John Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
John Cronyn "Jack" Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey GCB
, KBE
, DSO
, DCL
(7 March 1885 – 12 January 1971) was a Royal Navy
admiral who served in both World Wars. He signed himself as "Jack", not "John". Tovey joined the Royal Navy before World War I, and commanded destroyers in that war. He rose, with several senior commands, until promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1943. He retired in 1946 and died in 1971, in Madeira
.
, Langton Matravers
(joining the school shortly before another future British admiral, Geoffrey Oliver
) and as a naval cadet at the Royal Naval College
, HMS Britannia (15 January 1900-15 May 1901). Tovey's parents spent much time abroad and as a result, Durnford and its headmaster, Thomas Pellatt, were a significant and happy influence upon the young Tovey. He excelled at sports, playing well at cricket for Durnford and he was a schoolboy international footballer and later played golf for the Royal Navy.
Tovey passed out of Naval College with four months' time awarded (effectively an improvement in seniority) and entered the Royal Navy on 15 May 1901 as a midshipman
. A month later he was posted to HMS Majestic
, a battleship in the Channel Squadron. He remained on Majestic until June 1902, when he transferred to the cruiser HMS Ariadne
, flagship of the North America and West Indies Station. Tovey passed his Seamanship examination (1st class) and on his promotion to sub-lieutenant
on 15 July 1904, he was transferred from Ariadne. In his time as a midshipman, his performance ratings had all been good or better with comments such as "zealous" and "painstaking", although not without criticisms ("Painstaking & steady but stupid" and "Manner bad with the men").
In 1905, he attended courses in gunnery, torpedo, navigation and pilotage. In November,Tovey was appointed to the flagship, HMS Exmouth
, at the request of Admiral Arthur Wilson, the commander of the Home and Channel Fleet
s. Tovey's length of service on Exmouth is unclear, but he was promoted to Lieutenant
on 15 July 1906.
_iwm_q_021420.jpg)
Tovey was appointed, on 18 May 1908, to the armoured cruiser HMS King Alfred
, on the China Station
, where he served for two years. During 1910, 1911 and 1912, there was a series of appointments to ships of differing typesHMS Racer
addl for RN Coll Osborne adl May 1910
Racer addl for RN Coll psrt comp 15 May 1910 5 June 1911 Supd
HMS Bellona
AF II from 5 June 1911 to 8 November 1911
HMS Patrol
(1st) HFI 8 November 1911 13 August 1912
HMS Russell
4 Sq 13 August 1912 1 January 1913
At the start of 1913, Tovey was posted to HMS Vivid
(the naval barracks at Devonport
) for trials of HMS Amphion
and subsequently served on Amphion from 2 April 1913. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 July 1914.
until she was mined and sunk on 6 August 1914 (the first British warship to be sunk in World War I). He was subsequently posted to the destroyer HMS Faulknor
.
.jpg)
Tovey received his first command on 13 January 1915, when he was appointed to the destroyer HMS Jackal
, which as part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank
on 24 January. He subsequently commanded HMS Onslow
(from 7 May 1916) at the Battle of Jutland
on 31 May. Onslow and another destroyer, HMS Moresby, had escorted the seaplane carrier HMS Engadine
, but later Onslow became involved in action, first against German battlecruisers, then in an attack on the damaged German cruiser Wiesbaden
Onslow's torpedo hit on Wiesbaden was one of only five British torpedo hits during Jutland. and finally on a line of enemy battleships. Onslow had been severely damaged during the attack on the Wiesbaden, nonetheless, Tovey ordered that the remaining torpedoes be fired at the battleships, although no hits were scored. Despite heavy shelling, Onslow was towed to safety by HMS Defender
(herself also damaged) and eventually both ships reached Aberdeen.The Report on the Battle by Admiral Beatty
stated that: "Defender, whose speed had been reduced to 10 knots, while on the disengaged side of the battle cruisers, was struck by a shell which damaged her foremost boiler, but closed Onslow and took her in tow. Shells were falling all round them during this operation, which, however, was successfully accomplished. During the heavy weather of the ensuing night the tow parted twice, but was resecured. The two struggled on together until 1pm 1st June, when Onslow was transferred to tugs. I consider the performances of these two destroyers to be gallant in the extreme, and I am recommending Lieutenant-Commander J. C. Tovey of Onslow, and Lieutenant Commander Palmer of Defender, for special recognition..." (The Beatty Papers, vol. 1, B.McL. Ranft, ed, Navy Records Society, 1989, p 323). Both officers were awarded DSO
s. As a result of this action, Tovey was promoted to Commander
(effective 30 June 1916), Mentioned in Dispatches
and subsequently awarded the DSO
in 1919.
He remained on Onslow until October, 1917, when he transferred to command the new destroyer HMS Ursa. In April, 1918, Tovey took command of another new destroyer, HMS Wolfhound
and was also appointed to the staff of the Captain Superintendent Torpedo-Boat Destroyers; these appointments lasted until June 1919, after the war's end.
