Geoffrey Arbuthnot
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Sir Geoffrey Schomberg Arbuthnot KCB
, DSO
(18 January 1885 – 4 October 1957) was a British
Vice Admiral
.
in Hampshire
, Arbuthnot was the son of Admiral Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot
and Emily Caroline Schomberg. Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
, Arbuthnot joined the Royal Navy
in 1910 and fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches
and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) in 1919. He was appointed Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee at Woolwich
in 1927 and then given command of the cruiser
HMS Suffolk
in 1929. He went on to be Deputy Director of Training in 1932, Director of Training and Staff Duties in 1933 and Commander of the destroyer flotillas in the Home Fleet in 1934 before being given command of HMS Valiant
in 1935. He was made Naval Aide-de-Camp
to King George VI in 1936. In 1937 he became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
. He also served in World War II
and, having been Commander-in-Chief, West Indies Station from 1941 to 1942, Arbuthnot was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
(1942) and a member of the French
Légion d'honneur
. He was Chairman of the Honours and Awards Committee from 1942 to 1945 when he retired.
Vice 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...
Sir Geoffrey Schomberg Arbuthnot KCB
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...
(18 January 1885 – 4 October 1957) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Vice Admiral
Vice 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...
.
Naval career
Born in HavantHavant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, Arbuthnot was the son of Admiral Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot
Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot
Charles Ramsay Arbuthnot was a British Admiral in the Royal Navy.Born in Liverpool in England, he was son of George Clerk Arbuthnot and Caroline Ramsay Hay, and grandson of Sir William Arbuthnot, 1st Baronet. His first post was aboard HMS Britannia. Later he served aboard the Arctic yacht...
and Emily Caroline Schomberg. Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
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...
, Arbuthnot 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 1910 and fought in the First World War, where he was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
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...
(DSO) in 1919. He was appointed Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
in 1927 and then given command of the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Suffolk
HMS Suffolk (55)
HMS Suffolk was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, and part of the Kent subclass. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth, UK), with the keel being laid down on 15 November 1924...
in 1929. He went on to be Deputy Director of Training in 1932, Director of Training and Staff Duties in 1933 and Commander of the destroyer flotillas in the Home Fleet in 1934 before being given command of HMS Valiant
HMS Valiant (1914)
HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
in 1935. He was made Naval Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to King George VI in 1936. In 1937 he became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. He also 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...
and, having been Commander-in-Chief, West Indies Station from 1941 to 1942, Arbuthnot was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
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...
(1942) and a member of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. He was Chairman of the Honours and Awards Committee from 1942 to 1945 when he retired.