Herbert Annesley Packer
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Herbert ("Bertie") Annesley Packer KCB
, CBE
(9 October 1894 – 23 September 1962) was an officer in the British Royal Navy
and ended his career as an Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic
.
Osborne
on 15 September 1907.
in 1907. He left Dartmouth Naval College with the King's "dirk and gold medal" for outstanding qualities of leadership and joined HMS St. Vincent
as a midshipman
. In 1913 he invented an "uncle" in Australia and was chosen from a score of volunteers to sail the new battle-cruiser HMAS Australia
to Sydney
.
As the First World War broke out, Packer stayed on HMAS Australia and his first action in combat was off the Falkland Isles as part of a boarding party that captured the German S.S. Elaenor Woermann from Hamburg. His ability to speak fluent German (and French) allowed him to interrogate the crew. The captured ship was scuttled.
.jpg)
As an Acting Sub-Lieutenant, Bertie Packer joined the new battleship HMS Warspite on 22 February 1915. He was trained as an Assistant Gunnery Officer
.
After the Battle of Jutland
in 1916, Packer was mentioned in dispatches for firing 12 rounds (though all fell short of their target) at the line of German High Seas Fleet
's battleships under local control. The Warspite was heavily damaged and direction and gunnery control was disabled. Bertie Packer was also made a Lieutenant R.N.
In the years between the wars, Packer served in HMS Dublin, HMS Excellent, married South African author and journalist Joy Petersen
in 1924, served in HMS Warspite, HMS Valiant
and HMS Queen Elizabeth
in the Mediterranean Sea, qualified as a Naval Interpreter in French, took a course at the RN Staff College,and then joined the crew of the cruiser HMS Kent
as Fleet Gunnery Officer of the China Station in Wei Hai Wei.
In 1936 Captain Packer was appointed "Naval Attaché
to the Embassy in Angora
, and to His Majesty's Legations at Belgrade and Athens with headquarters at Athens".
chased the German supply-ship Altmark
. Captain Philip Vian
of the Cossack led a boarding party, in still-neutral Norwegian waters and freed the 300 captive British sailors on board.
As captain of HMS Manchester
Captain Packer was involved in the Battle of Cape Spartivento
. On 27 November 1940 the 18th. Cruiser Squadron attacked and dispersed a superior Italian fleet off the Sardinian coast. Captain Packer, an aggressive commander, suggested in his report that the Admiralty "stow more ammunition for the forward turrets, possibly at the expense of the after turrets" as it was "an experience common to many, if not all, of H.M. ships in action, both in this war and the last, and I am willing to prophesy that it is a situation that is likely to continue, that the foremost turrets fired many more rounds than the after turrets".
Between 1941 and 1943 Captain Packer was Commanding Officer of HMS Excellent, a shore installation, the Gunnery School on Whale Island, near Portsmouth
.
In the spring of 1943 Captain Packer was put in command of his first battleship - the veteran HMS Warspite. The battleship was the H.Q. of Rear Admiral A.W. la Touche Bisset and part of Force H. The 15 inches (381 mm) guns bombarded Catania and supported the Allied landings on Sicily
and the Italian mainland. HMS Warspite was shelling Salerno
on 15 September 1943 when a new German weapon was aimed at her. Wireless bombs, the Fritz X
, controlled by an aircraft at 6000 meters high, crashed through the decks and one of them exploded in the boiler room. Captain Packer managed to bring the crippled ship, under tow, back to Malta
and was once again Mentioned in Despatches. He has the rare honour of having been so honoured for his conduct on the same ship in two different wars.
Rear Admiral Packer spent the rest of the war as a staff officer (Commodore administration) and then Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet
.
For planning the amphibious operations in Sicily and Southern France Rear-Admiral Packer was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 1945. Later in that year he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his conduct in Italy.
The American government made him an Officer in their Legion of Merit
, and the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre
avec Palme and made him a Commandeur in the Legion d'Honneur
.
Sir Herbert Packer hoisted his flag in HMS Superb
, and commanded the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. In 1948 he became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
.
For his services to the United Kingdom he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and he and his wife were therefore henceforth "Sir Herbert and Lady Packer".
. He was a full admiral now and retired in 1953.
