Admiral of the Fleet William Henry Dudley Boyle, 12th Earl of Cork, 12th Earl of Orrery, (30 November 1873 – 19 April 1967) was a British

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 Fr ...

officer and

peer Peer may refer to: Sociology * Peer, an equal in age, education or social class; see Peer group * Peer, a member of the peerage; related to the term "peer of the realm" Computing * Peer, one of several functional units in the same layer of a ne ...

. He served as a junior officer on the

China Station The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

during the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an Xenophobia, anti-foreign, anti-colonialism, anti-colonial, and Persecution of Christians#China, anti-Christian uprising in China ...

and went on to serve in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

initially as a staff officer during the Dardanelles Campaign and as then commander of the Red Sea Patrol: in that capacity, he led a six-day bombardment of the Turkish held port of

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

and worked closely with T. E. Lawrence in support of the

Arab Revolt The Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية, ) or the Great Arab Revolt ( ar, الثورة العربية الكبرى, ) was a military uprising of Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On ...

. In the inter-war years he was Commander-in-Chief, Reserve Fleet, President of 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 ...

and Commander-in-Chief of the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the Firs ...

. After succeeding a cousin and becoming

Earl of Cork Earl of Cork is a title in the Peerage of Ireland, held in conjunction with the Earldom of Orrery since 1753. It was created in 1620 for Richard Boyle, 1st Baron Boyle. He had already been created Lord Boyle, Baron of Youghal, in the County o ...

in 1934, 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 ...

. Boyle 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 opposi ...

, first as head of planning for

Operation Catherine Operation Catherine was a proposed Baltic Sea offensive by the United Kingdom's Royal Navy to be undertaken in early 1940. It aimed at interdicting German seaborne commerce with the Soviet Union, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. In particular, ...

, an abortive naval offensive in the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

proposed by

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

which aimed to cut off the flow of iron ore from Sweden. He then became commander designate of a planned Anglo-French expedition to assist the

Finns Finns or Finnish people ( fi, suomalaiset, ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these ...

in the

Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

they were waging against a Soviet attack: this expedition was also called off. Finally, he was given command of a naval force with a mission to retake the strategic port of

Narvik ( se, Áhkanjárga) is the third-largest List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Nordland Counties of Norway, county, Norway, by population. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Narvik (town), town of Narvik. Some of t ...

in Norway from the Germans: although Narvik was briefly captured, all allied troops were eventually withdrawn.

Naval career

Early years

Born the second of four sons of Colonel Gerald Edmund Boyle (a grandson of the Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork) and to Lady Elizabeth Theresa Pepys (daughter of

Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham Charles Christopher Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham, (; 29 April 178129 April 1851) was an English lawyer, judge and politician. He was twice Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. Background and education Cottenham was born in London, the secon ...

), "Ginger" Boyle joined the training ship HMS ''Britannia'' as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

on 15 January 1887. He was assigned to the turret

battleship A battleship is a large armour, armored warship with a main artillery battery, battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1 ...

HMS ''Monarch'' in the Channel Squadron in December 1888 and, following promotion to

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

on 15 June 1889, appointed to the battleship HMS ''Colossus'' 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 ...

in March 1890.Heathcote, p. 30 Boyle transferred to the

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...

HMS ''Active'' in the Training Squadron in July 1892 and, having been promoted to

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second hig ...

on 1 July 1894, he joined the gunboat HMS ''Lizard'' on the Australia Station in September 1894. Promoted 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 1 October 1895, he transferred to 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 ...

HMS ''Furious'' in the Channel Squadron in July 1898 and then became first lieutenant in the

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

HMS ''Daphne'' on the

in November 1898: in this capacity, he saw action during the

. He was appointed First Lieutenant in the torpedo gunboat HMS ''Hazard'' on 2 July 1902, before becoming commanding officer in the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...

HMS ''Haughty'' on 28 August 1902.Heathcote, p. 31 He went on to be Executive Officer in the cruiser HMS ''Astraea'' in the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1904 and, having been promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 31 December 1906, he was reassigned as Executive Officer in the battleship HMS ''Hibernia'' in the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history the ...

in January 1907. He joined the Naval Intelligence Division 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 January 1909 before becoming Executive Officer in the

armoured cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast en ...

HMS ''Good Hope'' in the Atlantic Fleet in 1911. He went on to be commanding officer of the scout cruiser HMS ''Skirmisher'' in the

in January 1912 and was promoted

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 ...

on 30 June 1913. He was appointed British 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 ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in July 1913 and in that capacity was involved as an observer during the

Second Balkan War The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 16 ( O.S.) / 29 (N.S.) June 1913. Serbian and Greek armies ...

. For this work he was appointed a Commander of the Italian

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus ( it, Ordine dei Santi Maurizio e Lazzaro) (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the ...

First World War

Boyle served in the

initially as a staff officer on the staff of Rear-Admiral Rosslyn Wemyss during the Dardanelles Campaign. He was given command of the light cruiser HMS ''Fox'' in the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...

in September 1915 and went on to be commander of the Red Sea Patrol in January 1916. In that capacity he led a six-day bombardment of the Turkish-held port of

in June 1916 and worked closely with T. E. Lawrence in support of the

. For his services to

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning the North Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via a land bridg ...

