Vice-Admiral Eric William Longley-Cook, (6 October 1898 – 20 April 1983) 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 F ...

officer.

Naval career

Longley-Cook joined the

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 ...

at the

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

and was mobilised at the start of 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 ...

. He saw action in 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 of ...

in the British Adriatic Squadron. He served in 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 ...

as commanding officer of the

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 hu ...

from July 1939, as deputy director of Training and Staff Duties from October 1940 and as deputy director of Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare from July 1941. He went on to be commanding officer of the cruiser from April 1942, Captain of the Fleet for 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 t ...

in January 1943 and Captain of the Fleet for the East Indies Fleet in January 1945. After the war he became Chief of Staff for 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 ...

in November 1946 and Director of Naval Intelligence in May 1948. In that capacity he warned the British Government that the United States "was set to bomb Russia first" and that "all-out war against the Soviet Union was not only inevitable but imminent".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Longley-Cook, Eric 1898 births 1983 deaths Royal Navy officers of World War I Royal Navy officers of World War II Royal Navy vice admirals Directors of Naval Intelligence Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Legion of Honour