Philip Nelson-Ward
Encyclopedia
Admiral Philip Nelson-Ward CVO
(1866–27 June 1937) was a British
Royal Navy
officer and courtier
.
Nelson-Ward was the son of a clergyman who was a grandson of Lord Nelson
through his daughter Horatia
. He entered the Royal Navy at the age of thirteen. In 1882, while a Midshipman
in the Bacchante class corvette
HMS Euryalus, he saw active service in Egypt
. In 1886 he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
. In April 1887 he joined HMS Tourmaline and in October 1887 HMS Comus
. In April 1889 he was promoted Lieutenant
and specialised in navigation
, remaining a navigating officer throughout his career. In April 1889 he rejoined HMS Tourmaline, in February 1890 he joined HMS Sphinx, in November 1893 the protected cruiser
HMS Thames
, in January 1894 the protected cruiser HMS Aeolus, and in July 1897 the battleship
HMS Barfleur
.
He served in the Barfleur during the Boxer Rebellion
, after which he was promoted Commander
in June 1900. In February 1901 he was appointed navigating officer of the liner
HMS Ophir, which was commissioned by the Royal Navy for the tour of the British Empire
conducted by the Duke
and Duchess
of Cornwall and York. He then became navigating officer of the flagship
of the Mediterranean Fleet. In February 1904 he joined the battleship HMS Albion
, flagship of the China Station
.
In January 1905 he was promoted Captain
. He commanded the cruiser
HMS Indefatigable in the West Indies from 1906 to 1908, the Admiralty
yacht
HMS Enchantress from 1908 to 1911,and the battleship HMS Formidable
with the Atlantic Fleet
from April 1911 to 1912. In December 1912 he was appointed Assistant Hydrographer of the Navy
. In September 1913 he was appointed to the new post of Director of Navigation, a post he held until his retirement in June 1916, when he was promoted Rear-Admiral.
In 1917 he was recalled to service in the organisation of the North Atlantic convoy
s, where he remained until the end of the First World War. In 1918 he became manager of the Lord Roberts Memorial London Workshops, holding the post until 1921. In 1919 he was also appointed Gentleman Usher
to the King, holding the post until the death of George V in 1936. He also devoted considerable time to the welfare of Merchant Navy personnel, and was president of the Officers' (Merchant Navy) Federation, which he was instrumental in setting up, from 1928.
Nelson-Ward was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in December 1901 for his services in HMS Ophir and promoted to Commander (CVO) in the 1936 Birthday Honours. He was promoted Vice-Admiral on the retired list in July 1920 and Admiral
in May 1925.
He was married to the Honourable Dorothy Caulfeild, daughter of Viscount Charlemont. She was killed with her sister Rachel during an air raid
on Bath on 27 April 1942.
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...
(1866–27 June 1937) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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 and courtier
Courtier
A courtier is a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
.
Nelson-Ward was the son of a clergyman who was a grandson of Lord Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
through his daughter Horatia
Horatia Nelson
Horatia Nelson, christened as Horatia Nelson Thompson was the illegitimate daughter of Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson.-Early life:...
. He entered the Royal Navy at the age of thirteen. In 1882, while 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...
in the Bacchante class corvette
Bacchante class corvette
The Bacchante class was a group of three iron screw corvettes in service with the Royal Navy from the late 1870s.-Design and construction:...
HMS Euryalus, he saw active service in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. In 1886 he was commissioned Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
. In April 1887 he joined HMS Tourmaline and in October 1887 HMS Comus
HMS Comus (1878)
HMS Comus was a corvette of the Royal Navy. She was the name ship of her class. Launched in April 1878, the vessel was built by Messrs. J. Elder & Co of Glasgow at a cost of ₤123,000....
. In April 1889 he was promoted Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and specialised in navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
, remaining a navigating officer throughout his career. In April 1889 he rejoined HMS Tourmaline, in February 1890 he joined HMS Sphinx, in November 1893 the protected cruiser
Protected cruiser
The protected cruiser is a type of naval cruiser of the late 19th century, so known because its armoured deck offered protection for vital machine spaces from shrapnel caused by exploding shells above...
HMS Thames
HMS Thames (1885)
HMS Thames was a Mersey class second class protected cruiser of the Royal Navy. She later served in the South African Navy under the name SATS General Botha as a training vessel.-Royal Navy:...
, in January 1894 the protected cruiser HMS Aeolus, and in July 1897 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 Barfleur
HMS Barfleur (1892)
HMS Barfleur was a predreadnought second-class battleship of the Royal Navy. She was part of the three-ship Centurion class, designed for long-range patrolling of the United Kingdom's far-flung empire. She mainly saw service in the Mediterranean and Home Fleet, along with Service at China Station,...
.
He served in the Barfleur during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
, after which he was promoted Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in June 1900. In February 1901 he was appointed navigating officer of the liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
HMS Ophir, which was commissioned by the Royal Navy for the tour of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
conducted by the Duke
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
and Duchess
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
of Cornwall and York. He then became navigating officer of the 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 Mediterranean Fleet. In February 1904 he joined the battleship HMS Albion
HMS Albion (1898)
HMS Albion was a British Canopus-class predreadnought battleship.-Technical Description:HMS Albion was laid down by Thames Iron Works at Leamouth, London on 3 December 1896...
, flagship of 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 January 1905 he was promoted 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...
. He commanded 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 Indefatigable in the West Indies from 1906 to 1908, 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...
yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
HMS Enchantress from 1908 to 1911,and the battleship HMS Formidable
HMS Formidable (1898)
HMS Formidable —the third of four ships of that name to serve in the Royal Navy—was the lead ship of her class of pre-dreadnought battleships. She was the second British battleship to be sunk by enemy action during the First World War...
with the Atlantic Fleet
British Atlantic Fleet
The Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy.There have been two main formations in the Royal Navy officially called the Atlantic Fleet. The first was created in 1909 and lasted until 1914...
from April 1911 to 1912. In December 1912 he was appointed Assistant Hydrographer of the Navy
Hydrographer of the Navy
Hydrographer of the Navy is a Royal Naval appointment. From 1795 until 2001 the post was responsible for the production of charts for the Royal Navy, and around this post grew the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office...
. In September 1913 he was appointed to the new post of Director of Navigation, a post he held until his retirement in June 1916, when he was promoted Rear-Admiral.
In 1917 he was recalled to service in the organisation of the North Atlantic 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, where he remained until the end of the First World War. In 1918 he became manager of the Lord Roberts Memorial London Workshops, holding the post until 1921. In 1919 he was also appointed Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher
Gentleman Usher is a title for some officers of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom. See List of Gentlemen Ushers for a list of office-holders.-Historical:...
to the King, holding the post until the death of George V in 1936. He also devoted considerable time to the welfare of Merchant Navy personnel, and was president of the Officers' (Merchant Navy) Federation, which he was instrumental in setting up, from 1928.
Nelson-Ward was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in December 1901 for his services in HMS Ophir and promoted to Commander (CVO) in the 1936 Birthday Honours. He was promoted Vice-Admiral on the retired list in July 1920 and 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 May 1925.
He was married to the Honourable Dorothy Caulfeild, daughter of Viscount Charlemont. She was killed with her sister Rachel during an air raid
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
on Bath on 27 April 1942.