During the war, on 28 March 1916, Tovey had married Aida Rowe, daughter of John Rowe, at Linlithgow
.
for a further two years. His next sea appointment, in August 1922, was to command HMS Seawolf., which he held until his promotion to Captain
on 31 December 1923. In August 1924, Tovey was briefly appointed as Captain (D)
, 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, for exercises before attending a course at the Senior Officers' School, Sheerness.
At the end of 1924, Tovey was appointed as Captain (D) to command HMS Bruce and the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. He commanded the 8thDF and other flotillas, in turn, until he attended the Imperial Defence Course, for a year from mid January 1927, at the Imperial Defence College. This was immediately followed by the Senior Officers' Technical Course at Portsmouth and from February 1928 to April 1930, Tovey was Assistant Director of Tactical School, followed by yet another shore appointment at the Admiralty as Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord.
After five years ashore, Tovey was given command of the battleship HMS Rodney in April 1932. This ship had been heavily involved in the recent Invergordon mutiny
and elements of its crew were among the most vociferous protestors and Tovey was seen as a "safe pair of hands" to restore the battleship's efficiency. Tovey quickly transformed the ship's crew into an efficient and confident unit and in his confidential personnel report, Admiral Sir John Kelly judged that Tovey "... has brought his ship to a high state of fighting efficiency". He stayed with Rodney until August 1934.
In October, Tovey attended a Senior Officers' course and in January 1935, he was appointed as Commodore (2nd rank)
(at the time "commodore" was not a substantive rank) to command the Naval Barracks at Chatham
, an important depot and training establishment involved in the rapid naval expansion of the 1930s. When promoted to Rear Admiral
in August 1935, he continued at Chatham until he attended a Senior Officers Tactical Course from September 1937 and a Senior Officers' War Course at the Naval War College, Greenwich in December 1937. Until February 1938, Tovey also acted as Naval ADC
to the King.
Tovey had been nominated in early 1935 to be Rear Admiral (D), commanding the Destroyer Flotillas of the Mediterranean Fleet, the appointment not taking effect until early 1938. Once in post at Malta
, Tovey's role involved interventions in the Spanish Civil War
and at Haifa
as well as the command and administrative roles of bringing the destroyer flotillas to peak efficiency.
The five were HMAS Stuart (leader), Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen.
When Italy
declared war in June 1940, Tovey had been promoted to Vice Admiral
(May 1939) commanding the Mediterranean Fleet's Light Forces (i.e., cruisers and destroyers) and had become Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, under Andrew Cunningham
. As Italy's participation became more certain, the Mediterranean Fleet had been reinforced and by June, Tovey commanded nine cruisers and around twenty-five destroyers, with his flag in HMS Orion
.
.jpg)
In his first action in the Mediterranean, Tovey commanded the 7th Cruiser Squadron when, on 28 June 1940, it intercepted three Italian destroyers that were making an urgent supply run to north Africa (Battle of the Espero Convoy
).At this stage, the 7th Cruiser Squadron consisted of HMS Orion
, Liverpool
, Gloucester, Neptune
and HMAS Sydney. The three Italian destroyers were the Espero, Ostro and Zaffiro. The five British cruisers engaged the Italian flotilla at extreme range and succeeding in sinking the Espero, while the other two escaped. The British use of ammunition had been extensive and, due to this and the shortage of stores at Alexandria
, planned convoys from Malta were postponed. Cunningham was not pleased and commented that the ammunition used was "tremendous ... to sink this one 1,000 ton destroyer".
On 9 July, Tovey commanded the Light Forces (cruisers and destroyers) at the indecisive Battle of Calabria
. Although little was achieved by either fleet, Tovey's handling of his command was praised in Cunningham's subsequent report.Cunningham reported: "Our cruisers - there were only four in action - were badly outnumbered and at times came under a very heavy fire. They were superbly handled by Vice-Admiral J. C. Tovey, C.B., D.S.O., who, by his skilful manoeuvring, managed to maintain a position in the van and to hold the enemy cruiser squadrons, and at the same time avoid damage to his own force."
In November 1940 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet with the acting rank
of Admiral
(Tovey was promoted to the substantive rank at the end of October, 1942). As commander of the Home Fleet he had several clashes with Dudley Pound
, the First Sea Lord
and Winston Churchill
but retained the post for the normal two and a half years' duration.
His best known achievement in this period was orchestrating the pursuit and destruction of the Bismarck
. Tovey had insisted on being a "sea-going" admiral, despite pressure from above and the disadvantages of being away from command centres. He believed that this was one element in maintaining morale in the fleet, by sharing the privations and dangers of his men. The final action against the Bismarck added further weight to his decision. When the two British battleships HMS Rodney and King George V
located Bismarck, they had the setting sun silhouetting them while Bismarck remained in the evening gloom. Tovey observed this and, to the surprise of his staff, ordered that the final action be delayed until the following morning. In so doing, he ensured that the benefits of the light would be reversed to the British advantage and that the German crews would be fatigued by constant harassment by Vian
's destroyers. The risk was that Bismarck would, somehow, escape but Tovey accepted this. Tovey was made a KBE "... for distinguished services in the masterly and determined action in which the German Battleship Bismarck was destroyed."
