The Flag Officer Portsmouth was created following changes in the naval shore command organisation in the United Kingdom in July 1969. This role merged some of the former duties of
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 Thomas Williams (Royal Navy officer), Si ...
and
Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth into one area commander. First established in May 1971 until July that year when the title was altered to Flag Officer, Spithead. This office was revived again in August 1975 when the former post of
Flag Officer Spithead was abolished. The office existed until October 1996 when it too was abolished.
History
On 14 October 1968 it was announced in the House Commons debate on the Ministry of Defence discussing part of the changes in the Naval Shore Command Organisation in the United Kingdom, the duties of
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 Thomas Williams (Royal Navy officer), Si ...
and
Admiral-Superintendent Portsmouth will be carried out by one Flag Officer. In July 1969 the HQ of the C-in-C Portsmouth until that post, together with that of C-in-C Plymouth, were subsumed into the post of Commander-in-Chief,
Naval Home Command based in Portsmouth. The two former Commanders-in-Chief were downgraded to area Flag Officers and a third area flag officer was created, the
Flag Officer, Medway.
Flag Officer Portsmouth reported to the
Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command.
Office Holders
Included:
* Rear-Admiral
Peter G. La Niece, May 1971 – July 1971
:Post is renamed
Flag Officer Spithead.
* Rear-Admiral
E. James W. Flower, August 1975 – October 1976
* Rear-Admiral
Wilfrid J. Graham, October 1976 – January 1979
* Rear-Admiral
Paul E. Bass, January 1979–January 1981
* Rear-Admiral
Anthony S. Tippet, January 1981 – September 1983
* Rear-Admiral
John C. Warsop, September 1983 – November 1985
* Rear-Admiral
Anthony Wheatley, November 1985 – November 1987
* Rear-Admiral
Kenneth J. Eaton, November 1987 – July 1989
* Rear-Admiral
Jonathan J. R. Tod, July 1989 – September 1990
* Rear-Admiral
David K. Bawtree, September 1990 – October 1993
*
Rear-Admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
Neil E. Rankin, 12 October 1993 – October 1996.
Footnotes
{{Navy Department (Ministry of Defence), state=collapsed
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