The Royal Naval War College was a training establishment for senior officers of 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 ...
that existed from 1900 to 1914. It was based originally at
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
, then
Plymouth, then
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, and then Greenwich again. Branch colleges were also based at Chatham and Plymouth prior to 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 ...
.
Early History
A "War Course for Captains and Commanders" was inaugurated at the
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equi ...
in November 1900. The course moved to
Devonport in 1905 and to
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
in 1906, being officially named the Royal Naval War College in 1907.
It catered for
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countries ...
s,
captains and
commanders. Courses included training in tactical naval war games, strategic naval war games, studying and writing reports on various problems and lectures on various subjects.
The college's functions were to have been returned to Greenwich in 1914.
In Command, Royal Naval War College
Included:
* Rear-Admiral Henry J. May, 18 September 1900
* Captain Edmond J. W. Slade, 13 May 1904 – 31 October 1907
* Rear-Admiral
Robert S. Lowry, 1 November 1907 – 26 November 1908
* Rear-Admiral
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 ...
, 27 November 1908 – 23 February 1911
* Vice-Admiral Sir
Henry B. Jackson, 24 February 1911 – 28 January 1913
* Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir
Alexander E. Bethell, February 1913 – August 1914
Flag Captains Royal Naval War College
Included:
* Captain
George P. W. Hope, 1 February 1908 – 24 March 1909
* Captain Charles F. Thorp, 24 March 1909 – 1 December 1911
* Captain
Richard Webb, 2 April 1912 – 16 August 1913
* Captain Charles E. Le Mesurier, 16 August 1913 – July, 1914
References
Sources
*
{{Admiralty Department, state=collapsed
Training establishments of the Royal Navy
Education in Portsmouth
1900 establishments in England
1914 disestablishments in the United Kingdom