Michael Pollock
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir Michael Patrick Pollock GCB
, LVO
, DSC
(19 October 1916 – 27 September 2006) was a British officer in the Royal Navy
who rose to become First Sea Lord
from 1971 to 1974. In the Second World War, he was an officer on ships tasked with protecting convoy
s in the Atlantic
and the Mediterranean
, and was gunnery officer
on the cruiser
HMS Norfolk
when she fought the German
battleship
Scharnhorst
during the Battle of North Cape
. He later commanded the aircraft carrier
HMS Ark Royal
, and hosted Ian Smith
on HMS Tiger
. In retirement, he held the position of King of Arms
of the Order of the Bath
(which office also holds the position of Gloucester King of Arms and responsibility for heraldry
in Wales).
in Cheshire. His father was a civil engineer
who lost a leg whilst fighting in the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front
in the First World War, at around the time when Pollock was born.
Pollock attended the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as a naval cadet in 1930, aged 13, and passed out in 1933. He joined the training cruiser HMS Frobisher
, and was then a midshipman
on the battleship
HMS Nelson
, flagship
of the Home Fleet. He served in the Mediterranean on the destroyer
HMS Express
in 1935 to 1936, during the Abyssinian crisis. He was promoted lieutenant in 1937, and appointed to the cruiser HMS York
, flagship of the America and West Indies Station, and then to the battleship HMS Warspite
, based in Malta
until June 1939.
He was married twice. He married Margaret (Peg) Steacy in 1940, and they had two sons, David and William and a daughter, Vanessa. His first wife died in 1951. Pollock remarried in 1954, to Marjory (Midge) Reece (née Bisset), acquiring a stepdaughter, Jan. His second wife died in 2001. One of his sons followed him into the Navy, becoming a Lieutenant Commander
, and a grandson also joined the Navy, passing out at Dartmouth in December 2004 with the Commandant Talbot prize for leadership and the Queen's Sword.
to supply the British Expeditionary Force
in northern France, and protecting convoys in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. His ship was badly damaged by German aircraft off Dover
in July 1940.
He qualified as a gunnery specialist in 1941, and became a gunnery instructor, but was then appointed gunnery officer on the light cruiser HMS Arethusa
in Alexandria
, where he was involved in the struggle to get supplies to Malta
. On 18 November 1942, taking part in Operation Stoneage, the mission which effectively relieved the siege of Malta, Arethusa was hit by a torpedo bomber
. A fuel tank caught fire, and a quarter of the crew were killed. Despite severe damage and a rising gale, the ship was towed 450 miles back to Alexandria for repairs. Pollock was mentioned in dispatches
.
Now ranked Lieutenant Commander, Pollock was appointed gunnery officer on the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk
, which was tasked with protecting convoys to and from north Russia
. Alerted by Enigma
intercepts decoded at Bletchley Park
, and assisted by radar
, his ship and fellow cruisers HMS Belfast
and HMS Sheffield
twice intercepted Scharnhorst
and its six accompanying destroyers when they attempted to attack two Arctic convoys
(JW 55B travelling to and RA 55A travelling from Murmansk
) in late December 1943. The 8-inch guns of Norfolk recorded two hits on Scharnhorst, but Norfolk was damaged by return fire from Scharnhorst's 11-inch guns on 26 December. Pollock was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross
for his actions. Scharnhorst was attacked by the battleship HMS Duke of York
later that day and sunk, in the Royal Navy's last battleship action.
He remained with Norfolk while she was repaired on the Tyne, and so missed D-Day
, and was involved in further action off the coast of Norway
. He was on Norfolk, visiting Malta en route to the Far East, when the Japanese surrendered
on 15 August 1945. In addition to the DSC, Pollock was mentioned in dispatches on two further occasions for his actions on Norfolk.
and also in Java
. Pollock was involved in organising the funeral of King George VI
in 1952, at which he was second-in-command of the naval contingent. He was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).
