Maurice Swynfen Fitzmaurice
Encyclopedia
Sir Maurice Swynfen Fitzmaurice CB
, KCVO
, CMG
, (12 August 1870 – 23 January 1927) was an officer of the Royal Navy
, who rose to the rank of vice-admiral.
He served in a number of campaigns in Africa, being twice mentioned in despatches, and had risen to the rank of captain prior to the outbreak of the First World War. He served in the Mediterranean, where his ship was sunk by a submarine, and was later appointed to a number of staff posts. He collected a number of awards for his services in the war, and after its end became Director of Naval Intelligence
. He died in 1927 while serving as commander in chief of the African Station.
between 1899 and 1901, and in the First World War, having become a captain on 30 June 1910. During the latter conflict he captained the battleship
, from 5 August 1914 until her loss during the Dardanelles Campaign
in 1915. Triumph was torpedoed by the German submarine SM U-21
on 25 May. As she capsized Fitzmaurice was thrown into the water 'as though he had been shot from a gun'. He was picked up by a destroyer
after several minutes in the water, apparently with his monocle
still firmly in place. He then served as Principal Naval Transport Officer, Dardanelles and Salonika from 1915 until 1916, and then Chief of Staff, Eastern Mediterranean until 1917.
Fitzmaurice received a number of awards, including several from foreign powers, for his service during the war. He was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
in 1916, and the award of the Second Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
, a Japan
ese honour, in 1917. Further awards followed, and by the end of the war he was an Officer of the Legion d'honneur
and had been awarded the War Cross and the Royal Order of the Redeemer by Greece.
He served as captain of in 1918 and from 1 January 1919 was Commodore
commanding the British Aegean Squadron. He became a rear-admiral on 26 November 1920 and was Director of Naval Intelligence
between 1921 and 1924, after which he became commander in chief on the Africa Station
on 12 December 1924. He became a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1922 and a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1925.
Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice reached the rank of vice-admiral in 1926 and died on 23 January 1927, aged 56. He was at the time Commander in Chief on the African station.
, a member of the Royal College of Organists
, and a Fellow of the Royal Philharmonic Society
. He played the organ
, and enjoyed the works of J. S. Bach.
Fitzmaurice married Mabel Gertrude Gray on 13 October 1896, and the couple had two children. Gerald Gray Fitzmaurice
was born on 24 October 1901 and rose to be a distinguished judge, while Maurice James Fitzmaurice was born on 1 January 1903 and joined the Royal Air Force
. He attained the rank of Pilot Officer
, but was killed in a flying accident on 14 July 1923.
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...
, KCVO
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...
, 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....
, (12 August 1870 – 23 January 1927) was an officer of 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...
, who rose to the rank of vice-admiral.
He served in a number of campaigns in Africa, being twice mentioned in despatches, and had risen to the rank of captain prior to the outbreak of the First World War. He served in the Mediterranean, where his ship was sunk by a submarine, and was later appointed to a number of staff posts. He collected a number of awards for his services in the war, and after its end became Director of Naval Intelligence
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...
. He died in 1927 while serving as commander in chief of the African Station.
Career
Maurice Fitzmaurice was born on 12 August 1870, the son of John Gerald Fitzmaurice and Florence Augusta Marian Boyrenson. He entered the navy and took part in the Gambia Campaign in 1894. For his services in this conflict he was mentioned in despatches. He then went on to see action in the East African Campaign in 1898, during which he was wounded, and again was mentioned in despatches. Fitzmaurice was active in the Second Boer WarSecond Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
between 1899 and 1901, and in the First World War, having become a captain on 30 June 1910. During the latter conflict he captained the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, from 5 August 1914 until her loss during the Dardanelles Campaign
Naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign
The naval operations in the Dardanelles Campaign of the First World War were mainly carried out by the Royal Navy with substantial support from the French and minor contributions from Russia and Australia. The Dardanelles Campaign began as a purely naval operation...
in 1915. Triumph was torpedoed by the German submarine SM U-21
SM U-21 (Germany)
SM U-21 was one of the most famous U-boats to serve in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was the first submarine to sink a ship with a self-propelled torpedo. She also sank the British battleships HMS Triumph and HMS Majestic...
on 25 May. As she capsized Fitzmaurice was thrown into the water 'as though he had been shot from a gun'. He was picked up by a destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
after several minutes in the water, apparently with his monocle
Monocle
A monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing...
still firmly in place. He then served as Principal Naval Transport Officer, Dardanelles and Salonika from 1915 until 1916, and then Chief of Staff, Eastern Mediterranean until 1917.
Fitzmaurice received a number of awards, including several from foreign powers, for his service during the war. He was made a Companion 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 1916, and the award of the Second Class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese honour, in 1917. Further awards followed, and by the end of the war he was an Officer of the Legion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and had been awarded the War Cross and the Royal Order of the Redeemer by Greece.
He served as captain of in 1918 and from 1 January 1919 was Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
commanding the British Aegean Squadron. He became a rear-admiral on 26 November 1920 and was Director of Naval Intelligence
Naval Intelligence Division
The Naval Intelligence Division was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Staff in 1965. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence...
between 1921 and 1924, after which he became commander in chief on the Africa Station
Cape of Good Hope Station
The Cape of Good Hope Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope....
on 12 December 1924. He became a Companion of 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...
in 1922 and a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in 1925.
Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice reached the rank of vice-admiral in 1926 and died on 23 January 1927, aged 56. He was at the time Commander in Chief on the African station.
Family and personal life
Maurice Fitzmaurice was a keen musician, and a Director of the Royal Academy of MusicRoyal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, a member of the Royal College of Organists
Royal College of Organists
The Royal College of Organists or RCO, is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, but with members around the world...
, and a Fellow of the Royal Philharmonic Society
Royal Philharmonic Society
The Royal Philharmonic Society is a British music society, formed in 1813. It was originally formed in London to promote performances of instrumental music there. Many distinguished composers and performers have taken part in its concerts...
. He played the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, and enjoyed the works of J. S. Bach.
Fitzmaurice married Mabel Gertrude Gray on 13 October 1896, and the couple had two children. Gerald Gray Fitzmaurice
Gerald Fitzmaurice
Sir Gerald Gray Fitzmaurice GCMG, QC was a British barrister and judge.He was born on 24 October 1901, the younger son of Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Swynfen Fitzmaurice and Mabel Gertrude Gray. He studied at Malvern College and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he gained a Bachelor of...
was born on 24 October 1901 and rose to be a distinguished judge, while Maurice James Fitzmaurice was born on 1 January 1903 and joined the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He attained the rank of Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
, but was killed in a flying accident on 14 July 1923.