Admiral of the Fleet Sir Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe (23 December 1865 – 27 July 1937), sometimes known as Sir Somerset Calthorpe, 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 ...

officer and a member of the

Gough-Calthorpe family The Gough-Calthorpe family is descended from ancient and notable families who both held lands in the area around Birmingham, England. Sir Henry Gough, 1st Baronet, Member of Parliament, (1709–1774) was made a baronet in the Baronetage of the U ...

. After serving as a junior officer during the

Fourth Anglo-Ashanti War The Anglo-Ashanti wars were a series of five conflicts that took place between 1824 and 1900 between the Ashanti Empire—in the Akan interior of the Gold Coast—and the British Empire and its African allies. Though the Ashanti emerged vict ...

, he became naval

attaché In diplomacy, an attaché is a person who is assigned ("to be attached") to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency. Although a loanword from French, in English the word is not modified accord ...

observing the actions of the

Imperial Russian Navy The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from ...

during the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

and then went on to command an armoured cruiser and then a battleship during the early years of the 20th century. During 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 ...

Gough-Calthorpe initially served as commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the

Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from the F ...

, then became

Second Sea Lord The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer to currently serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establish ...

and after that became Admiral commanding the Coastguard and Reserves. In the closing years of the War he served as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, in which capacity he signed the

Armistice of Mudros Concluded on 30 October 1918 and taking effect at noon the next day, the Armistice of Mudros ( tr, Mondros Mütarekesi) ended hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by th ...

on behalf of all the Allies, by which the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

accepted defeat and ceased hostilities. The

Occupation of Constantinople The occupation of Istanbul ( tr, İstanbul'un İşgali; 12 November 1918 – 4 October 1923), the capital of the Ottoman Empire, by British, French, Italian, and Greek forces, took place in accordance with the Armistice of Mudros, which ended Ot ...

began with the Allied fleet entering

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

in November 1918 and it was Gough-Calthorpe's flagship, , that led the way. After the War Gough-Calthorpe served as British Commissioner in the Ottoman Empire during a time of considerable political instability associated with the

partitioning of the Ottoman Empire The partition of the Ottoman Empire (30 October 19181 November 1922) was a geopolitical event that occurred after World War I and the occupation of Constantinople by British, French and Italian troops in November 1918. The partitioning was ...

and the

allied intervention in the Russian Civil War Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War or Allied Powers intervention in the Russian Civil War consisted of a series of multi-national military expeditions which began in 1918. The Allies first had the goal of helping the Czechoslovak Leg ...

Naval career

Early career

Born the son of Lieutenant-General

Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, 7th Baron Calthorpe Somerset John Gough-Calthorpe, 7th Baron Calthorpe, (23 January 1831 – 16 November 1912), was a British soldier and politician. Calthorpe was the fourth son of Frederick Gough, 4th Baron Calthorpe and Lady Charlotte Somerset, daughter of ...

, by his marriage to Eliza Maria Chamier, His grandfather on his mother's side was the novelist Captain

Frederick Chamier Frederick Chamier (2 November 1796 – 29 October 1870) was an English novelist, autobiographer and naval captain born in London. He was the author of several nautical novels that remained popular through the 19th century. Life Chamier was the s ...

RN. Gough-Calthorpe joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS ''Britannia'' on 15 January 1878.Heathcote, p. 103 Promoted to midshipman on 19 March 1880, he was appointed to the armoured cruiser HMS ''Northampton'', flagship of the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

later that year. Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 19 March 1884, he joined the corvette HMS ''Rover'' in the Training Squadron in September 1885 and, after further promotion to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 19 March 1886, he transferred to the battleship HMS ''Colossus'' in June 1886. After attending the torpedo school HMS ''Vernon'', he joined the directing staff there in 1890 and was then in August 1891 was deployed to

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...

on torpedo duties, before rejoining the directing staff at HMS ''Vernon'' in January 1894. He became torpedo officer in the cruiser HMS St ''George'' on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station in October 1894 and saw action with naval brigades during the

. Promoted to commander on 1 January 1896, Gough-Calthorpe became Executive Officer in the armoured cruiser HMS ''Imperieuse'', flagship of the

Pacific Station The Pacific Station was created in 1837 as one of the geographical military formations into which the Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. The South America Station was split into the Pacific Station and the South East Coast of ...