Pollock saw action in the Korean War
, and by 1954, Pollock was second-in-command of the light cruiser HMS Newcastle
, the flagship of the Far East fleet. After a period at the Admiralty
, he took command of a destroyer flotilla, as captain of the destroyer HMS Vigo
. He was considered for command of the cruiser HMS Blake
, but instead commanded the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal
from 1963–64, when it carried out the first trials of the Hawker P.1127
which developed into the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
He was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff from 1964 to 1966, in the lead up to a defence review by the Labour government which produced the 1966 Defence White Paper
, and cancelled the programmes for the CVA-01
aircraft carrier, the Type 82 destroyer
, and the TSR-2 tactical strike aeroplane. Pollock was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath
(CB) in 1966.
Pollock was then second-in-command of the Home Fleet from 1966 to 1967. His flag was on the cruiser HMS Tiger
, which became the location for the "Tiger talks" between Prime Minister Harold Wilson
and the UDI
inclined premier Ian Smith
about the future of Rhodesia
. He led the Royal Navy delegations to the Royal Canadian Navy
's centennial celebration of Canadian Confederation
at Halifax, Nova Scotia
in 1967, and to Expo 67
in Montreal
.
Pollock was promoted vice-admiral in December 1967 and appointed Flag Officer Submarines in January 1968, and was NATO Commander Submarines in the Eastern Atlantic. He was in this post when the first Polaris missile
was tested in 1968, and as the Faslane submarine base
was developed. He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1969, and was Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy
in 1970 to 1971.
Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu
, Chief of the Defence Staff
, retired suddenly due to ill health in late 1970, only months after he had been promoted from First Sea Lord
. The new First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Peter Hill-Norton
, was promoted to replace Le Fanu, and Pollock was unexpectedly required to replace Hill-Norton in March 1971 and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB). During Pollock's term as First Sea Lord, the Navy was involved in the "Cod War
" with Iceland
in 1972, and clearing mine
s in the Suez Canal
after the Yom Kippur War
. The Navy also had to deal with its role being cut back from a worldwide stage to a smaller player supporting NATO in the East Atlantic, and the reduced funding in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis
and subsequent British economic problems. He was First and Principal Naval Aide de camp to the Queen from 1972 to 1974.
Pollock was involved in the decisions that led to the creation of the "through deck cruiser", which became the small Invincible class aircraft carrier
s. He retired from the Navy in 1974, shortly before the decision was made to order Sea Harriers. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
on 1 March 1974, and succeeded as First Sea Lord by Admiral Sir Edward Ashmore
.
. In 1976, he was appointed King of Arms of the Order of the Bath and Gloucester King of Arms, with responsibility for heraldry
in Wales (the two offices have been united since 1726; their holder is not, however, a member of the College of Arms
). Pollock held this position until 1985. He was also chairman of the Naval Insurance Trust from 1976 to 1981. He died in Martock
in Somerset.
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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....
Sir Michael Patrick Pollock 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...
, LVO
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...
, 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...
(19 October 1916 – 27 September 2006) was a British 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...
who rose to become 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...
from 1971 to 1974. In the Second World War, he was an officer on ships tasked with protecting convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s in the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and was gunnery officer
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
on the cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (78)
HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy; along with her sister ship , she was part of a planned four-ship subclass.She served throughout the Second World War....
when she fought the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
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...
Scharnhorst
German battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15...
during the Battle of North Cape
Battle of North Cape
The Battle of the North Cape was a Second World War naval battle which occurred on 26 December 1943, as part of the Arctic Campaign. The German battlecruiser , on an operation to attack Arctic Convoys of war materiel from the Western Allies to the USSR, was brought to battle and sunk by superior...
. He later commanded the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
, and hosted Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
on HMS Tiger
HMS Tiger (C20)
HMS Tiger was a conventional cruiser of the Royal Navy, one of a three ship class known as the Tiger class.-Construction, redesign and commissioning:...
. In retirement, he held the position of King of Arms
King of Arms
King of Arms is the senior rank of an officer of arms. In many heraldic traditions, only a king of arms has the authority to grant armorial bearings. In other traditions, the power has been delegated to other officers of similar rank.-Heraldic duties:...
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...
(which office also holds the position of Gloucester King of Arms and responsibility for heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
in Wales).
