Sir Hubert Acland, 4th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Captain Sir Hubert Guy Dyke Acland, 4th Baronet Acland
of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford, DSO
(8 June 1890 – 6 May 1978) was an officer in the British Royal Navy
who served during both World Wars.
, (1847-1924), and the Hon. Emily Anna Smith (1859-1942). After attending Bradfield College
, Acland joined the Royal Navy in 15 January 1905, at the age of 14. After training he was assigned to the armoured cruiser , part of the Channel Fleet
, with the rank of midshipman
in 1908. He attained promotion to sub-lieutenant
on 15 November 1909, and to lieutenant on 15 November 1910.
He served throughout the Great War
, receiving a Mention in Dispatches. On 15 November 1918, within a few days of the armistice with Germany, Acland was promoted to lieutenant commander
, and on 8 March 1920 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
in recognition of his "distinguished services as Gunnery Officer of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, while operating in the Baltic in 1919".
Stationed at Port Edgar
on the Firth of Forth
from late 1920 until early 1922, he returned to sea to serve as Gunnery Officer aboard the light cruiser
in July 1922, and then aboard the cadet training battleship
from July 1924, receiving promotion to commander
on 31 December 1924.
Acland spent two years from March 1925 in the Naval Intelligence Division
at the Admiralty, before serving aboard the heavy cruiser
from December 1927 as Fleet Gunnery Officer of the China Station
. After returning to England in 1930, he briefly commanded the reserve cruiser, at Devonport
, before being assigned to the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet
in December.
Promoted to captain
on 30 June 1932, he attended the Royal Navy War College
at Greenwich
and the Senior Officers' School at Sheerness
from March 1933, before being appointed to command of as Senior Officer of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla on 12 March 1934. From 1 August 1935 he was in command of and the Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla. He returned to duty at the Admiralty in April 1936 and briefly commanded the target vessel in October of that year.
In February 1937 Acland was lent to the Royal Australian Navy
, where he served as commanding officer of the heavy cruiser from April 1937 to April 1938, then the seaplane carrier as she was sailed back to the UK, arriving at Devonport in December 1938.
In August 1939, just prior the outbreak of World War II
, he was appointed Senior Officer of the Reserve Fleet at Devonport, and from November 1939 was Commanding Officer of the Gunnery School at Chatham. From 15 March 1941 he commanded the fleet repair ship , and from 8 July 1941 served as Naval Aide-de-camp
to the King
.
Acland was officially placed on the Retired List on 6 February 1942, but remained in service on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief at Rosyth
in 1943, and from November of that year until the end of the war served under the Flag Officer-in-Charge, Northern Ireland, based in Belfast
. He finally retired from the Navy after the end of the war in 1945.
(they were both great-grandchildren of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet) Lalage Mary Kathleen Acland (1889-1961), at All Saints Church, Dorchester. They had two sons; Major Sir Antony Guy Acland
, 5th Bt. (1916-1983) and Lieutenant Colonel James Alison Acland (1919-1993).
Acland succeeded to the title of 4th Baronet Acland on 4 December 1970 after the death of his older brother Colonel Sir William Acland, 3rd Baronet
. He died at his home on the Isle of Wight
on 6 May 1976.
Acland Baronets
thumb|250px|Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th BaronetThere have been four Baronetcies created for members of the Acland family, two in the Baronetage of England and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom....
of St. Mary Magdalen, Oxford, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(8 June 1890 – 6 May 1978) was an officer in the British 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 served during both World Wars.
Naval career
Acland was born in London, the younger son of Admiral Sir William Acland, 2nd BtSir William Acland, 2nd Baronet
Admiral Sir William Alison Dyke Acland, 2nd Baronet CVO JP DL was a Royal Navy admiral.-Career:He rose to the rank of Admiral in the Royal Navy. He was a Deputy Lieutenant of Devon, and a Justice of the Peace for Oxfordshire and Devon...
, (1847-1924), and the Hon. Emily Anna Smith (1859-1942). After attending Bradfield College
Bradfield College
Bradfield College is a coeducational independent school located in the small village of Bradfield in the English county of Berkshire.The college was founded in 1850 by Thomas Stevens, Rector and Lord of the Manor of Bradfield...