, in March 1896.Heathcote, p. 104 After another tour at HMS ''Vernon'', he became commanding officer of the

torpedo gunboat In late 19th-century naval terminology, torpedo gunboats were a form of gunboat armed with torpedoes and designed for hunting and destroying smaller torpedo boats. By the end of the 1890s torpedo gunboats were superseded by their more successful c ...

HMS ''Halcyon'' in the Mediterranean Fleet in September 1900. He went on to be commanding officer of the cruiser HMS ''Pandora'' during propeller trials at

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 July 1901, and, having been promoted to captain on 1 January 1902 and having attended a course 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 ...

, he became naval

observing the actions of the

during the

. He became commanding officer of the armoured cruiser HMS ''Roxburgh'' in November 1905 and then, having been appointed a Member of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, or ...

on 25 September 1906, he became commanding officer of the battleship HMS ''Hindustan'' in December 1907. He then became Captain of the Fleet for the Home Fleet in the battleship HMS ''Dreadnought'' in December 1909. He was advanced to

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

on 2 August 1910. Promoted to rear admiral on 27 August 1911 and, having been appointed a Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

on 27 September 1912, he became second-in-command of the

1st Battle Squadron The 1st Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, ...

, with his flag in the battleship HMS St ''Vincent'', in December 1912. In 1912, he was appointed as one of the assessors assisting the British inquiry into the sinking of the RMS ''Titanic''.

First World War

Gough-Calthorpe became commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the

, with his flag in the armoured cruiser HMS ''Shannon'', in July 1914 on the outbreak of the

. Advanced to

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as o ...

on 1 January 1916, he became

in July 1916 and Admiral commanding the Coastguard and Reserves in December 1916. Promoted to vice-admiral on 26 April 1917, he became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, with his flag in the battleship HMS ''Superb'', in July 1917. In that capacity he established a complex convoy system to protect British and allied shipping at sea in the Mediterranean from attack by enemy submarines. Vice-admiral the Hon Sir Somerset A

He went on to sign the

on behalf of all the Allies on 30 October 1918, by which the

accepted defeat and ceased hostilities.

Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was a ...

, Prime Minister of France, complained that Admiral Dominique-Marie Gauchet had not been present at the treaty signing but the British Government gave Gough-Calthorpe its full backing. When the Allied fleet steamed into

in November 1918, it was Gough-Calthorpe's flagship, HMS ''Superb'', that led the way.

After the war

Gough-Calthorpe became British Commissioner in the

at the end of the War during a time of considerable political instability associated with the

and the

. Appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George on 1 January 1919 and promoted to full admiral on 31 July 1919, he became

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 succes ...

in April 1920.Heathcote, p. 105 He also became naval representative to the Permanent Armaments Commission of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

in July 1920. Gough-Calthorpe was advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the

on 3 June 1922, appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

on 14 February 1924 and appointed

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. *18 ...

to the King on 31 July 1924. Promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 8 May 1925, he retired in May 1930 and, having been appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

on 26 March 1932, died at his home in

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

on the Isle of Wight on 27 July 1937.

Family

Gough-Calthorpe married at St George's, Hanover Square, London on 27 February 1900 Effie Dunsmuir, daughter of Hon.

Robert Dunsmuir Robert Dunsmuir (August 31, 1825April 12, 1889) was a Scottish-Canadian coal mine developer, owner and operator, railway developer, industrialist and politician in British Columbia. He was recognized as a National Historic Person by the governm ...

, of

Craigdarroch Castle Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria. History It was constructed in the ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...

, and his wife, Joan White, daughter of Alexander White, of Kilmarnock, Scotland. They had no children.

Honours and awards

* Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 3 June 1922 (KCB – 1 January 1916; CB – 27 September 1912) *

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III. It is named in honour ...

– 1 January 1919 *

– 2 August 1910 (MVO – 25 September 1906) *Grand Officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(France) – 12 December 1918 * Medal of Military Merit (Greece) – 16 September 1919 *Grand Officer of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Italy) – 6 April 1918 *Grand Cross of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...

(Greece) – 24 May 1919 *Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (Italy) – 16 September 1919

References

Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gough-Calthorpe, Somerset Arthur Lords of the Admiralty Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Royal Navy admirals of World War I Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Deputy Lieutenants of Hampshire 1865 births 1937 deaths Gough-Calthorpe family People of the Russo-Japanese War Ambassadors of the United Kingdom to the Ottoman Empire Younger sons of barons British naval attachés Military personnel from London