Early and private life
Pollock was born in AltrinchamAltrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
in Cheshire. His father was a civil engineer
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
who lost a leg whilst fighting in the Battle of the Somme on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in the First World War, at around the time when Pollock was born.
Pollock attended the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth as a naval cadet in 1930, aged 13, and passed out in 1933. He joined the training cruiser HMS Frobisher
HMS Frobisher (D81)
HMS Frobisher was a Hawkins-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Devonport Dockyard and launched on 20 March 1920.-Interwar career:...
, and was then a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
on 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...
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...
, flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Home Fleet. He served in the Mediterranean on the 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...
HMS Express
HMS Express (H61)
HMS Express was an E class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was one of 18 'E' and 'F' class destroyers to be built.She was launched on 29 May 1934. She had an overall length of 100 m, displacement of 1,375 tons, and a maximum speed of 35.5 knots...
in 1935 to 1936, during the Abyssinian crisis. He was promoted lieutenant in 1937, and appointed to the cruiser HMS York
HMS York (90)
HMS York, pennant number 90, was a heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy built in the late 1920s. She mostly served on the North America and West Indies Station before World War II. Early in the war the ship escorted convoys in the Atlantic and participated in the Norwegian Campaign in 1940...
, flagship of the America and West Indies Station, and then to the battleship HMS Warspite
HMS Warspite (1913)
HMS Warspite was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. During World War II Warspite gained the nickname "The Grand Old Lady" after a comment made by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham in 1943....
, based in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
until June 1939.
He was married twice. He married Margaret (Peg) Steacy in 1940, and they had two sons, David and William and a daughter, Vanessa. His first wife died in 1951. Pollock remarried in 1954, to Marjory (Midge) Reece (née Bisset), acquiring a stepdaughter, Jan. His second wife died in 2001. One of his sons followed him into the Navy, becoming a Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
, and a grandson also joined the Navy, passing out at Dartmouth in December 2004 with the Commandant Talbot prize for leadership and the Queen's Sword.
Second World War
After the outbreak of the Second World War, Pollock became first lieutenant of the old destroyer HMS Vanessa, escorting shipping across the English ChannelEnglish Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to supply the British Expeditionary Force
British Expeditionary Force (World War II)
The British Expeditionary Force was the British force in Europe from 1939–1940 during the Second World War. Commanded by General Lord Gort, the BEF constituted one-tenth of the defending Allied force....
in northern France, and protecting convoys in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. His ship was badly damaged by German aircraft off Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
in July 1940.
He qualified as a gunnery specialist in 1941, and became a gunnery instructor, but was then appointed gunnery officer on the light cruiser HMS Arethusa
HMS Arethusa (26)
HMS Arethusa was the name ship of her class of light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. She was built by Chatham Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 25 January 1933...
in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, where he was involved in the struggle to get supplies to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. On 18 November 1942, taking part in Operation Stoneage, the mission which effectively relieved the siege of Malta, Arethusa was hit by a torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
. A fuel tank caught fire, and a quarter of the crew were killed. Despite severe damage and a rising gale, the ship was towed 450 miles back to Alexandria for repairs. Pollock was mentioned in dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
.
Now ranked Lieutenant Commander, Pollock was appointed gunnery officer on the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (78)
HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy; along with her sister ship , she was part of a planned four-ship subclass.She served throughout the Second World War....
, which was tasked with protecting convoys to and from north Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Alerted by Enigma
Enigma machine
An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...
intercepts decoded at Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an estate located in the town of Bletchley, in Buckinghamshire, England, which currently houses the National Museum of Computing...
