Horace Law
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Horace (Rochfort) Law GCB
OBE
DSC
(23 June 1911 – 30 January 2005) was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
.
and the Royal Naval College Dartmouth
, Law joined the Royal Navy
in 1929. He became a Gunnery specialist in 1937. He served in World War II
in the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo
in 1939, the cruiser HMS Coventry
in 1940 and the cruiser HMS Nigeria
in 1942. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
for his role in the British landings in Greece
and the subsequent evacuations from Greece and Crete
.
He also served in the Korean War
arranging naval gunfire support for the Korean Army
.
He was appointed Commanding Officer
of the destroyer HMS Duchess
in 1951 and the carrier HMS Centaur
in 1958 and then made Commander
of the Britannia Royal Naval College
in 1960.
He went on to be Flag Officer, Sea Training in 1961, Flag Officer, Submarines in 1963 and Controller of the Navy
in 1965. He was made Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
and Flag Officer, Portsmouth Area in 1970. He was also First and Principal Naval Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 1970 to 1972. He retired in 1972.
In retirement he became Chairman of Hawthorn Leslie and Company
and was a member of Security Commission
from 1973 to 1982.
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...
OBE
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...
DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(23 June 1911 – 30 January 2005) was Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
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 Sherborne SchoolSherborne School
Sherborne School is a British independent school for boys, located in the town of Sherborne in north-west Dorset, England. It is one of the original member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
and 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...
, Law 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 1929. He became a Gunnery specialist in 1937. 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...
in the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Cairo
HMS Cairo (D87)
HMS Cairo was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Egyptian capital, Cairo. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name...
in 1939, the cruiser HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (D43)
HMS Coventry was a C-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, named after the English city of Coventry. She was part of the Ceres group of the C-class of cruisers.-Early career and wartime service:...
in 1940 and the cruiser HMS Nigeria
HMS Nigeria (60)
HMS Nigeria was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy completed early in World War II and served throughout that conflict. She was named for the British territory of Nigeria.-Home waters:...
in 1942. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
for his role in the British landings in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
and the subsequent evacuations from Greece and 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...
.
He also served in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
arranging naval gunfire support for the Korean Army
Republic of Korea Army
The Republic of Korea Army is the largest of the military branches of the South Korean armed forces with 520,000 members as of 2010...
.
He was appointed Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the destroyer HMS Duchess
HMAS Duchess (D154)
HMAS Duchess was a Daring-class destroyer that served in the Royal Navy as HMS Duchess from 1952 to 1964, and in the Royal Australian Navy from 1964 to 1980....
in 1951 and the carrier HMS Centaur
HMS Centaur (R06)
HMS Centaur was the first of the four Centaur-class light fleet carriers of the Royal Navy. She was the only ship of her class to retain the original configuration with a straight axial flight deck rather than the angled flight decks of her three sister ships...
in 1958 and then made 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...
of the Britannia 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...
in 1960.
He went on to be Flag Officer, Sea Training in 1961, Flag Officer, Submarines in 1963 and Controller of the Navy
Third Sea Lord
The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...
in 1965. He was made Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
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 Flag Officer, Portsmouth Area in 1970. He was also First and Principal Naval Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 1970 to 1972. He retired in 1972.
In retirement he became Chairman of Hawthorn Leslie and Company
Hawthorn Leslie and Company
R. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
and was a member of Security Commission
Security 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...
from 1973 to 1982.