Howard Kelly (Royal Navy officer)
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Howard Kelly GBE
KCB
CMG
MVO
(1873–1952) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station
.
in 1886. He went to Somaliland
in 1902 and became naval attaché
in Paris
in 1911.
He served in the First World War
as commanding officer of HMS Gloucester
, taking part in the pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
(his brother John Kelly was commanding officer of Gloucesters sister ship Dublin during the same engagement). From 1917 he was commander of the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron. In 1918 he was given command of the British Adriatic Force.
After the war he was appointed head of British Naval Mission to Greece
. He became Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron
in the Atlantic Fleet in 1923 and commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in 1925. He went on to be Admiralty
representative to the League of Nations
in 1927 and commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet
in 1929. His last appointment was intended to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station
in 1931. He was on board the minesweeper
when it ran aground in November 1931 - all aboard were rescued. Then, following the January 28 Incident
, he used his influence to seek a ceasefire between the Chinese and Japanese forces. He retired in 1936.
He was recalled in 1940, during the Second World War
, to be British Naval Representative in Turkey
; he retired again in 1944.
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...
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...
CMG
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....
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...
(1873–1952) 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, China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
.
Naval career
Kelly joined the Royal NavyRoyal 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 1886. He went to Somaliland
British Somaliland
British Somaliland was a British protectorate in the northern part of present-day Somalia. For much of its existence, British Somaliland was bordered by French Somaliland, Ethiopia, and Italian Somaliland. From 1940 to 1941, it was occupied by the Italians and was part of Italian East Africa...
in 1902 and became 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 Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1911.
He served in the First World War
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...
as commanding officer of HMS Gloucester
HMS Gloucester (1909)
HMS Gloucester was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy launched on 28 October 1909 from the yards of William Beardmore and Company. She formed part of the Bristol subgroup....
, taking part in the pursuit of Goeben and Breslau
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...
(his brother John Kelly was commanding officer of Gloucesters sister ship Dublin during the same engagement). From 1917 he was commander of the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron. In 1918 he was given command of the British Adriatic Force.
After the war he was appointed head of British Naval Mission to Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. He became Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron
1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron of battleships, initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, renamed the Grand Fleet during World War I...
in the Atlantic Fleet in 1923 and commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in 1925. He went on to be 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...
representative to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in 1927 and commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean 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...
in 1929. His last appointment was intended to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
in 1931. He was on board the minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
when it ran aground in November 1931 - all aboard were rescued. Then, following the January 28 Incident
January 28 Incident
The January 28 Incident was a short war between the armies of the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan, before official hostilities of the Second Sino-Japanese War commenced in 1937.- Naming :...
, he used his influence to seek a ceasefire between the Chinese and Japanese forces. He retired in 1936.
He was recalled in 1940, during the Second World War
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...
, to be British Naval Representative in 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...
; he retired again in 1944.