, and assisted by radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, his ship and fellow cruisers HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast (C35)
HMS Belfast is a museum ship, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser, permanently moored in London on the River Thames and operated by the Imperial War Museum....
and HMS Sheffield
HMS Sheffield (C24)
HMS Sheffield was one of the Southampton sub class of the Town-class cruisers of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She took part in actions against several major German warships. Unlike most Royal Navy ships of her time, her fittings were constructed from stainless steel instead of the...
twice intercepted Scharnhorst
German battleship Scharnhorst
Scharnhorst was a German capital ship, alternatively described as a battleship and battlecruiser, of the German Kriegsmarine. She was the lead ship of her class, which included one other ship, Gneisenau. The ship was built at the Kriegsmarinewerft dockyard in Wilhelmshaven; she was laid down on 15...
and its six accompanying destroyers when they attempted to attack two Arctic convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
(JW 55B travelling to and RA 55A travelling from Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
) in late December 1943. The 8-inch guns of Norfolk recorded two hits on Scharnhorst, but Norfolk was damaged by return fire from Scharnhorst's 11-inch guns on 26 December. Pollock 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 actions. Scharnhorst was attacked by the battleship HMS Duke of York
HMS Duke of York (17)
HMS Duke of York was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy. Laid down in May 1937, the ship was constructed by John Brown and Company at Clydebank, Scotland, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 4 November 1941, subsequently seeing service during the Second World War.In...
later that day and sunk, in the Royal Navy's last battleship action.
He remained with Norfolk while she was repaired on the Tyne, and so missed D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, and was involved in further action off the coast of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. He was on Norfolk, visiting Malta en route to the Far East, when the Japanese surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
on 15 August 1945. In addition to the DSC, Pollock was mentioned in dispatches on two further occasions for his actions on Norfolk.
Post-war naval career
After the war, Pollock was involved in actions by Norfolk to provide gunfire support against insurgents in the Malayan EmergencyMalayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
and also in Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. Pollock was involved in organising the funeral of King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in 1952, at which he was second-in-command of the naval contingent. He was appointed a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO).
Pollock saw action 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...
, and by 1954, Pollock was second-in-command of the light cruiser HMS Newcastle
HMS Newcastle (C76)
The seventh HMS Newcastle was a Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy. She belonged to the Southampton subclass. In the Second World War following extensive battle damage sustained in the Mediterranean, she spent some time being repaired in New York.She also saw action in the Korean...
, the flagship of the Far East fleet. After a period 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...
, he took command of a destroyer flotilla, as captain of the destroyer HMS Vigo
HMS Vigo (D31)
HMS Vigo was a Battle-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the Battle of Vigo, which took place in 1702 during the War of Spanish Succession between a British-Dutch Fleet and the French, and which ended in a victory for the British. Vigo was built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and...
. He was considered for command of the cruiser HMS Blake
HMS Blake (C99)
HMS Blake was a guided missile cruiser of the Tiger class of the Royal Navy, the last of the Royal Navy cruisers. She was named after Admiral Robert Blake, a 17th century admiral who was the "Father of the Royal Navy". She was ordered in 1942 as one of the Minotaur class of light cruisers...
, but instead commanded the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal
HMS Ark Royal (R09)
HMS Ark Royal was an Audacious-class aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy and, when she was decommissioned in 1978, was the Royal Navy's last remaining conventional catapult and arrested-landing aircraft carrier...
from 1963–64, when it carried out the first trials of the Hawker P.1127
Hawker P.1127
The Hawker P.1127 and the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 were the experimental and development aircraft that led to the Hawker Siddeley Harrier, the first vertical and/or short take-off and landing jet fighter-bomber...
which developed into the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
He was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff from 1964 to 1966, in the lead up to a defence review by the Labour government which produced the 1966 Defence White Paper
1966 Defence White Paper
The 1966 Defence White Paper was a major review of the United Kingdom's defence policy brought about by the Labour Party government under the Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The main author was the then Secretary of State for Defence, Denis Healey...
, and cancelled the programmes for the CVA-01
CVA-01
The CVA-01 aircraft carrier was to be a class of at least two fleet carriers that would have replaced the Royal Navy's existing aircraft carriers, most of which had been designed prior to or during World War II....
aircraft carrier, the Type 82 destroyer
Type 82 destroyer
The Type 82 or Bristol-class destroyer was to be a class of four Royal Navy warships intended as area air-defence destroyers to replace the County-class destroyers, and to serve as escorts to the planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers...
, and the TSR-2 tactical strike aeroplane. Pollock was appointed 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...