, Acland joined the Royal Navy in 15 January 1905, at the age of 14. After training he was assigned to the armoured cruiser , part of the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
, with the rank of 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 1908. He attained promotion to 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...
on 15 November 1909, and to lieutenant on 15 November 1910.
He served throughout the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, receiving a Mention in Dispatches. On 15 November 1918, within a few days of the armistice with Germany, Acland was promoted to 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 on 8 March 1920 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
in recognition of his "distinguished services as Gunnery Officer of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, while operating in the Baltic in 1919".
Stationed at Port Edgar
Port Edgar
Port Edgar is a marina situated on the south shore of the Firth of Forth immediately to the west of the southern end of the Forth Road Bridge in the town of South Queensferry, Scotland. In previous years it had been the site of HMS Lochinvar. In the inter war period Port Edgar was the a destroyer...
on the Firth of Forth
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is the estuary or firth of Scotland's River Forth, where it flows into the North Sea, between Fife to the north, and West Lothian, the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian to the south...
from late 1920 until early 1922, he returned to sea to serve as Gunnery Officer aboard the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
in July 1922, and then aboard the cadet training 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 July 1924, receiving promotion to 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...
on 31 December 1924.
Acland spent two years from March 1925 in the Naval Intelligence Division
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...
at the Admiralty, before serving aboard the heavy cruiser
Heavy cruiser
The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range, high speed and an armament of naval guns roughly 203mm calibre . The heavy cruiser can be seen as a lineage of ship design from 1915 until 1945, although the term 'heavy cruiser' only came into formal use in 1930...
from December 1927 as Fleet Gunnery Officer 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....
. After returning to England in 1930, he briefly commanded the reserve cruiser, at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
, before being assigned to the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
in December.
Promoted to captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on 30 June 1932, he attended the Royal Navy War College
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College is the architectural centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, described by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as being of “outstanding universal value” and reckoned to be the “finest and most...
at Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
and the Senior Officers' School at Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
from March 1933, before being appointed to command of as Senior Officer of the 1st Minesweeping Flotilla on 12 March 1934. From 1 August 1935 he was in command of and the Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla. He returned to duty at the Admiralty in April 1936 and briefly commanded the target vessel in October of that year.
In February 1937 Acland was lent to the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, where he served as commanding officer of the heavy cruiser from April 1937 to April 1938, then the seaplane carrier as she was sailed back to the UK, arriving at Devonport in December 1938.
In August 1939, just prior the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was appointed Senior Officer of the Reserve Fleet at Devonport, and from November 1939 was Commanding Officer of the Gunnery School at Chatham. From 15 March 1941 he commanded the fleet repair ship , and from 8 July 1941 served as Naval Aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the King
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...
.
Acland was officially placed on the Retired List on 6 February 1942, but remained in service on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief at Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
in 1943, and from November of that year until the end of the war served under the Flag Officer-in-Charge, Northern Ireland, based in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. He finally retired from the Navy after the end of the war in 1945.
Personal life
On 21 August 1915 Acland married his 2nd cousinCousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
(they were both great-grandchildren of Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, 10th Baronet) Lalage Mary Kathleen Acland (1889-1961), at All Saints Church, Dorchester. They had two sons; Major Sir Antony Guy Acland
Sir Antony Guy Acland, 5th Baronet
Major Sir Antony Guy Acland, 5th Baronet , was the eldest son of Sir Hubert Acland, 4th Baronet and Lalage Mary Kathleen Acland.-Succession:...
, 5th Bt. (1916-1983) and Lieutenant Colonel James Alison Acland (1919-1993).
Acland succeeded to the title of 4th Baronet Acland on 4 December 1970 after the death of his older brother Colonel Sir William Acland, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Acland, 3rd Baronet
Sir William Henry Dyke Acland, 3rd Baronet MC AFC TD JP DL was the eldest son of Sir William Acland, 2nd Baronet and Hon. Emily Anna Smith.-Succession:...
. He died at his home on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
on 6 May 1976.