The Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands was an operational commander of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

. He was charged with the administration of the Orkney and Shetland Islands and operating and defending the fleet base at Scapa Flow that was the main anchorage for both the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

and

Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from the F ...

at various times.

History

An Admiral Commanding for the Orkneys and Shetlands was appointed twice, on the outbreak of war, to provide for the defence and administration of the main base for the Home Fleet. The Admiral Commanding was responsible, under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, for administration of naval defences, naval establishments, and shore duties generally in Orkney and Shetland. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow served under him, with a position similar to that of an

Admiral Superintendent The admiral-superintendent was the Royal Navy officer in command of a larger Naval Dockyard. Portsmouth, Devonport and Chatham all had admiral-superintendents, as did some other dockyards in the United Kingdom and abroad at certain times. The adm ...

of a dockyard port. Directly under his orders were the

Northern Patrol The Northern Patrol, also known as Cruiser Force B and the Northern Patrol Force, was an operation of the British Royal Navy during the First World War and Second World War. The Patrol was part of the British "distant" blockade of Germany. Its ma ...

, Shetlands Patrols, the Officer Commanding Troops Orkney, the Officer Commanding Troops Shetlands, the Admiralty Port Officer Kirkwall, the Rear-Admiral commanding the local minefields and the officers responsible for the extended defences, the local defence flotilla and the Orkney Trawler Patrols. He was responsible for the patrolling of the area from Wick to Cape Wrath. Shore establishments included HMS Pyramus (shore establishment) at Kirkwall; HMS Proserpine (shore establishment) at Lyness; and HMS Fox (shore establishment) at

Lerwick Lerwick (; non, Leirvik; nrn, Larvik) is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. Centred off the north coast of the Scottish mainland ...

. During the Second World War the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow continued to serve under him.

First World War

Included:

Subordinate commanders First World War

Source:

Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa

This officer's role was similar to that of

of a dockyard port.

Flag Officer Shetlands

Naval units, First World War

Included:

Second World War

Watson lists the 6th M/S Flotilla 7.41-12.42, which may have been under direct command of the Home Fleet, and the 15th M/S Flotilla 4.42-2.44 angorsoperated under the orders of the Admiral Commanding. The Admiral's flag was flown aboard HMS in Scapa Flow. The

was based within the Orkney and Shetlands area, but was not responsible to the Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetlands.Watson 2015 Its ships were dispersed by 1941. Admirals Commanding:

Flag Officer, Scapa Flow/Rear-Admiral Scapa

Admiral-superintendent Lyness

Admiral-superintendent Orkney

Notes

References

* * Harley, Simon and Lovell Tony, Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands (2015), http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org (main source for this article) * * * * {{Admiralty Department, state=collapsed O Military units and formations established in 1914 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War I Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II