John Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
John David Elliott Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse GCB
, GBE
(12 February 1928 – 17 February 1992) was a high ranking officer in the Royal Navy
. He also served as the Chief of the Defence Staff
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
in 1941. In 1956 he took command of his first submarine, HMS Acheron
, and went on to command the submarines HMS Tiptoe
, HMS Walrus
and HMS Dreadnought
. He subsequently commanded HMS Diomede
, a Frigate. On 31 December 1967, he was promoted from Commander
to Captain
remaining in the Seaman specialisation of the Royal Navy.
He became Flag Officer Second Flotilla in 1974 and was promoted to Rear Admiral
on 7 January 1975. He was made Flag Officer Submarines in 1976, Controller of the Navy
in 1979 and Commander-in-Chief Fleet
in 1981.
As Commander in Chief Fleet, he was the Commander of the Task Force (designated Task Force 317), given responsibility for "Operation Corporate
", the mission to recover the Falkland Islands
. His military despatch detailing his involvement in the conflict can be found here.
He served as First Sea Lord
and Chief of Naval Staff
from 1982 to 1985 and Chief of the Defence Staff
from 1985 to 1988.
as Baron Fieldhouse, of Gosport in the County of Hampshire
in 1990. In retirement he became a consultant to Vosper Thornycroft
plc. In 1992 he had a major heart operation in Southampton General Hospital
, subsequent to which he caught an infection and died at the age of 64.
on the 11 October 1982 "in recognition of service within the operations in the South Atlantic".
in the 2002
BBC
production of Ian Curteis
's controversial The Falklands Play
.
|-
|-
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
John David Elliott Fieldhouse, Baron Fieldhouse 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...
, GBE
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...
(12 February 1928 – 17 February 1992) was a high ranking officer in 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...
. He also served as the Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
Naval career
John Fieldhouse started his career at Britannia Royal Naval CollegeBritannia 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 1941. In 1956 he took command of his first submarine, HMS Acheron
HMS Acheron (P411)
HMS Acheron was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy, laid down 26 August 1944, launched 25 March 1947, completed 1948 and carried out 'General Naval Service' around the UK until the end of 1964. For the next 2 years she was loaned to the Canadian Navy. She was decommissioned and broken up...
, and went on to command the submarines HMS Tiptoe
HMS Tiptoe (P332)
HMS Tiptoe was a British submarine of the third group of the T class. She was built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow, and launched on 25 February 1944. She was one of two submarines named by Winston Churchill, and so far has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to be named Tiptoe...
, HMS Walrus
HMS Walrus (S08)
HMS Walrus was a Porpoise class submarine of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 22 September 1959, and commissioned on 10 February 1961...
and HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (S101)
The seventh HMS Dreadnought was the United Kingdom's first nuclear-powered submarine, built by Vickers Armstrongs at Barrow-in-Furness. Launched by Queen Elizabeth II on Trafalgar Day 1960 and commissioned into service with the Royal Navy in April 1963, she continued in service until 1980...
. He subsequently commanded HMS Diomede
HMS Diomede (F16)
HMS Diomede was a Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Glasgow. Diomede was launched on 15 April 1969 and commissioned on 2 April 1971...
, a Frigate. On 31 December 1967, he was promoted from Commander
Commander (Royal Navy)
Commander is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is immediately junior to captain and immediately senior to the rank of lieutenant commander...
to 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...
remaining in the Seaman specialisation of the Royal Navy.
He became Flag Officer Second Flotilla in 1974 and was promoted to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
on 7 January 1975. He was made Flag Officer Submarines in 1976, 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 1979 and Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
in 1981.
As Commander in Chief Fleet, he was the Commander of the Task Force (designated Task Force 317), given responsibility for "Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate was the codename given to the 1982 British military involvement in the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War. The commander of task force operations was Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse. Operations lasted from 1 April 1982 to 20 June 1982....
", the mission to recover the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
. His military despatch detailing his involvement in the conflict can be found here.
He served as First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
and Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff is the formal title for the office of:* Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy* Chief of the Naval Staff, Pakistan NavyNavies of other countries have similar titles:* Chief of Navy, Royal Australian Navy...
from 1982 to 1985 and Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
from 1985 to 1988.
Later life
He retired in 1988 and was made a life peerLife peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Fieldhouse, of Gosport in the County of 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...
in 1990. In retirement he became a consultant to Vosper Thornycroft
VT Group
VT Group plc was a British defence and services company, formerly known as Vosper Thornycroft. The Company had diversified from shipbuilding into various engineering and support services, becoming involved in many areas of provision through five main operating groups: VT Communications, VT...
plc. In 1992 he had a major heart operation in Southampton General Hospital
Southampton General Hospital
Southampton General Hospital is a large Teaching Hospital in Southampton, England, operated by University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust...
, subsequent to which he caught an infection and died at the age of 64.
Honours and awards
Fieldhouse was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Military Division of the Order of the British EmpireOrder 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...
on the 11 October 1982 "in recognition of service within the operations in the South Atlantic".
In popular culture
Fieldhouse was portrayed by Tom ChadbonTom Chadbon
Tom Chadbon is an English actor, who has spent the larger part of his career appearing on British television. While principally a character actor, he has occasionally had leading or recurring roles....
in the 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production of Ian Curteis
Ian Curteis
Ian Bayley Curteis is a British television dramatist and former television director.In a career as a television dramatist from the late 1960s onwards, Curteis wrote for many of the series of the day, including The Onedin Line and Crown Court. In 1979, two television plays by Curteis were...
's controversial The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play is a dramatic account of the political events leading up to, and including, the 1982 Falklands War. The play was written by Ian Curteis, an experienced writer who had started his television career in drama, but had increasingly come to specialise in dramatic reconstructions of...
.
Further reading
- The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0 85052 835 6
|-
|-