Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cecil Burney, 1st Baronet, (15 May 1858 – 5 June 1929) was a

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 ...

officer. After seeing action as a junior office in naval brigades during both the

Anglo-Egyptian War The British conquest of Egypt (1882), also known as Anglo-Egyptian War (), occurred in 1882 between Egyptian and Sudanese forces under Ahmed ‘Urabi and the United Kingdom. It ended a nationalist uprising against the Khedive Tewfik Pasha. I ...

and the

Mahdist War The Mahdist War ( ar, الثورة المهدية, ath-Thawra al-Mahdiyya; 1881–1899) was a war between the Mahdist Sudanese of the religious leader Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided On ...

, he commanded a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several h ...

in operational service during the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South ...

. As a flag officer he commanded the Plymouth Division of the Home Fleet, the 5th Cruiser Squadron, the Atlantic Fleet and then the

3rd Battle Squadron The 3rd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships and other vessels, active from at least 1914 to 1945. The 3rd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the Firs ...

. In April 1913

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

seized control of Scutari in the latest round of hostilities between the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

and Montenegro during the closing stages of the

First Balkan War The First Balkan War ( sr, Први балкански рат, ''Prvi balkanski rat''; bg, Балканска война; el, Αʹ Βαλκανικός πόλεμος; tr, Birinci Balkan Savaşı) lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and invo ...

. In April 1913 Burney was sent as temporary Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet to Antivari on the coast of Montenegro to take command of the international naval force despatched to deal with this situation. On arrival he blockaded Antivari and then also commanded the international force occupying Scutari as part of its transition to Albanian control. He was well rewarded with honours for the success of this mission. On the outbreak of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

Burney became Commander-in-Chief of the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history t ...

. In that role he ensured the safe passage of the British Expeditionary Force to France. He went on to be commander of the

1st Battle Squadron The 1st Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, ...

commanding the squadron at the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (german: Skagerrakschlacht, the Battle of the Skagerrak) was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet, under Vice- ...

in May 1916, where his flagship was the first ship to engage the Germans but was later

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, and with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, s ...

ed. He was appointed

Second Sea Lord The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer to currently serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establish ...

in November 1916 but removed on the grounds of his age in September 1917 and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland instead. He went on to be

Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, his succ ...

after the War.

Early years

The son of Captain Charles Burney RN and Catherine Elizabeth Burney (née Jones), Burney was born in

Saint Saviour, Jersey St Saviour ( Jèrriais: ; ) is a parish of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is located directly east of St Helier. It has a population of 13,580. It has a land surface area of 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2) and has a very small coastline at Le Dicq ...

. He was educated at Burney's Royal Naval Academy,

Gosport Gosport ( ) is a town and non-metropolitan borough on the south coast of Hampshire, South East England. At the 2011 Census, its population was 82,662. Gosport is situated on a peninsula on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, opposite ...

and then joined the Royal Navy as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

in the training ship HMS ''Britannia'' in July 1871. Promoted

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

in October 1873, he was assigned to the

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type ...

, flagship of the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of ...

and, after promotion to

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second hig ...

on 18 October 1877, he transferred to the

troopship A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...

in January 1879.Heathcote, p. 36 He joined the Royal Yacht HMY ''Victoria and Albert'' in June 1879 and was promoted

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often su ...

on 30 August 1879. Burney joined the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between ...

in September 1880 and served ashore in command of a

Gatling gun The Gatling gun is a rapid-firing multiple-barrel firearm invented in 1861 by Richard Jordan Gatling. It is an early machine gun and a forerunner of the modern electric motor-driven rotary cannon. The Gatling gun's operation centered on a ...

team as part of a naval brigade and saw action at the Battle of Tell al-Mahuta in August 1882 and the Battle of Kassasin also in August 1882 during the

. He then also accompanied Sir Charles Warren's expedition in pursuit of the murderers of Professor Edward Palmer and his associates. He went on to serve in operations against

Osman Digna Osman Digna ( ar, عثمان دقنة) (c.1840 – 1926) was a follower of Muhammad Ahmad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi, in Sudan, who became his best known military commander during the Mahdist War. He was claimed to be a descendant from the Abb ...

who was threatening

Suakin Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north. Suakin used to ...

in Spring 1884 during the

. Burney returned to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most d ...

to attend the gunnery school HMS ''Excellent'' in September 1884 and then joined the staff at the gunnery training ship HMS ''Cambridge'' at Devonport in June 1886. He became gunnery officer first in the battleship on the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

in August 1887, then in the

on the same station in April 1889 and finally in the

armoured cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast en ...

HMS ''Immortalité'' in the

Channel Squadron Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), in physical geography, a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Austral ...

in January 1892. Promoted

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 1 January 1893, he became executive officer in the

in the Mediterranean Fleet in May 1893. In January 1896 he went on to be

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitud ...

of the boys' training establishment at

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

first in the training ship and then in the training ship and was promoted

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 1 January 1898. In September 1899 Burney took command of his old ship HMS ''Hawke'' and in 1900 became the captain of cruiser , initially on the North American Station, but soon transferred to the

Cape of Good Hope Station The Commander-in-Chief, Africa was the last title of a Royal Navy's formation commander located in South Africa from 1795 to 1939. Under varying titles, it was one of the longest-lived formations of the Royal Navy. It was also often known as the C ...

for operational service in the

. HMS ''Sappho'' struck the

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

bar on 3 May 1901, although she was under the command of a

pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...

at the time and Burney was not to blame, and returned to the United Kingdom for repairs. On 27 May 1902 he was appointed in command of the

pre-dreadnought battleship Pre-dreadnought battleships were sea-going battleships built between the mid- to late- 1880s and 1905, before the launch of in 1906. The pre-dreadnought ships replaced the ironclad battleships of the 1870s and 1880s. Built from steel, prote ...

