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, ...

Sir Gerald Vaughan Gladstone, (3 October 1901 – 11 July 1978) 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 who served as Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet from 1957 to 1960.

Early Years

Gladstone was educated at

the Cathedral School, Llandaff The Cathedral School, Llandaff (Welsh: ''Ysgol y Gadeirlan, Llandaf'') is a coeducational independent day school located in Llandaff, a district north of the Welsh capital Cardiff. Originally established as a choral foundation to train choir boys ...

, before joining the

Royal Naval College, Osborne The Royal Naval College, Osborne, was a training college for Royal Navy officer cadets on the Osborne House estate, Isle of Wight, established in 1903 and closed in 1921. Boys were admitted at about the age of thirteen to follow a course lasting ...

, on the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the largest and second-most populous island of England. Referred to as 'The Island' by residents, the Isle of ...

in May 1915.

Naval career

Gladstone joined the

in 1915. He served in 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 ...

aboard . Gladstone also 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 executive officer on and then, from 1941, as Commanding Officer of on Atlantic convoy duties. He was made Assistant Director for Torpedoes and Mining Deputy at the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

in 1942. After the war, Gladstone was

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 ...

of and then Captain of the Fleet 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 t ...

from 1947. He was given command of in 1949 and appointed Commander of the Royal Navy Barracks at

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

in 1950. He became Vice Controller of the Royal Navy and Director of Naval Equipment in 1952 and second-in-command of the

Far East Fleet The Far East Fleet (also called the Far East Station) was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed between 1952 and 1971. During the Second World War, the Eastern Fleet included many ships and personnel from other navies, including those of the ...

and Flag Officer Commanding 5th Cruiser Squadron in 1953. He was appointed

North Atlantic Treaty Organization The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Commander, Allied Naval Forces, Northern Europe in 1955 and Commander-in-Chief, Far East Fleet in 1957; he took part in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

's Centenary Celebrations in 1959. Gladstone retired in 1960.

Family

On 16 December 1925 at Brompton Oratory, London, Gladstone married Marjorie Cecilia Mary (Justine) Johnston, daughter of John Goring Johnston of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. They had two sons and a daughter. Justine died in 1964."A Sailor's Life", written by G V Gladstone and Gladstone Family Tree, compiled by G V Gladstone In 1966, Gladstone married Dora Brown, née Stewart, his second wife. He predeceased his second wife, who died in December 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gladstone, Charles 1901 births 1978 deaths Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Royal Navy admirals Royal Navy personnel of World War I Royal Navy personnel of World War II Johnston family