Vice-Admiral Francis Martin-Leake, was a British Royal Navy officer. During the First World War. He commanded HMS ''Achilles'' during the Action of 16 March 1917 and managed to sink the SMS ''Leopard''. He also commanded HMS ''Pathfinder'' and was a survivor of its sinking on 5 September 1914. Francis was the older brother of

Arthur Martin-Leake Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Martin-Leake, (4 April 1874 – 22 June 1953) was a British physician, officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps and a double recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the ene ...

Early military career

Leake joined the Royal Navy and was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 April 1892. He was then promoted to Commander on 31 December 1903 and Captain on 22 June 1911. On 1 January 1913 Leake was appointed captain of HMS ''Amethyst'' before being transferred to HMS ''Pathfinder'' on 1 October.

World War I

Leake was still commanding HMS ''Pathfinder'' when World War I broke out and continued to serve as its commander until the SM '' U-21'' sunk the ship off the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

. Leake stayed in the ship as it was sinking but was picked up and saved as he states: On 6 October he was sent to Portsmouth to serve in HMS ''Victory'' and to train up Admiralty M-class destroyers. He then proceeded to command on 19 February 1915. He was appointed as an additional commander to on 20 June 1917 as a 2nd Class Commodore of the chief of staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Coast of Ireland.

Lewis Bayly Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohea ...

described Leake as "a most exceptional man, for everyone loved the little Commodore". Leake also participated at the Action of 16 March 1917 while commanding HMS ''Achilles'' and managed to sink and killing '' Korvettenkapitän''

Hans von Laffert Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

Later years

Leake's appointment in Ireland expired on 1 June 1919 and was sent to command HMS ''King George V'' as Chief Staff Officer to Vice-Admiral

Henry Francis Oliver Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, (22 January 1865 – 15 October 1965) was a Royal Navy officer. After serving in the Second Boer War as a navigating officer in a cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station ...

as Leake was promoted to Vice-Admiral at some point after the war. On 25 May 1920 Leake got himself injured in a motorcycle accident but recovered on 5 August. Leake was placed on the retirement list on 19 November 1921 and died in Ware, Hertfordshire on 21 January 1928 after a three-year battle with

dementia paralytica General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane (GPI), paralytic dementia, or syphilitic paresis is a severe neuropsychiatry, neuropsychiatric disorder, classified as an organic mental disorders, organic mental disorder and is c ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin-Leake, Francis 1869 births 1928 deaths Military personnel from Hertfordshire Royal Navy vice admirals Deaths from dementia in England Royal Navy officers of World War I Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order