1960 before being made Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America
in 1963. He was made Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
in 1965 and retired in 1967.
In retirement he became Deputy Lieutenant
of Somerset
in 1973.
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
Sir Arthur Allison Fitzroy Talbot KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
CB
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...
DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
(22 October 1909 – 16 June 1998) was a 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...
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
.
Naval career
Educated at the Royal Naval College, DartmouthBritannia 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...
, Fitzroy Talbot joined 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 1926. He went to sea as a midshipman
Midshipman
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...
in 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...
HMS Royal Oak.
He served in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
initially as commander of the 10th Anti-Submarine Striking Force in 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...
and then as Commander of the 3rd Motor Gun Boat Flotilla in the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. He commanded the destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s HMS Whitshed
HMS Whitshed (D77)
HMS Whitshed was a V and W class escort destroyer of the Royal Navy, laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited at Wallsend on 3 June 1918, launched in 1919, and commissioned on 11 July of that year...
and HMS Teazer
HMS Teazer (R23)
HMS Teazer was a T-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted to a Type 16 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F23....
, in the latter capacity supporting the advance through 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...
. Finally he was Chief of Staff to the Commodore, Western Isles.
After the War he became Chief Staff Officer (Operations) for the Far East Station before taking command of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Alert
HMS Alert (K647)
HMS Alert a of the British Royal Navy. She was originally laid down as the Loch-class vessel Loch Scamdale, and re-ordered as Dundrum Bay while building...
in 1949. In 1950 he was appointed Naval Attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and then, as Commander of 3rd Destroyer Squadron, he took part in the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
in 1956 after which he became Commodore, Royal Navy Barracks, Portsmouth
Portsmouth
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...
in 1957. His next appointment was as Flag Officer Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf in 1960 before being made Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America
South Atlantic Station
The South Atlantic Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formed from the former Cape of Good Hope Station.-History:...
in 1963. He was made Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. In the nineteenth century the holder of the office was known as Commander-in-Chief,...
in 1965 and retired in 1967.
In retirement he became Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
in 1973.
Family
In 1940 he married Joyce Gertrude Linley; they went on to have two daughters. Following the death of his first wife, he married Elizabeth Durlacher in 1983.Honours and awards
- 25 June 1940 - Lieutenant Arthur Allison FitzRoy Talbot, Royal Navy is appointed to be a Companion of the Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for courage and resource in operations on the Norwegian Coast. - 10 June 1961 - Rear-Admiral Arthur Allison FitzRoy Talbot, DSO, is appointed to be a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
- 1 January 1964 - Vice-Admiral Arthur Allison Fitzroy Talbot, CB, DSO, is appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.