Sir Herbert Packer retired in Cape Town and died in September 1962. He left a wife and a son, the surgeon Piet Packer who emigrated to Australia. The ashes of Herbert Packer were scattered from the side of the frigate HMSAS Good Hope
near Cape Point
where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.
|-
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 Herbert ("Bertie") Annesley Packer 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...
, CBE
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...
(9 October 1894 – 23 September 1962) was an officer in the 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...
and ended his career as an Admiral and Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic
South Atlantic Station
The South Atlantic Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formed from the former Cape of Good Hope Station.-History:...
.
Family background
The only son of Dr. William Packer and musician Edith Mary Rutter, he entered Royal Navy CollegeBritannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
Osborne
Osborne House
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat....
on 15 September 1907.
Early career
Packer joined the Royal NavyRoyal 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...
in 1907. He left Dartmouth Naval College with the King's "dirk and gold medal" for outstanding qualities of leadership and joined HMS St. Vincent
HMS St. Vincent (1908)
HMS St. Vincent was the lead ship of the St. Vincent class battleships of the British Royal Navy.She was commissioned on 3 May 1910 as 2nd flagship of 1st Division Home Fleet at Portsmouth. She was commanded by Capt. Douglas R. L. Nicholson and was flagship of Rear-Admiral Richard H...
as a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
. In 1913 he invented an "uncle" in Australia and was chosen from a score of volunteers to sail the new battle-cruiser HMAS Australia
HMAS Australia (1911)
HMAS Australia was one of three s built for the defence of the British Empire. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as flagship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy in 1913...
to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
As the First World War broke out, Packer stayed on HMAS Australia and his first action in combat was off the Falkland Isles as part of a boarding party that captured the German S.S. Elaenor Woermann from Hamburg. His ability to speak fluent German (and French) allowed him to interrogate the crew. The captured ship was scuttled.
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
.
After the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
in 1916, Packer was mentioned in dispatches for firing 12 rounds (though all fell short of their target) at the line of German High Seas Fleet
High Seas Fleet
The High Seas Fleet was the battle fleet of the German Empire and saw action during World War I. The formation was created in February 1907, when the Home Fleet was renamed as the High Seas Fleet. Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz was the architect of the fleet; he envisioned a force powerful enough to...
's battleships under local control. The Warspite was heavily damaged and direction and gunnery control was disabled. Bertie Packer was also made a Lieutenant R.N.
In the years between the wars, Packer served in HMS Dublin, HMS Excellent, married South African author and journalist Joy Petersen
Joy Packer
Joy Petersen Packer was a South African author of autobiography and romantic adventure novels.Packer was born and educated in Cape Town, graduating as a journalist from the University of Cape Town. She worked initially as a free-lance journalist, in 1931 becoming a reporter for London's Daily...
in 1924, served in HMS Warspite, HMS Valiant
HMS Valiant (1914)
HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the British Royal Navy. She was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan on 31 January 1913 and launched on 4 November 1914...
and HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)
HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. She saw service in both World Wars...
in the Mediterranean Sea, qualified as a Naval Interpreter in French, took a course at the RN Staff College,and then joined the crew of the cruiser HMS Kent
HMS Kent (54)
HMS Kent was a heavy cruiser built for the Royal Navy in the late 1920s. She was the lead ship of the Kent subclass. After completion the ship was sent to the China Station where she remained until the beginning of the Second World War, aside from a major refit in 1937–38...
as Fleet Gunnery Officer of the China Station in Wei Hai Wei.
In 1936 Captain Packer was appointed "Naval Attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
to the Embassy in Angora
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, and to His Majesty's Legations at Belgrade and Athens with headquarters at Athens".
World War II
On 24 August 1939 Captain Packer was appointed in command of the cruiser HMS Calcutta. In February 1940 the Calcutta and the destroyer HMS CossackHMS Cossack (F03)
HMS Cossack was a Tribal-class destroyer which became famous for the boarding of the German supply ship Altmark in Norwegian waters, and the associated rescue of sailors originally captured by the Admiral Graf Spee....
chased the German supply-ship Altmark
German tanker Altmark
Altmark was a German oil tanker and supply vessel, one of five of a class built between 1937 and 1939. She is best known for her support of the German commerce raider, the "pocket battleship" and her subsequent involvement in the "Altmark Incident"....