After the Bismarck action, Tovey resisted moves to court-martial
the Prince of Wales' captain, John Leach
, and Frederic Wake-Walker
, the admiral commanding Suffolk
and Norfolk
, who had broken off the battle with Bismarck after Hood
had been sunk. Tovey was appalled and a row ensued between Tovey and his superior, Pound. Tovey stated that the two officers had acted correctly in the circumstances. He threatened to resign his position and appear at any court-martial as 'defendant's friend' and defence witness. No more was heard of the proposal. King George V was extremely short of fuel and had stayed at the scene far longer than Tovey had thought it could, so another cause for friction between Tovey and his political and professional superiors was a signal that his flagship was to remain in action until Bismarck had sunk, "Bismarck must be sunk at all costs ... even if it ... means towing King George V". In these circumstances it would have been highly likely that the ship would have been lost to either u-boats or aircraft. The signal had initially caused amusement amongst Tovey and his staff, but later its risks and implications angered them; Tovey later said "It was the stupidest and most ill-considered signal ever made" and he made it clear that he would have disobeyed and risked court-martial.
Tovey also had responsibility for the safe passage of the Arctic Convoys to Russia. The Soviet Union
subsequently awarded him the Order of Suvorov
, First Class, for "distinguished services in securing the passage of convoys to the U.S.S.R.", but Tovey never wore the medal or its ribbon.The reasons for Tovey's disregard of the Soviet decoration are not known. It may, however, be relevant that the Soviet armed forces offered little protection to the Arctic convoys and obstructed the essential support of the escorting British naval forces in northern Russia. He had repeated disagreements with Pound and Churchill over the conduct of these convoys, arguing that summer operations were too dangerous due to the long daylight hours and the lack of air cover. The disastrous PQ17 convoy, in June and July 1942, demonstrated the validity of Tovey's fears, exacerbated by Pound's poor decision to scatter the convoy. Arctic convoys were suspended until September, when close air cover was available and darkness offered protection.The new escort carrier HMS Avenger
had become available and formed the core of the escorting force. The convoy had been postponed until escorting warships had been freed from Operation Pedestal
.
Despite these serious differences and although Churchill considered Tovey to be "obstructionist" and attempted to get him sacked, Tovey lasted the full two and a half years of his appointment. At the end of this appointment, when departing Scapa, Tovey was carried to Thurso
by HMS Onslow
, the later namesake of his notable World War I command.
In June 1943, Tovey became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, with responsibility for controlling the east coast convoys and organising minesweeping operations. Two months later he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Other major responsibilities were the organisation of the logistics for the forth-coming invasion of Sicily and the Normandy landings.
Tovey was appointed as First and Principal Naval ADC to the King in January, 1945.
in the County of Dorset. In retirement, Tovey took up a number of appointments; his seat in the House of Lords
, Church Commissioner, President of The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
and of the King George's Fund for Sailors and President of the Shaftesbury Training Ships. These kept him so busy that he had little time for his pastimes of golf and fishing. Aida Tovey suffered from arthritis
and, as the condition worsened, "Jack" Tovey gave up his external activities to devote his time to caring for her. Tovey died at Funchal
, Madeira
on 12 January 1971, his wife, Aida, had died the preceding June. The couple had had no children, and his peerage
became extinct on his death.
There are several documented illustrations of Tovey's willingness to confront higher authorities when he believed it was right to do so. An early example was when, as a midshipman on the Exmouth supervising the handling of ships' boats, a superior officer started to give the orders. Tovey "peeled off his white gloves, unbuckled his sword belt, handed them to the astonished Commander and went below."
While in command of HMS Rodney, Tovey did not always see eye to eye with his Commander-in-Chief and was inclined to express his views forcibly. In later years he often quoted one paragraph from John Kelly's confidential report: "Captain Tovey shares one characteristic with me. In myself I call it tenacity of purpose; in Captain Tovey I can only describe it as sheer bloody obstinacy". Tovey had a strong Christian faith.
|-
Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)
Admiral of the fleet is the highest rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10. The rank still exists in the Royal Navy but routine appointments ceased in 1996....
John Cronyn "Jack" Tovey, 1st Baron Tovey GCB
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...
, KBE
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...
, 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...
, DCL
Doctor of Civil Law
Doctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
(7 March 1885 – 12 January 1971) was a 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...
admiral who served in both World Wars. He signed himself as "Jack", not "John". Tovey joined the Royal Navy before World War I, and commanded destroyers in that war. He rose, with several senior commands, until promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1943. He retired in 1946 and died in 1971, in Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
.
Early life and career
Tovey was born on 7 March 1885 at Borley Hill, Rochester, Kent, the youngest child (of eleven) of Lt Col Hamilton Tovey, RE, and Maria Elizabeth Goodhue. He was educated at Durnford SchoolDurnford School
Durnford School was a notoriously spartan and uncomfortable preparatory school which opened in 1894 on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset. The school occupied Durnford House, in High Street in the village of Langton Matravers near Swanage...
, 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...
(joining the school shortly before another future British admiral, Geoffrey Oliver
Geoffrey Oliver
Admiral Sir Geoffrey Nigel Oliver GBE, KCB, DSO & Two Bars was a British Royal Navy officer during the Second World War.-Early career:...
) and as a naval cadet at the Royal Naval College
Britannia 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...
, HMS Britannia (15 January 1900-15 May 1901). Tovey's parents spent much time abroad and as a result, Durnford and its headmaster, Thomas Pellatt, were a significant and happy influence upon the young Tovey. He excelled at sports, playing well at cricket for Durnford and he was a schoolboy international footballer and later played golf for the Royal Navy.
Tovey passed out of Naval College with four months' time awarded (effectively an improvement in seniority) and entered the Royal Navy on 15 May 1901 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...
. A month later he was posted to HMS Majestic
HMS Majestic (1895)
HMS Majestic was a Majestic-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.-Technical characteristics:HMS Majestic was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard on 5 February 1894 and launched on 31 January 1895...
, a battleship in the Channel Squadron. He remained on Majestic until June 1902, when he transferred to the cruiser HMS Ariadne
HMS Ariadne (1898)
HMS Ariadne was a Diadem-class protected cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by J&G Thompson of Clydebank and launched on 22 April 1898. In March 1913, she was converted to a stokers' training ship and in 1917 was converted to a minelayer and assigned to the Nore Command...
, flagship of the North America and West Indies Station. Tovey passed his Seamanship examination (1st class) and on his promotion 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...
on 15 July 1904, he was transferred from Ariadne. In his time as a midshipman, his performance ratings had all been good or better with comments such as "zealous" and "painstaking", although not without criticisms ("Painstaking & steady but stupid" and "Manner bad with the men").
In 1905, he attended courses in gunnery, torpedo, navigation and pilotage. In November,Tovey was appointed to the flagship, HMS Exmouth
HMS Exmouth (1901)
HMS Exmouth was a Duncan class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy. HMS Exmouth was laid down by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead in August 1899, launched in August 1901 and finally completed in May 1903...
, at the request of Admiral Arthur Wilson, the commander of the Home and Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
s. Tovey's length of service on Exmouth is unclear, but he was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 15 July 1906.
HMS King Alfred (1901)
HMS King Alfred was a 14,100-ton Drake-class armoured cruiser of the Royal Navy. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name, after Alfred the Great, historical king of Wessex...
, on the China Station
China Station
The China Station was a historical formation of the British Royal Navy. It was formally the units and establishments responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, China....
, where he served for two years. During 1910, 1911 and 1912, there was a series of appointments to ships of differing typesHMS Racer
HMS Racer (1884)
HMS Racer was a Royal Navy Mariner-class composite screw gunvessel of 8 guns.-Construction:Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction, her hull was of composite construction; that is, iron keel, frames, stem and stern posts with wooden planking...
addl for RN Coll Osborne adl May 1910
Racer addl for RN Coll psrt comp 15 May 1910 5 June 1911 Supd
HMS Bellona
HMS Bellona (1909)
HMS Bellona was one of two Boadicea class scout cruisers which served with the Royal Navy. She was launched from Pembroke Dockyard on 20 March 1909 and completed in February 1910....
AF II from 5 June 1911 to 8 November 1911
HMS Patrol
HMS Patrol (1904)
HMS Patrol was a Pathfinder class scout cruiser which served with the Royal Navy before and during the First World War. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name HMS Patrol.-Design:...
(1st) HFI 8 November 1911 13 August 1912
HMS Russell
HMS Russell (1901)
HMS Russell was a Duncan-class predreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy.-Technical Description:HMS Russell was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow on 11 March 1899 and launched on 19 February 1902...
4 Sq 13 August 1912 1 January 1913
At the start of 1913, Tovey was posted to HMS Vivid
HMS Vivid
Three ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Vivid:-Ships: was a wood paddle packet launched in 1848 and sold in 1894. was an iron screw yacht purchased from civilian service in 1891, where she had been named Capercailzie. She became the Devonport base ship in...
(the naval barracks at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
) for trials of HMS Amphion
HMS Amphion (1911)
HMS Amphion was an Active-class scout cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built at Pembroke Dockyard and launched on 4 December 1911. She became the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk in the First World War...
and subsequently served on Amphion from 2 April 1913. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 July 1914.
World War I
Tovey continued to serve on Amphion as its first lieutenantFirst Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
until she was mined and sunk on 6 August 1914 (the first British warship to be sunk in World War I). He was subsequently posted to the destroyer HMS Faulknor
HMS Faulknor (1914)
HMS Faulknor was a British destroyer of the First World War. She was purchased by the Royal Navy whilst still under construction in Britain for the Chilean Navy who had ordered her in 1912 as part of the Almirante Lynch class...
.
HMS Jackal (1911)
HMS Jackal was an Acheron-class destroyer of the Royal Navy that served during the World War I and was sold for breaking in 1920. She was the seventh Royal Navy ship to be named Jackal, after the predatory mammal of the same name.-Construction:...
, which as part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)
The Battle of Dogger Bank was a naval battle fought near the Dogger Bank in the North Sea on 24 January 1915, during the First World War, between squadrons of the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet....
on 24 January. He subsequently commanded HMS Onslow
HMS Onslow (1916)
HMS Onslow was an M class destroyer launched on 15 February 1916, completed by 15 April 1916 and sold for breaking up on 26 October 1921. During the First World War, her captain was John Tovey, ....
(from 7 May 1916) at 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...
on 31 May. Onslow and another destroyer, HMS Moresby, had escorted the seaplane carrier HMS Engadine
HMS Engadine (1911)
HMS Engadine was a seaplane tender which served in the First World War. She was built as a Folkestone-Boulogne ferry by William Denny and Brothers, launched on 23 September 1911 and named after the Engadine valley in Switzerland...
, but later Onslow became involved in action, first against German battlecruisers, then in an attack on the damaged German cruiser Wiesbaden
SMS Wiesbaden
SMS Wiesbaden was the lead ship of the Wiesbaden-class of light cruisers of the German Imperial Navy in World War I, the other being the Frankfurt-Specifications:...
Onslow's torpedo hit on Wiesbaden was one of only five British torpedo hits during Jutland. and finally on a line of enemy battleships. Onslow had been severely damaged during the attack on the Wiesbaden, nonetheless, Tovey ordered that the remaining torpedoes be fired at the battleships, although no hits were scored. Despite heavy shelling, Onslow was towed to safety by HMS Defender
HMS Defender (1911)
HMS Defender was an Acheron-class destroyer which was built in 1911, served throughout World War I and was broken up in 1921. She was the fifth ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy.-Construction:...
(herself also damaged) and eventually both ships reached Aberdeen.The Report on the Battle by Admiral Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
stated that: "Defender, whose speed had been reduced to 10 knots, while on the disengaged side of the battle cruisers, was struck by a shell which damaged her foremost boiler, but closed Onslow and took her in tow. Shells were falling all round them during this operation, which, however, was successfully accomplished. During the heavy weather of the ensuing night the tow parted twice, but was resecured. The two struggled on together until 1pm 1st June, when Onslow was transferred to tugs. I consider the performances of these two destroyers to be gallant in the extreme, and I am recommending Lieutenant-Commander J. C. Tovey of Onslow, and Lieutenant Commander Palmer of Defender, for special recognition..." (The Beatty Papers, vol. 1, B.McL. Ranft, ed, Navy Records Society, 1989, p 323). Both officers were awarded 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...
s. As a result of this action, Tovey was promoted to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
(effective 30 June 1916), Mentioned in Dispatches
Mentioned in Dispatches
A soldier Mentioned in Despatches is one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy.In a number of countries, a soldier's name must be mentioned in...
and subsequently awarded the 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...
in 1919.
He remained on Onslow until October, 1917, when he transferred to command the new destroyer HMS Ursa. In April, 1918, Tovey took command of another new destroyer, HMS Wolfhound
HMS Wolfhound (L56)
HMS Wolfhound was a W-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the First and Second World Wars. She was launched on 14 March 1918 and was sold for scrap in February 1948.-First World War and inter-war period:...
and was also appointed to the staff of the Captain Superintendent Torpedo-Boat Destroyers; these appointments lasted until June 1919, after the war's end.
During the war, on 28 March 1916, Tovey had married Aida Rowe, daughter of John Rowe, at Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
.
Inter-war years
In June, 1919, Tovey attended the Senior Officers' Technical Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich for a year; subsequently he was appointed to the Naval Staff Operations Division at the AdmiraltyAdmiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
for a further two years. His next sea appointment, in August 1922, was to command HMS Seawolf., which he held until his promotion to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
on 31 December 1923. In August 1924, Tovey was briefly appointed as Captain (D)
Captain (D)
In the Royal Navy, a Captain is an appointment of a commander of a destroyer flotilla....
, 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, for exercises before attending a course at the Senior Officers' School, Sheerness.
At the end of 1924, Tovey was appointed as Captain (D) to command HMS Bruce and the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. He commanded the 8thDF and other flotillas, in turn, until he attended the Imperial Defence Course, for a year from mid January 1927, at the Imperial Defence College. This was immediately followed by the Senior Officers' Technical Course at Portsmouth and from February 1928 to April 1930, Tovey was Assistant Director of Tactical School, followed by yet another shore appointment at the Admiralty as Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord.
After five years ashore, Tovey was given command of the battleship HMS Rodney in April 1932. This ship had been heavily involved in the recent Invergordon mutiny
Invergordon Mutiny
The Invergordon Mutiny was an industrial action by around 1,000 sailors in the British Atlantic Fleet, that took place on 15–16 September 1931...
and elements of its crew were among the most vociferous protestors and Tovey was seen as a "safe pair of hands" to restore the battleship's efficiency. Tovey quickly transformed the ship's crew into an efficient and confident unit and in his confidential personnel report, Admiral Sir John Kelly judged that Tovey "... has brought his ship to a high state of fighting efficiency". He stayed with Rodney until August 1934.
In October, Tovey attended a Senior Officers' course and in January 1935, he was appointed as Commodore (2nd rank)
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
(at the time "commodore" was not a substantive rank) to command the Naval Barracks at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
, an important depot and training establishment involved in the rapid naval expansion of the 1930s. When 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 August 1935, he continued at Chatham until he attended a Senior Officers Tactical Course from September 1937 and a Senior Officers' War Course at the Naval War College, Greenwich in December 1937. Until February 1938, Tovey also acted as Naval ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the King.
Tovey had been nominated in early 1935 to be Rear Admiral (D), commanding the Destroyer Flotillas of the Mediterranean Fleet, the appointment not taking effect until early 1938. Once in post at 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...
, Tovey's role involved interventions in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
and at Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
as well as the command and administrative roles of bringing the destroyer flotillas to peak efficiency.
World War II
For some months after Britain and Germany had declared war, the Mediterranean was effectively a quiet backwater. Italy remained nominally neutral with her fleet as only a potential threat and France maintained a powerful naval force as a counter to the Italians. As a result, British naval forces were reduced as units were transferred to meet immediate threats elsewhere and Tovey's command was reduced to five elderly Australian Scott and V & W class destroyersV and W class destroyer
The V and W class was an amalgam of six similar classes of destroyer built for the Royal Navy under the War Emergency Programme of the First World War and generally treated as one class...
The five were HMAS Stuart (leader), Vampire, Vendetta, Voyager and Waterhen.
When Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
declared war in June 1940, Tovey had been 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...
(May 1939) commanding the Mediterranean Fleet's Light Forces (i.e., cruisers and destroyers) and had become Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, under Andrew Cunningham
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT, GCB, OM, DSO and two Bars , was a British admiral of the Second World War. Cunningham was widely known by his nickname, "ABC"....
. As Italy's participation became more certain, the Mediterranean Fleet had been reinforced and by June, Tovey commanded nine cruisers and around twenty-five destroyers, with his flag in HMS Orion
HMS Orion (85)
HMS Orion was a Leander class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II.She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others.-History:...
.
Battle of the Espero Convoy
The Battle of the Espero Convoy was the first Second World War surface engagement between Italian and Allied warships. It took place southwest of Crete on 28 June 1940, after a force of seven cruisers and 16 destroyers, preparing to escort three Allied convoys to Alexandria, were informed of the...
).At this stage, the 7th Cruiser Squadron consisted of HMS Orion
HMS Orion (85)
HMS Orion was a Leander class light cruiser which served with distinction in the Royal Navy during World War II.She received 13 battle honours, a record only exceeded by one other ship, and matched by two others.-History:...
, Liverpool
HMS Liverpool (C11)
HMS Liverpool , named after the port city of Liverpool in north-west England, was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy in service from 1938 to 1952....
, Gloucester, Neptune
HMS Neptune (20)
HMS Neptune was a Leander class light cruiser which served with the Royal Navy during World War II.Neptune was the fourth ship of its class and was the ninth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name...
and HMAS Sydney. The three Italian destroyers were the Espero, Ostro and Zaffiro. The five British cruisers engaged the Italian flotilla at extreme range and succeeding in sinking the Espero, while the other two escaped. The British use of ammunition had been extensive and, due to this and the shortage of stores at Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, planned convoys from Malta were postponed. Cunningham was not pleased and commented that the ammunition used was "tremendous ... to sink this one 1,000 ton destroyer".
On 9 July, Tovey commanded the Light Forces (cruisers and destroyers) at the indecisive Battle of Calabria
Battle of Calabria
The Battle of Calabria, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. It was fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. The battle occurred 30 miles to the east of Punta Stilo, the "toe" of Italy , on 9 July 1940...
. Although little was achieved by either fleet, Tovey's handling of his command was praised in Cunningham's subsequent report.Cunningham reported: "Our cruisers - there were only four in action - were badly outnumbered and at times came under a very heavy fire. They were superbly handled by Vice-Admiral J. C. Tovey, C.B., D.S.O., who, by his skilful manoeuvring, managed to maintain a position in the van and to hold the enemy cruiser squadrons, and at the same time avoid damage to his own force."
In November 1940 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet with the acting rank
Acting (rank)
An Acting rank, is a military designation allowing an commissioned- or non-commissioned officer to assume a rank—usually higher and usually temporary—with the pay and allowances appropriate to that grade. As such, an officer may be ordered back to the previous grade...
of Admiral
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"...