, as

Flag Captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a " captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...

to Rear-Admiral George Atkinson-Willes, Second-in-Command of 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 ...

, during the

Coronation Review A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...

for King

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...

. The following month, he was on 16 September appointed in command of HMS ''Empress of India'' in the same capacity, and he remained with Atkinson-Willes' successor Rear-Admiral Edmund Poë until June 1904. He became commanding officer of the battleship in the Home Fleet in June 1904 and commanding officer of the training establishment HMS ''Impregnable'' as inspecting captain of boys' training ships in July 1905.Heathcote, p. 37 He became a naval aide-de-camp to the King on 17 October 1906. Promoted

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regar ...

on 10 October 1907, Burney was given command of the Plymouth Division of the Home Fleet. He became commander of the 5th Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet, with his flag in the armoured cruiser , in February 1911 and Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet with his flag in the battleship HMS ''Prince of Wales'' and with the rank of acting vice-admiral, in September 1911. He transferred to the command of the

in the Mediterranean Fleet, with his flag in the battleship , in April 1912 and was promoted to the substantive rank of vice-admiral on 20 September 1912.

First Balkan War

In April 1913

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

seized control of Scutari in the latest round of hostilities between the

and Montenegro during the closing stages of the

. The view taken at the London Conference was that Scutari should be handed over to Albania. In April 1913 Burney was sent as temporary Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, flying his flag in the cruiser , to Antivari on the coast of Montenegro to take command of the international naval force despatched to deal with this situation. On arrival he blockaded Antivari and then, from May to November 1913, also commanded the international force occupying Scutari as part of its transition to Albanian control. For his very successful handling of this situation he was appointed

Knight Commander of the 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 medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as on ...

(KCB) on 3 June 1913 and appointed

Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

(KCMG) on 27 October 1913.

First World War

Burney returned to England and took command of the Second Fleet and Third Fleet, with his flag in the battleship in December 1913 and then in the battleship in July 1914. On the outbreak of the

in August 1914 these fleets were combined into the

with Burney in command. In that role he ensured the safe passage of the British Expeditionary Force to France in October 1914. He went on to be commander of the

as well as second-in-command of the

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 ...

with his flag in the battleship in December 1914. He commanded the squadron at the

in May 1916, where his flagship HMS ''Marlborough'' was the first ship to engage the Germans but was later

ed, necessitating the transfer of his

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design emp ...

to the battleship . Promoted full

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

on 9 June 1916, he was appointed

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honou ...

(GCMG) on 15 September 1916. Cecil Burney (sketch by Dodd)

Burney was appointed

in November 1916. However, in September 1917 he was removed, despite the opposition of First Sea Lord Sir John Jellicoe, on the insistence of both the Prime Minister

David Lloyd George David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom duri ...

and the First Lord of the Admiralty

Eric Geddes Sir Eric Campbell Geddes (26 September 1875 – 22 June 1937) was a British businessman and Conservative politician. With a background in railways, he served as head of Military Transportation on the Western Front, with the rank of major-ge ...

, who wanted a younger man in the post. Burney became Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland instead in October 1917.Heathcore, p. 38

Post-war career

Burney became

in March 1919. He became a Deputy Lieutenant of

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers ...

on 5 May 1920. He was also promoted Admiral of the Fleet on 24 November 1920, created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

in the 1921 New Year Honours, and appointed

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(GCB) in the

1922 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1922 were appointments by King George V to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by members of the British Empire. They were published on 30 December 1921. The recipients of honours are displayed here ...

. He officially retired on 24 November 1925, died at his home at Upham in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

on 5 June 1929 and was buried at

Brookwood Cemetery Brookwood Cemetery, also known as the London Necropolis, is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. The cemetery is listed a Grade I site in the Regi ...

Family

In 1884 Burney married Lucinda Burnett; they had two daughters, and a son. His son Dennistoun Burney became a marine and aeronautical engineer, and his daughter Sybil Katherine Neville-Rolfe was founder of the

Eugenics Society Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior or ...

Honours

Burney's honours included: * Knight Grand Cross of the Bath (GCB) – 1 January 1922 (KCB – 3 June 1913) *

– 15 September 1916 (KCMG – 27 October 1913) *Grand Officer of the French

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

– 15 September 1916 *Russian

Order of St. Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir (russian: орден Святого Владимира) was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptiz ...

, 2nd Class (with Swords) – 5 June 1917 *Grand Cross of the Italian

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the wo ...

– 11 August 1917 *Grand Cordon of the Japanese

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight f ...

– 29 August 1917 *Grand Cordon of the Belgian Order of Leopold – 29 November 1918 *American Distinguished Service Medal – 16 September 1919 *French

Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...

– 22 January 1920

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Burney, Cecil 1858 births 1929 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Royal Navy personnel of the Anglo-Egyptian War Royal Navy personnel of the Mahdist War Jersey military personnel Deputy Lieutenants of Hampshire Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class Foreign recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1914–1918 (France) Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Burials at Brookwood Cemetery Royal Navy admirals of World War I Lords of the Admiralty Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal