Geoffrey Oliver
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Geoffrey Nigel Oliver GBE
, KCB
, DSO
& Two Bars
(22 January 1898 – 26 May 1980) was a British Royal Navy
officer during the Second World War.
, Geoffrey Oliver was educated at Durnford Preparatory School in Langton Matravers
, and at Rugby School
, and joined the Royal Navy in 1915 as a Special Entry Cadet at Keyham College. He was assigned as a midshipman to HMS Dreadnought
in 1916.
In May 1917 he was reassigned to HMS Renown
and in September promoted to sub-lieutenant
. In October 1918 he was promoted again, to Lieutenant following technical courses in which he performed brilliantly, obtaining First Class certificates in all five subjects, and receiving the Goodenough Medal and prize as the best gunnery student in his year.
After a short period serving on HMS Resolution, in 1920 he attended two terms at Queens' College, Cambridge
to make up for the short education he received because of the war, followed by promotion courses into 1921. Following this he specialised in gunnery and underwent training at the Royal Navy gunnery school, HMS Excellent, in Portsmouth. He was top of his class in both theory and practical work and was awarded the Commander Egerton prize for the best examination result in practical gunnery.
He joined the school as a staff member in the Experimental Department in March 1924. In August 1925 he was assigned as gunnery officer to HMS Carlisle
which was serving on the China Station where he remained into 1927. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in October 1926.
In 1928 he returned to the Experimental Department of HMS Excellent, and in January 1930 became gunnery officer on HMS Rodney which at that time was part of the Atlantic Fleet. In March 1932 he returned once again to HMS Excellent, as head of the Experimental Department. Between 1934 and 1936 he commanded HMS Diana
and then HMS Veteran.
He married Barbara Jones, daughter of a jurist, Sir Francis A. Jones, in 1933. The couple had three children, of whom only one son survived. His second son died aged 8 of pneumonia
, and his daughter died in a bathing accident during a holiday in Norfolk.
In October 1940 he was given command of a Dido-class light cruiser
, HMS Hermione
then under construction on the Clyde
. The ship worked up at Scapa Flow and as part of the Second Cruiser Squadron took part in the May 1941 hunt for the Bismarck
. The ship was then assigned to Force H based at Gibraltar on convoy duties to relieve Malta. The ship rammed the Italian 600-Serie Adua submarine
Tembien near Tunis
on 2 July 1941, for which Oliver was awarded a DSO in November.
In 1942 the ship was part of the force which captured the Vichy French island of Madagascar
after which it was assigned to Admiral Sir Henry Harwood
's Eastern Mediterranean fleet.
In June 1942 as part of the 15th Cruiser Squadron the cruiser took part in Operation Vigorous
, an attempt to supply Malta with a convoy dispatched from the Eastern Mediterranean whilst another Malta-bound convoy was simultaneously dispatched from Gibraltar (Operation Harpoon
). On 15 June, Operation Vigorous was abandoned because of the strength of the air attacks, the depletion of ammunition and fuel caused by them and the nearby presence of the Italian Fleet. The convoy turned away from Malta and headed back towards Alexandria, but early the following morning Hermione was torpedoed and sunk by U-205 south of Crete with the loss of 87 crew out of 570.
Oliver survived the sinking and served as naval liaison officer to the Nile Delta Army for the next few months, until October 1942 when he was promoted to Commodore 2nd Class and assigned in Gibraltar
to organise shipping for Operation Torch
, the invasion of French North Africa.
Following the successful invasion, in January 1943 he was assigned as the senior officer of the North Africa Inshore Squadron, based at Bone, Algeria which at that time was under repeated air attack, until May 1943 when he moved to a newly captured base at Bizerte
. For his work during Operation Torch, Oliver was awarded a second DSO and American Legion of Merit
.
In July 1943 he became commander of Force "N", with its headquarters at the Algiers
naval base HMS Hannibal, for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
which took place on 9 July. He was the naval commander of the British assault force at Salerno
on HMS Hilary
. Following the successful conclusion of the operation he was awarded KCB
, and Commander of the American Legion of Merit.
From late 1943 until February 1944 he was the chairman of a commission, "Accuracy of Gunnery Committee". He was then promoted to Commodore 1st Class and assigned as commander of Force "J" for Operation Neptune
, the invasion of Normandy, for which we was awarded a third DSO.
From October 1944 until February 1945 he was in command of the First Aircraft Carrier Squadron on HMS Royalist
, part of the Eastern Fleet, clearing mines in the Aegean Sea
and providing humanitarian relief. He was promoted to rear admiral
in May 1945 when the force was attached to the Eastern Fleet's 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron where it took part in the amphibious landing at Rangoon. When Japan surrendered
in August 1945 the force was preparing for the attack on the Malay Peninsula.
. He was promoted to vice admiral
in February 1949.
