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 Guy Grantham, (9 January 1900 – 8 September 1992) was a senior
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, 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 succe ...
from 1957 to 1959.
Naval career
Educated at
Rugby School
Rugby School is a public school (English independent boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) in Rugby, Warwickshire, England.
Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain. Up ...
,
[Obituary: Sir Guy Gratham]
The Independent, 17 September 1992 Grantham joined the
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 ...
in 1918.
[Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives]
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Grantham 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 ...
, initially as commander 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 ...
and was involved in the evacuation from Greece, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
.[ After a period as a liaison officer in the Western Desert, he became Commander of the cruiser , which was sunk by a ]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, su ...
in March 1942.[ He then became commander of the cruiser , in which he was involved in the defeat of the Italian Fleet at the second Battle of Birte.][ His last wartime command was of the ]aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
, which was involved in the landings in Sicily
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.[ He went on to be Director of Plans 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 ...
.[
After the war, Grantham became ]Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
to the Commander-in-Chief, 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 1946.[ He was appointed Flag Officer Submarines in 1948, Flag Officer, Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1950 and ]Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) may refer to:
*Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (India)
*Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (Pakistan)
* Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (United Kingdom)
The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (V.C.N.S.) was a senior appoint ...
in 1951.[ He became Commander-in-Chief, ]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 ...
and NATO
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 Forces Mediterranean
Allied Forces Mediterranean was a NATO command covering all military operations in the Mediterranean Sea from 1952 to 1967. The command was based at Malta.
History
The British post of Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet was given a dual-hatte ...
in 1954 and then 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 succe ...
and Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and southern North Sea in 1957.[ He retired in 1959.][
Grantham was also ]First and Principal Naval Aide-de-camp
Below is a list of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp, an office established by William IV of the United Kingdom in 1830:
First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp
*1830-1846: Lord Amelius Beauclerk
*1846-1866: Sir William Parker, Bt.
*1 ...
to the Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
from 1958 to 1959.[
In retirement Grantham became Governor and Commander-in-Chief Malta from 1959 to 1962.][
]
Family
In 1934 Grantham married Beryl Mackintosh-Walker; they went on to have two daughters.[
]
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grantham, Guy
1900 births
1992 deaths
People educated at Rugby School
Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Royal Navy admirals
Royal Navy officers of World War II
Lords of the Admiralty
Governors and Governors-General of Malta
Military personnel from Lincolnshire