(Tovey was promoted to the substantive rank at the end of October, 1942). As commander of the Home Fleet he had several clashes with Dudley Pound
Dudley Pound
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound GCB OM GCVO RN was a British naval officer who served as First Sea Lord, professional head of the Royal Navy from June 1939 to September 1943.- Early life :...
, the First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
and Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
but retained the post for the normal two and a half years' duration.
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
. Tovey had insisted on being a "sea-going" admiral, despite pressure from above and the disadvantages of being away from command centres. He believed that this was one element in maintaining morale in the fleet, by sharing the privations and dangers of his men. The final action against the Bismarck added further weight to his decision. When the two British battleships HMS Rodney and King George V
HMS King George V (41)
HMS King George V was the lead ship of the five British King George V-class battleships of the Royal Navy. Laid down in 1937 and commissioned in 1940, King George V operated during the Second World War as part of the British Home and Pacific Fleets...
located Bismarck, they had the setting sun silhouetting them while Bismarck remained in the evening gloom. Tovey observed this and, to the surprise of his staff, ordered that the final action be delayed until the following morning. In so doing, he ensured that the benefits of the light would be reversed to the British advantage and that the German crews would be fatigued by constant harassment by 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....
's destroyers. The risk was that Bismarck would, somehow, escape but Tovey accepted this. Tovey was made a KBE "... for distinguished services in the masterly and determined action in which the German Battleship Bismarck was destroyed."
After the Bismarck action, Tovey resisted moves to court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
the Prince of Wales' captain, John Leach
John Leach
John Leach may refer to:*John Leach , English judge*John Leach , Royal Navy captain*John Albert Leach , Australian ornithologist*Johnny Leach, British table tennis player...
, and Frederic Wake-Walker
Frederic Wake-Walker
Admiral Sir Frederic Wake-Walker CB CBE was a British admiral who served in the Royal Navy during World War I and World War II, taking a leading part in the destruction of the German battleship Bismarck, and in Operation Dynamo, the evacuation at Dunkirk.-Early days:Born William Frederic...
, the admiral commanding Suffolk
HMS Suffolk (55)
HMS Suffolk was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy, and part of the Kent subclass. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard, Portsmouth, UK), with the keel being laid down on 15 November 1924...
and Norfolk
HMS Norfolk (78)
HMS Norfolk was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Navy; along with her sister ship , she was part of a planned four-ship subclass.She served throughout the Second World War....
, who had broken off the battle with Bismarck after Hood
HMS Hood (51)
HMS Hood was the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. One of four s ordered in mid-1916, her design—although drastically revised after the Battle of Jutland and improved while she was under construction—still had serious limitations. For this reason she was the only ship of her class to be...
had been sunk. Tovey was appalled and a row ensued between Tovey and his superior, Pound. Tovey stated that the two officers had acted correctly in the circumstances. He threatened to resign his position and appear at any court-martial as 'defendant's friend' and defence witness. No more was heard of the proposal. King George V was extremely short of fuel and had stayed at the scene far longer than Tovey had thought it could, so another cause for friction between Tovey and his political and professional superiors was a signal that his flagship was to remain in action until Bismarck had sunk, "Bismarck must be sunk at all costs ... even if it ... means towing King George V". In these circumstances it would have been highly likely that the ship would have been lost to either u-boats or aircraft. The signal had initially caused amusement amongst Tovey and his staff, but later its risks and implications angered them; Tovey later said "It was the stupidest and most ill-considered signal ever made" and he made it clear that he would have disobeyed and risked court-martial.
Tovey also had responsibility for the safe passage of the Arctic Convoys to Russia. The Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
subsequently awarded him the Order of Suvorov
Order of Suvorov
The Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...
, First Class, for "distinguished services in securing the passage of convoys to the U.S.S.R.", but Tovey never wore the medal or its ribbon.The reasons for Tovey's disregard of the Soviet decoration are not known. It may, however, be relevant that the Soviet armed forces offered little protection to the Arctic convoys and obstructed the essential support of the escorting British naval forces in northern Russia. He had repeated disagreements with Pound and Churchill over the conduct of these convoys, arguing that summer operations were too dangerous due to the long daylight hours and the lack of air cover. The disastrous PQ17 convoy, in June and July 1942, demonstrated the validity of Tovey's fears, exacerbated by Pound's poor decision to scatter the convoy. Arctic convoys were suspended until September, when close air cover was available and darkness offered protection.The new escort carrier HMS Avenger
HMS Avenger (D14)
HMS Avenger was a Royal Navy escort aircraft carrier during the Second World War. In 1939 she was laid down as the merchant ship Rio-Hudson at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Company yard in Chester, Pennsylvania. Launched on 27 November 1940, she was converted to an escort carrier and transferred...
had become available and formed the core of the escorting force. The convoy had been postponed until escorting warships had been freed from Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal
Operation Pedestal was a British operation to get desperately needed supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was the base from which surface ships, submarines and aircraft attacked Axis convoys carrying essential supplies to the Italian and German armies...