From April 1950 until August 1952 he was Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
, and promoted to admiral
in May 1952. He was awarded Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1951. In May 1953 he became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, a capacity he served in until April 1955. He was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1955. He retired from the Royal Navy on 1 December 1955 and moved to a farm he purchased near Henfield
, West Sussex
.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Geoffrey Nigel Oliver GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCB
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 mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& Two Bars
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(22 January 1898 – 26 May 1980) was a British Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer during the Second World War.
Early career
The oldest son of a botanist, Professor Francis Wall OliverFrancis Wall Oliver
Francis Wall Oliver FRS was a British botanist. He was Quain Professor of Botany at University College London 1890-1925 and then Professor of Botany at the University of Cairo 1929–1935. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1905. He was awarded the Linnean Medal in 1925.- References :...
, Geoffrey Oliver was educated at Durnford Preparatory School in Langton Matravers
Langton Matravers
Langton Matravers is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck, in the county of Dorset in the south of England.Langton Matravers is part of the Purbeck local government district and is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons and the South West England constituency of the European...
, and at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, and joined the Royal Navy in 1915 as a Special Entry Cadet at Keyham College. He was assigned as a midshipman to HMS Dreadnought
HMS Dreadnought (1906)
HMS Dreadnought was a battleship of the British Royal Navy that revolutionised naval power. Her entry into service in 1906 represented such a marked advance in naval technology that her name came to be associated with an entire generation of battleships, the "dreadnoughts", as well as the class of...
in 1916.
In May 1917 he was reassigned to HMS Renown
HMS Renown (1916)
HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the s. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in a timely manner...
and in September promoted to sub-lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
. In October 1918 he was promoted again, to Lieutenant following technical courses in which he performed brilliantly, obtaining First Class certificates in all five subjects, and receiving the Goodenough Medal and prize as the best gunnery student in his year.
After a short period serving on HMS Resolution, in 1920 he attended two terms at Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
to make up for the short education he received because of the war, followed by promotion courses into 1921. Following this he specialised in gunnery and underwent training at the Royal Navy gunnery school, HMS Excellent, in Portsmouth. He was top of his class in both theory and practical work and was awarded the Commander Egerton prize for the best examination result in practical gunnery.
He joined the school as a staff member in the Experimental Department in March 1924. In August 1925 he was assigned as gunnery officer to HMS Carlisle
HMS Carlisle (D67)
HMS Carlisle was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the English City of Carlisle. She was the name ship of the Carlisle group of the C-class of cruisers...
which was serving on the China Station where he remained into 1927. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander in October 1926.
In 1928 he returned to the Experimental Department of HMS Excellent, and in January 1930 became gunnery officer on HMS Rodney which at that time was part of the Atlantic Fleet. In March 1932 he returned once again to HMS Excellent, as head of the Experimental Department. Between 1934 and 1936 he commanded HMS Diana
HMS Diana
Ten ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Diana after the figure from Roman mythology, whilst another was planned but later cancelled:...
and then HMS Veteran.
He married Barbara Jones, daughter of a jurist, Sir Francis A. Jones, in 1933. The couple had three children, of whom only one son survived. His second son died aged 8 of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, and his daughter died in a bathing accident during a holiday in Norfolk.
Second World War
In June 1937 he was promoted to captain and the following year joined the naval staff at the Admiralty, in the Tactical Division. In May 1939, a few months before the outbreak of Second World War he became deputy director of the Training and Staff Duties Division.In October 1940 he was given command of a Dido-class light cruiser
Dido class cruiser
The Dido class was a class of sixteen light cruisers built for the Royal Navy. The design was influenced by the Arethusa class light cruisers. The first group of three ships was commissioned in 1940, the second group and third group were commissioned in 1941–1942...
, HMS Hermione
HMS Hermione (74)
HMS Hermione was a Dido class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, She was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons, , with the keel being laid down on 6 October 1937. She was launched on 18 May 1939, and commissioned 25 March 1941....
then under construction on the Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
. The ship worked up at Scapa Flow and as part of the Second Cruiser Squadron took part in the May 1941 hunt for the Bismarck
Operation Rheinübung
Operation Rheinübung was the sortie into the Atlantic by the new German battleship Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen on 18–27 May 1941, during World War II...
. The ship was then assigned to Force H based at Gibraltar on convoy duties to relieve Malta. The ship rammed the Italian 600-Serie Adua submarine
600-Serie Adua class submarine
The Italian Adua-class submarine was the fourth subclass of the 600 Series of coastal submarines of the Regia Marina that served during World War II....
Tembien near Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
on 2 July 1941, for which Oliver was awarded a DSO in November.
In 1942 the ship was part of the force which captured the Vichy French island of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
after which it was assigned to Admiral Sir Henry Harwood
Henry Harwood
Admiral Sir Henry Harwood Harwood, KCB, OBE , was a British naval officer who won fame in the Battle of the River Plate.-Early life:...