, he was awarded the

Order of the Nile The Order of the Nile (''Kiladat El Nil'') was established in 1915 and was one of the Kingdom of Egypt's principal orders until the monarchy was abolished in 1953. It was then reconstituted as the Republic of Egypt's highest state honor. Sultana ...

, 3rd Class on 4 December 1916. He went on to be Flag Captain to Admiral Sir Henry Oliver, commanding the

1st Battlecruiser Squadron The First Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War. It was created in 1909 as the First Cruiser Squadron and was renamed in 1913 to First Battle Cr ...

in the Grand Fleet, in the battlecruiser HMS ''Repulse'' in November 1917. He was appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregiv ...

on 1 January 1918 and, for his services to

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

, he was awarded the Order of El Nahda, second class on 23 April 1920.

Inter-war years

Boyle became commanding officer of the battlecruiser HMS ''Tiger'' in the Atlantic Fleet in April 1919 and commanding officer of the naval barracks at Devonport in July 1921.Heathcote, p. 32 He was appointed a naval aide-de-camp to the King on 8 November 1922. Promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

on 1 November 1923, he became second-in-command of the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet with his flag in the battleship HMS ''Resolution'' in May 1924. After attending the senior officers' war course at the

, he became commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag in the cruiser HMS ''Frobisher'' in September 1926. After a tour with his squadron on the

and promotion to vice admiral on 12 June 1928, he became Commander-in-Chief of the

Reserve Fleet A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed; they are partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; ...

with his flag in the light cruiser HMS ''Constance'' in December 1928 and President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in April 1929. He was 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 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 3 June 1931. Promoted to full

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 ...

on 1 November 1932, he became Commander-in-Chief of the

flying his flag in the battleship HMS ''Nelson'' in March 1933. He was advanced to

Knight Grand Cross 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 one ...

on 16 July 1935. Boyle succeeded his cousin as Earl of Cork and Orrery and Baron Boyle of Marston in 1934 and attended the funeral of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

in January 1936. He was 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 12 July 1936 and attended the

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

in May 1937. He went on to be

in July 1937 and, having been promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 21 January 1938, was still "...exceedingly fit and full of energy and drive."

Second World War

Lord Cork served in the

initially as head of planning for

, a naval offensive in the

proposed by

which aimed to cut off the flow of iron ore from Sweden and isolate Germany from Scandinavian trade. The operation was intended to take place in the spring of 1940 but was abandoned in January 1940. Cork then became commander designate of a planned Anglo-French expedition to assist the

in the

they were waging against a Soviet attack:

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

agreed to Soviet terms in March 1940 and this expedition was also called off. In April 1940 Cork was given command of a naval force with a mission to retake the strategic port of

in Norway from the Germans: he flew his flag from the cruiser, HMS ''Aurora''. Cork was in favour of an immediate storming of Narvik using both military and naval forces, but the more cautious army commander, Major General

Pierse Joseph Mackesy Major-General Pierse Joseph Mackesy, (5 April 1883 – 8 June 1956), born in Dublin, Ireland was a British Army officer who, early in the Second World War, led the attempt to recapture Narvik in April–May 1940 in the ill-fated Norwegian cam ...

, had orders not to attempt an opposed landing.Heathcote, p. 33 Cork bombarded Narvik and then abandoned the mission in the face of strong German opposition. Cork provided covering fire for the landing of troops of the

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

at Bjerkvik in May 1940 and, although Narvik was briefly captured, he was asked to support the withdrawal of all allied troops in June 1940. He was awarded the Norwegian

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

for this operation on 13 October 1942.

Later years

Churchill was outraged at Admiral Sir James Somerville for not continuing the pursuit of the

Italian Navy "Fatherland and Honour" , patron = , colors = , colors_label = , march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...

after the Battle of Cape Spartivento in November 1940 and dispatched Cork to conduct an inquiry, but Cork found that Somerville had acted entirely appropriately. Cork served in the Home Guard during the final years of the Second World War and became President of

Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa The Shaftesbury Homes and Arethusa (now Shaftesbury Young People) is one of the United Kingdom's oldest children's charities. It has been active since 1843. Its aim, written in its current mission statement, is to support young people in care an ...

, a training school for homeless boys in London, in 1942. He attended the funeral of

in February 1952. He died in his home in London on 19 April 1967. He is buried in the graveyard of the

Church of St Leonard, Marston Bigot The Church of St Leonard in Marston Bigot, Somerset, England, was built on the site of an older one and was opened to the public in 1789. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. It is dedicated to Leonard of Noblac. The nave has th ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lor ...

, near Marston House, the family seat.

Family

Boyle married, at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Chelsea, on 24 July 1902 Lady Florence Keppel (1871–1963), youngest daughter of the William Keppel, 7th Earl of Albemarle. They had no children.

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945
* * , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Cork, William Boyle, 12th Earl Of 1873 births 1967 deaths Burials in Somerset Graduates of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Navy admirals of World War II *12 *12 *09 Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Royal Navy officers of World War I

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Admiral presidents of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich British Home Guard officers British people of Irish descent British naval attachés People from Farnham Military personnel from Surrey