(CB) in 1966.
Pollock was then second-in-command of the Home Fleet from 1966 to 1967. His flag was on the cruiser HMS Tiger
HMS Tiger (C20)
HMS Tiger was a conventional cruiser of the Royal Navy, one of a three ship class known as the Tiger class.-Construction, redesign and commissioning:...
, which became the location for the "Tiger talks" between Prime Minister Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
and the UDI
Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965, by the administration of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed black majority rule in the then British colony. Although it declared independence from the United Kingdom it...
inclined premier Ian Smith
Ian Smith
Ian Douglas Smith GCLM ID was a politician active in the government of Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe Rhodesia and Zimbabwe from 1948 to 1987, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Rhodesia from 13 April 1964 to 1 June 1979...
about the future of Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
. He led the Royal Navy delegations to the Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Canadian Navy
The history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
's centennial celebration of Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
at Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
in 1967, and to Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Pollock was promoted vice-admiral in December 1967 and appointed Flag Officer Submarines in January 1968, and was NATO Commander Submarines in the Eastern Atlantic. He was in this post when the first Polaris missile
UGM-27 Polaris
The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy....
was tested in 1968, and as the Faslane submarine base
HMNB Clyde
Her Majesty's Naval Base Clyde is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy...
was developed. He was advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1969, and was Third Sea Lord 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 1970 to 1971.
Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu
Michael Le Fanu
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le Fanu GCB, DSC was a Royal Navy admiral and First Sea Lord.-Early life:Le Fanu was born at Lindfield, West Sussex, the son of Captain Hugh Barrington le Fanu RN...
, 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...
, retired suddenly due to ill health in late 1970, only months after he had been promoted from 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...
. The new First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Peter Hill-Norton
Peter Hill-Norton
Admiral of the Fleet Peter John Hill-Norton, Baron Hill-Norton GCB was Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.-Naval career:...
, was promoted to replace Le Fanu, and Pollock was unexpectedly required to replace Hill-Norton in March 1971 and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB). During Pollock's term as First Sea Lord, the Navy was involved in the "Cod War
Cod War
The Cod Wars, also called the Icelandic Cod Wars , were a series of confrontations in the 1950s and 1970s between the United Kingdom and Iceland regarding fishing rights in the North Atlantic....
" with Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in 1972, and clearing mine
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
s in the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
after the Yom Kippur War
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
. The Navy also had to deal with its role being cut back from a worldwide stage to a smaller player supporting NATO in the East Atlantic, and the reduced funding in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
and subsequent British economic problems. He was First and Principal Naval Aide de camp to the Queen from 1972 to 1974.
Pollock was involved in the decisions that led to the creation of the "through deck cruiser", which became the small Invincible class aircraft carrier
Invincible class aircraft carrier
The Invincible class is a class of light aircraft carrier operated by the British Royal Navy. Three ships were constructed, , and . The vessels were built as aviation-capable anti-submarine warfare platforms to counter the Cold War North Atlantic Soviet submarine threat, and initially embarked...
s. He retired from the Navy in 1974, shortly before the decision was made to order Sea Harriers. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
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....
on 1 March 1974, and succeeded as First Sea Lord by Admiral Sir Edward Ashmore
Edward Ashmore
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore GCB, DSC is a former senior Royal Navy officer. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces....
.
In retirement
After he left the Navy, he lived in Churchstoke in PowysPowys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
. In 1976, he was appointed King of Arms of the Order of the Bath and Gloucester King of Arms, with responsibility for heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
in Wales (the two offices have been united since 1726; their holder is not, however, a member of the College of Arms
College of Arms
The College of Arms, or Heralds’ College, is an office regulating heraldry and granting new armorial bearings for England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
). Pollock held this position until 1985. He was also chairman of the Naval Insurance Trust from 1976 to 1981. He died in Martock
Martock
Martock is a large village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated on the edge of the Somerset Levels north west of Yeovil in the South Somerset district. The parish includes Hurst, approximately one mile south of the village, and Bower Hinton, which is located at the western end of the...
in Somerset.
Further reading
- The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0-85052-835-6
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