Hugh Binney
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Thomas Hugh Binney, KCB
, KCMG
, DSO
(9 December 1883 – 8 January 1953) was a British
naval officer and administrator who was Governor of Tasmania
from 1945 to 1953.
, Isle of Man
, England
in 1883, the son of Thomas Godfrey Binney and his wife, Susan Lockhart.
from an early age, and he joined the training vessel HMS Britannia
at Dartmouth
at the age of 13.
He served at sea from 1899 until 1914, and was then aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth as a gunnery officer for the Dardanelles Campaign. Binney had been promoted to the rank of Commander by 1916, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in 1919. He was made Captain
whilst on the China Station
in 1922. He became Deputy Director of Plans at the Admiralty
in 1925. He went on to be Flag Captain on HMS Nelson
in 1928, Captain of HMS Hood
in 1932 and Chief of Staff to Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
in 1933.
In 1934 he was promoted to Rear Admiral
, and as of 1936, he commanded the 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet. When World War II
broke out, he was Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
in London
. He served as flag officer
(ashore), Orkney Islands
and Shetland Islands
, Scotland
, and was made Admiral
in 1942. He then served as flag officer-in-charge
, in Cardiff
before retiring from the navy in 1945.
as Governor of Tasmania
, a post he took up on 24 December 1945. He excelled at the post, and was a popular governor. Despite this, his governorship was not a quiet one. He oversaw the Robert Cosgrove
government forced to call an early election in 1948 due to the Legislative Council
rejecting the supply bill. He again dissolved the second Cosgrove
government in 1950 due to the retirement of speaker of the house, W.G. Wedd, in protest at the appointment of Thomas D'Alton
as Agent General
for Tasmania
.
The Binneys both engaged themselves in the Tasmanian way of life, and were both involved in many social organisations. Hugh Binney was a member of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
, and won the Derwent Sailing Pennant in 1951. He retired as Governor on 8 May 1951 and immediately returned to England
.
(C.B.) in 1935, and was elevated to Knight Commander to the Order of the Bath
(K.C.B) in 1940. He married Elizabeth Bride Blair-Imrie, a granddaughter of Brigadier-General Eyre Crabbe
, at the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields
, London
on 31 October 1942, but they were never to have children. She excelled in the role of governor's wife. Sir Hugh Binney was elevated to Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
in 1951, and following surgery for cholecystitis
, he died of pulmonary embolism
on 8 January 1953.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Thomas Hugh Binney, 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...
, KCMG
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....
, 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...
(9 December 1883 – 8 January 1953) was a British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
naval officer and administrator who was Governor of Tasmania
Governors of Tasmania
The Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.In accordance with the...
from 1945 to 1953.
Early life
Binney was born in DouglasDouglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
, Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1883, the son of Thomas Godfrey Binney and his wife, Susan Lockhart.
Naval career
Binney was determined to pursue a career with 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...
from an early age, and he joined the training vessel HMS Britannia
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...
at Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Devon
Dartmouth is a town and civil parish in the English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the banks of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes...
at the age of 13.
He served at sea from 1899 until 1914, and was then aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth as a gunnery officer for the Dardanelles Campaign. Binney had been promoted to the rank of Commander by 1916, 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...
in 1919. He was made Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
whilst on the 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 1922. He became Deputy 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 1925. He went on to be Flag Captain on HMS Nelson
HMS Nelson (1925)
HMS Nelson was one of two Nelson-class battleships built for the Royal Navy between the two World Wars. She was named in honour of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson the victor at the Battle of Trafalgar...
in 1928, Captain of HMS Hood
HMS Hood (51)
HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be...
in 1932 and Chief of Staff to 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 1933.
In 1934 he was promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, and as of 1936, he commanded the 1st Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet. When 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...
broke out, he was Commandant of the Imperial Defence College
Commandant Royal College of Defence Studies
The Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies was a UK senior serving military officer between 1972 and 2001. The post rotated through the three branches of the armed forces in turn. In 1971 the old Imperial Defence College became the Royal College of Defence Studies...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He served as flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
(ashore), Orkney Islands
Orkney Islands
Orkney also known as the Orkney Islands , is an archipelago in northern Scotland, situated north of the coast of Caithness...
and Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and was made Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
in 1942. He then served as flag officer-in-charge
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
before retiring from the navy in 1945.
Governor of Tasmania
Following his retirement from the navy, Hugh Binney was chosen to replace Ernest ClarkErnest Clark
Ernest Clark was a British actor of stage, television and film.-Early life:Clark was the son of a master builder in Maida Vale, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar School. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon...
as Governor of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, a post he took up on 24 December 1945. He excelled at the post, and was a popular governor. Despite this, his governorship was not a quiet one. He oversaw the Robert Cosgrove
Robert Cosgrove
Sir Robert Cosgrove KCMG was an Australian politician, trade unionist, and twice Premier of Tasmania from 18 December 1939 to 18 December 1947 and 25 February 1948 to 26 August 1958....
government forced to call an early election in 1948 due to the Legislative Council
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the House of Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Hobart...
rejecting the supply bill. He again dissolved the second Cosgrove
Robert Cosgrove
Sir Robert Cosgrove KCMG was an Australian politician, trade unionist, and twice Premier of Tasmania from 18 December 1939 to 18 December 1947 and 25 February 1948 to 26 August 1958....
government in 1950 due to the retirement of speaker of the house, W.G. Wedd, in protest at the appointment of Thomas D'Alton
Thomas d'Alton
Thomas George De Largie d'Alton was an Australian politician. He was born in Warracknabeal in Victoria. In 1931 d'Alton was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as a Labor member for Darwin; he was a minister from 1934 to 1943 and resigned from the House in 1944. In 1946 he was the subject...
as Agent General
Agent General
An Agent-General was the representative in the United Kingdom of the government of a British colony in Nigeria, Canada, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand and subsequently, of a Nigerian Region, Canadian Province or an Australian State in the United Kingdom...
for Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
The Binneys both engaged themselves in the Tasmanian way of life, and were both involved in many social organisations. Hugh Binney was a member of the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania, is the largest yacht club in the Australian state of Tasmania, and is best known for its role as the finishing destination for the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race...
, and won the Derwent Sailing Pennant in 1951. He retired as Governor on 8 May 1951 and immediately returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Later life
Hugh Binney was made a Companion of the Order of the BathOrder 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...
(C.B.) in 1935, and was elevated to Knight Commander to 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...
(K.C.B) in 1940. He married Elizabeth Bride Blair-Imrie, a granddaughter of Brigadier-General Eyre Crabbe
Eyre Macdonell Stewart Crabbe
Eyre Macdonnell Stewart Crabbe was a Grenadier Guards officer who fought in the Sudan campaign to rescue General Gordon and in the Second Boer War. He was born in 1852 and died in 1905....
, at the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 31 October 1942, but they were never to have children. She excelled in the role of governor's wife. Sir Hugh Binney was elevated to Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
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....
in 1951, and following surgery for cholecystitis
Cholecystitis
-Signs and symptoms:Cholecystitis usually presents as a pain in the right upper quadrant. This is known as biliary colic. This is initially intermittent, but later usually presents as a constant, severe pain. During the initial stages, the pain may be felt in an area totally separate from the site...
, he died of pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...
on 8 January 1953.