. Captain Philip Vian
Philip Vian
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, GCB, KBE, DSO & Two Bars was a British naval officer who served in both World Wars....
of the Cossack led a boarding party, in still-neutral Norwegian waters and freed the 300 captive British sailors on board.
As captain of HMS Manchester
HMS Manchester (C15)
The second HMS Manchester was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, belonging to the Gloucester subclass. She was laid down by Hawthorn Leslie at Hebburn in March 1936, launched in April the following year and commissioned in August 1938...
Captain Packer was involved in the Battle of Cape Spartivento
Battle of Cape Spartivento
The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War...
. On 27 November 1940 the 18th. Cruiser Squadron attacked and dispersed a superior Italian fleet off the Sardinian coast. Captain Packer, an aggressive commander, suggested in his report that the Admiralty "stow more ammunition for the forward turrets, possibly at the expense of the after turrets" as it was "an experience common to many, if not all, of H.M. ships in action, both in this war and the last, and I am willing to prophesy that it is a situation that is likely to continue, that the foremost turrets fired many more rounds than the after turrets".
Between 1941 and 1943 Captain Packer was Commanding Officer of HMS Excellent, a shore installation, the Gunnery School on Whale Island, near Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.
In the spring of 1943 Captain Packer was put in command of his first battleship - the veteran HMS Warspite. The battleship was the H.Q. of Rear Admiral A.W. la Touche Bisset and part of Force H. The 15 inches (381 mm) guns bombarded Catania and supported the Allied landings on 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,...
and the Italian mainland. HMS Warspite was shelling 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 15 September 1943 when a new German weapon was aimed at her. Wireless bombs, the Fritz X
Fritz X
Fritz X was the most common name for a German guided anti-ship glide bomb used during World War II. Fritz X was a nickname used both by Allied and Luftwaffe personnel. Alternate names include Ruhrstahl SD 1400 X, Kramer X-1, PC 1400X or FX 1400...
, controlled by an aircraft at 6000 meters high, crashed through the decks and one of them exploded in the boiler room. Captain Packer managed to bring the crippled ship, under tow, back to Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
and was once again Mentioned in Despatches. He has the rare honour of having been so honoured for his conduct on the same ship in two different wars.
Rear Admiral Packer spent the rest of the war as a staff officer (Commodore administration) and then Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
.
For planning the amphibious operations in Sicily and Southern France Rear-Admiral Packer was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in January 1945. Later in that year he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his conduct in Italy.
The American government made him an Officer in their 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...
, and the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
avec Palme and made him a Commandeur in the Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
Post War
Rear AdmiralRear 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"...
Sir Herbert Packer hoisted his flag in HMS Superb
HMS Superb (25)
HMS Superb was a Minotaur-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson, of Wallsend, Tyne and Wear on 23 June 1942, launched on 31 August 1943 and commissioned on 16 November 1945....
, and commanded the 2nd Cruiser Squadron. In 1948 he became Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
.
For his services to the United Kingdom he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and he and his wife were therefore henceforth "Sir Herbert and Lady Packer".
Retirement
Sir Herbert Packer's last command was that of Commander in Chief South Atlantic StationSouth Atlantic Station
The South Atlantic Station was one of the geographical divisions into which the British Royal Navy divided its worldwide responsibilities. It was formed from the former Cape of Good Hope Station.-History:...
. He was a full admiral now and retired in 1953.
Sir Herbert Packer retired in Cape Town and died in September 1962. He left a wife and a son, the surgeon Piet Packer who emigrated to Australia. The ashes of Herbert Packer were scattered from the side of the frigate HMSAS Good Hope
HMS Good Hope
Three ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Good Hope.*The first Good Hope, 35, was captured by the French in May 1665.*The second Good Hope, 6, was a flyboat captured from the Dutch in 1665 and sold in 1667....
near Cape Point
Cape Point
Cape Point is a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula, which is a mountainous and scenic landform that runs north-south for about thirty kilometres at the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent in the Republic of South Africa. Table Mountain and the city of Cape Town...
where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.
External links
- Janus: The Papers of Admiral Sir Herbert Packer
- Unit Histories: Royal Navy (RN) Officers - provides information regarding Packer's career
- CricketArchive: Herbert Packer
|-