Richard Fitch
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Richard ('Dick') George Alison Fitch KCB
(2 June 1929 – 15 February 1994) is a senior Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
.
, Fitch joined the Royal Navy
as a cadet in 1942.
He was made Commanding Officer
of the frigate
HMS Berwick
in 1966 and then joined the staff of the Flag Officer Second in Command for the Far East Fleet in 1967. He was made Commander of the frigate
HMS Apollo
in 1973 and then became Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord
in 1974.
He was made Captain of the aircraft carrier
HMS Hermes
in 1976 and Director of Naval Warfare at the Ministry of Defence
in 1978. He went on to be Naval Secretary
in 1980 and Flag Officer Third Flotilla in 1983. He was made Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
in 1986 and retired in 1988.
In retirement he became a Lloyd's
name.
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Sir Richard ('Dick') George Alison Fitch 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...
(2 June 1929 – 15 February 1994) is a senior 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 who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
.
Naval career
Educated at Royal Naval College DartmouthBritannia 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...
, Fitch joined 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...
as a cadet in 1942.
He was made Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Berwick
HMS Berwick (F115)
HMS Berwick was a Rothesay or Type 12I class anti-submarine frigate of the British Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff and launched on 1 June 1961....
in 1966 and then joined the staff of the Flag Officer Second in Command for the Far East Fleet in 1967. He was made Commander of the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
HMS Apollo
HMS Apollo (F70)
HMS Apollo was a Batch 3B Broadbeam Leander-class frigate of the Royal Navy . She was, like the rest of the class, named after a figure of mythology. Apollo was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders of Scotstoun...
in 1973 and then became Naval Assistant to the 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...
in 1974.
He was made Captain of 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 Hermes
HMS Hermes (R12)
HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...
in 1976 and Director of Naval Warfare at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
in 1978. He went on to be Naval Secretary
Naval Secretary
The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy appointment of which the incumbent is responsible for policy direction on personnel management for members of the RN. It is a senior RN appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of Rear-Admiral. The Naval Secretary's counterpart in the British Army is...
in 1980 and Flag Officer Third Flotilla in 1983. He was made Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
in 1986 and retired in 1988.
In retirement he became a Lloyd's
Lloyd's of London
Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...
name.