's Eastern Mediterranean fleet.
In June 1942 as part of the 15th Cruiser Squadron the cruiser took part in Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous
Operation Vigorous was a World War II Allied operation to deliver a supply convoy that sailed from Haifa and Port Said on 12 June 1942 to Malta. The convoy encountered heavy Axis air and sea opposition and returned to Alexandria on 16 June....
, an attempt to supply Malta with a convoy dispatched from the Eastern Mediterranean whilst another Malta-bound convoy was simultaneously dispatched from Gibraltar (Operation Harpoon
Operation Harpoon
Operation Harpoon may refer to:* Operation Harpune, a major German deception plan of 1941 to conceal preparations for Operation Barbarossa* Operation Harpoon , one of two simultaneous Allied convoys in 1942...
). On 15 June, Operation Vigorous was abandoned because of the strength of the air attacks, the depletion of ammunition and fuel caused by them and the nearby presence of the Italian Fleet. The convoy turned away from Malta and headed back towards Alexandria, but early the following morning Hermione was torpedoed and sunk by U-205 south of Crete with the loss of 87 crew out of 570.
Oliver survived the sinking and served as naval liaison officer to the Nile Delta Army for the next few months, until October 1942 when he was promoted to Commodore 2nd Class and assigned in Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
to organise shipping for Operation Torch
Operation Torch
Operation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
, the invasion of French North Africa.
Following the successful invasion, in January 1943 he was assigned as the senior officer of the North Africa Inshore Squadron, based at Bone, Algeria which at that time was under repeated air attack, until May 1943 when he moved to a newly captured base at Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. For his work during Operation Torch, Oliver was awarded a second DSO and American Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
.
In July 1943 he became commander of Force "N", with its headquarters at the Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
naval base HMS Hannibal, for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
which took place on 9 July. He was the naval commander of the British assault force at Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
on HMS Hilary
HMS Hilary (1931)
HMS Hilary, was a former passenger liner launched in 1931, as SS Hilary, which was requisitioned by the Royal Navy during the Second World War and used as an ocean boarding vessel in the North Atlantic. It was later converted back to a merchantman but subsequently recommissioned back into the Royal...
. Following the successful conclusion of the operation he was awarded KCB
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 mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and Commander of the American Legion of Merit.
From late 1943 until February 1944 he was the chairman of a commission, "Accuracy of Gunnery Committee". He was then promoted to Commodore 1st Class and assigned as commander of Force "J" for Operation Neptune
Operation Neptune
The Normandy landings, codenamed Operation Neptune, were the landing operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, in Operation Overlord, during World War II. The landings commenced on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 , beginning at 6:30 AM British Double Summer Time...
, the invasion of Normandy, for which we was awarded a third DSO.
From October 1944 until February 1945 he was in command of the First Aircraft Carrier Squadron on HMS Royalist
HMS Royalist (89)
HMS Royalist was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Bellona subgroup of the Royal Navy. She was a modified Dido design with only four turrets but improved AA armament - aka Dido Group 2. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company with the keel being laid down on 21 March 1940...
, part of the Eastern Fleet, clearing mines in the Aegean Sea
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
and providing humanitarian relief. He was promoted to rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
in May 1945 when the force was attached to the Eastern Fleet's 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron where it took part in the amphibious landing at Rangoon. When Japan surrendered
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
in August 1945 the force was preparing for the attack on the Malay Peninsula.
Postwar
In 1946 he was president of a committee examining aircraft maintenance, and in April was appointed Flag Officer in command of Naval Air Stations. In December 1946 he became a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, posts he held until September 1948 when he became president of the Naval College at GreenwichGreenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. He was promoted to vice admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
in February 1949.
From April 1950 until August 1952 he was Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
East Indies Station
The East Indies Station was a formation of the British Royal Navy from 1865 to 1941.From 1831 to 1865 the East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station...
, and promoted to admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
in May 1952. He was awarded Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1951. In May 1953 he became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, a capacity he served in until April 1955. He was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1955. He retired from the Royal Navy on 1 December 1955 and moved to a farm he purchased near Henfield
Henfield
Henfield is a large village and civil parish in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England. It lies south of London, northwest of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester at the road junction of the A281 and A2037. The parish has a land area of . In the 2001 census 5,012...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
.
Honours and decorations
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire 1 January 1955
- Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 1 January 1951 (CB 23 May 1944)
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
25 November 1941, 14 September 1943, 14 November 1944 - Mention in Despatches 6 January 1942, 14 Aubust 1945
- Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States) 10 October 1944 (Officer 7 September 1943)
- Commander Grand Cross, Order of the SwordOrder of the SwordThe Order of the Sword is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on February 23, 1748, together with the Order of the Seraphim and the Order of the Polar Star.Awarded to officers, and originally intended as an award for bravery and particularly long or useful service, it...
(Sweden) 28 June 54