George Creasy
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir George Elvey Creasy GCB
CBE
DSO
MVO
(13 October 1895 – 31 October 1972) was a senior Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
.
, Creasy joined the Royal Navy
in 1908.
He served in World War I
and took part in operations at Heligoland Bight
in 1917. He was appointed Assistant Director of Plans at the Admiralty
in 1936.
He also served in World War II
and commanded HMS Grenville
from 1939 which was sunk in January 1940. He then transferred to HMS Codrington
and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940. He was made Director of Anti-Submarine Warfare in 1940 and given command of HMS Duke of York
in 1942. In 1943 he was made Chief Staff Officer for the planning and execution of the naval operations for the Normandy landings. In 1944 he became Admiral (submarines).
After the War he was appointed Flag Officer (Air) for the Far East Fleet and became Fifth Sea Lord
and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Air) in 1948. He was made Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1949 and Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic in 1952. His last post was as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Allied Commander-in-Chief Channel Command in 1954. He retired in 1957.
In retirement he became Deputy Lieutenant
of Essex
.
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Sir George Elvey Creasy 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...
CBE
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...
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...
MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(13 October 1895 – 31 October 1972) was a senior 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, Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
.
Naval career
Educated at the Royal Naval College, OsborneOsborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
, Creasy 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 1908.
He served in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and took part in operations at Heligoland Bight
Heligoland Bight
The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river...
in 1917. He was appointed Assistant Director of Plans at 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...
in 1936.
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 commanded HMS Grenville
HMS Grenville (H03)
HMS Grenville was the flotilla leader for the G-class destroyers, built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. She spent most of the pre-war period as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. The ship was transferred to the British Isles to escort shipping in local waters shortly after the beginning of...
from 1939 which was sunk in January 1940. He then transferred to HMS Codrington
HMS Codrington (D65)
HMS Codrington was an A-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served as the flotilla leader during the Second World War in Home waters and off the Norwegian coast, before being bombed and sunk on 27 July 1940 whilst in dock at Dover....
and took part in the Dunkirk evacuation in May 1940. He was made Director of Anti-Submarine Warfare in 1940 and given command of HMS Duke of York
HMS Duke of York (17)
HMS Duke of York was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy. Laid down in May 1937, the ship was constructed by John Brown and Company at Clydebank, Scotland, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 4 November 1941, subsequently seeing service during the Second World War.In...
in 1942. In 1943 he was made Chief Staff Officer for the planning and execution of the naval operations for the Normandy landings. In 1944 he became Admiral (submarines).
After the War he was appointed Flag Officer (Air) for the Far East Fleet and became Fifth Sea Lord
Fifth Sea Lord
The Fifth Sea Lord was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty that controlled the Royal Navy.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords...
and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (Air) in 1948. He was made Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1949 and Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic in 1952. His last post was as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Allied Commander-in-Chief Channel Command in 1954. He retired in 1957.
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 Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
.