.
Despite these serious differences and although Churchill considered Tovey to be "obstructionist" and attempted to get him sacked, Tovey lasted the full two and a half years of his appointment. At the end of this appointment, when departing Scapa, Tovey was carried to Thurso
Thurso
-Facilities:Offices of the Highland Council are located in the town, as is the main campus of North Highland College, formerly Thurso College. This is one of several partner colleges which constitute the UHI Millennium Institute, and offers several certificate, diploma and degree courses from...
by HMS Onslow
HMS Onslow (G17)
HMS Onslow was an O-class destroyer flotilla leader of the Royal Navy She was ordered from John Brown & Company at Clydebank, Glasgow on 3 September 1939. The ship was laid down on 1 July 1940 and launched on 31 March 1941. She was completed on 8 October 1941 at a cost of £416,942.Attached to the...
, the later namesake of his notable World War I command.
In June 1943, Tovey became Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, with responsibility for controlling the east coast convoys and organising minesweeping operations. Two months later he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Other major responsibilities were the organisation of the logistics for the forth-coming invasion of Sicily and the Normandy landings.
Tovey was appointed as First and Principal Naval ADC to the King in January, 1945.
Retirement
Tovey retired from active service in 1946. In the same year, he was ennobled as Baron Tovey, of Langton MatraversLangton 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...
in the County of Dorset. In retirement, Tovey took up a number of appointments; his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, Church Commissioner, President of The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust is a charity registered in the United Kingdom for the welfare of current and past naval personnel and their families....
and of the King George's Fund for Sailors and President of the Shaftesbury Training Ships. These kept him so busy that he had little time for his pastimes of golf and fishing. Aida Tovey suffered from arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
and, as the condition worsened, "Jack" Tovey gave up his external activities to devote his time to caring for her. Tovey died at Funchal
Funchal
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.-Etymology:...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
on 12 January 1971, his wife, Aida, had died the preceding June. The couple had had no children, and his peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
became extinct on his death.
Character
Confidential reports on Tovey by his line commanders shine a light on his personality and his abilities. In his early years in the Navy, the most used adjective was "zealous" (although one report also used "stupid") and in later years, he was consistently praised for his ability and potential. In two instances, in command of a destroyer flotilla and of HMS Nelson, his impact on the efficiency of his command was noted. Tovey's ability to command respect throughout his commands was also commended.There are several documented illustrations of Tovey's willingness to confront higher authorities when he believed it was right to do so. An early example was when, as a midshipman on the Exmouth supervising the handling of ships' boats, a superior officer started to give the orders. Tovey "peeled off his white gloves, unbuckled his sword belt, handed them to the astonished Commander and went below."
While in command of HMS Rodney, Tovey did not always see eye to eye with his Commander-in-Chief and was inclined to express his views forcibly. In later years he often quoted one paragraph from John Kelly's confidential report: "Captain Tovey shares one characteristic with me. In myself I call it tenacity of purpose; in Captain Tovey I can only describe it as sheer bloody obstinacy". Tovey had a strong Christian faith.
Honours and awards
- Order of St. AnnaOrder of St. AnnaThe Order of St. Anna ) is a Holstein and then Russian Imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia...
3rd Class (with swords) (RussiaRussian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
) (awarded 1 October 1917) - Croix de GuerreCroix de guerreThe 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...
(French Republic) (2 November 1917) - 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...
(10 July 1919)
- Companion of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
(1 February 1937) - Knight Commander of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
(1 January 1941) - Knight Commander of Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe 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...
(Military) (14 October 1941) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the BathOrder of the BathThe 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...
(13 April 1943) - Order of SuvorovOrder of SuvorovThe Order of Suvorov is a Soviet award, named after Aleksandr Suvorov , that was established on July 29, 1942 by a decision of the Presidium of Supreme Soviet of the USSR. This decoration was created to award senior army personnel for exceptional leadership in combat operations...
, First Class (U.S.S.R.) (29 February 1944)
- Baron Tovey, of Langton Matravers in the County of Dorset (11 February 1946)
- Legion of MeritLegion of MeritThe 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...
, Degree of Commander (U.S.A.) (28 May 1946) - Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Phoenix with Swords (First Class) (Greece) (15 April 1947)
- FreemanFreeman- Things :* An individual not tied to land under medieval serfdom, unlike a villein or serf* A person who has been awarded Freedom of the City or "Freedom of the Company" in a Livery Company* Freeman * Freeman...
of Gillingham, KentGillingham, KentGillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall.... - HonoraryHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil LawDoctor of Civil Law is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws degrees....
, Oxford (1946)
External links
- Full military career
- Transcription of Official Service Records on www.admirals.org.uk
- John Tovey: Appreciation and obituary
- http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,764879,00.htmlAt Sea: Tovey for Forbes (Time MagazineTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Oct. 28, 1940)] - Appreciation in The Naval Review, July 1980
- HOME WATERS AND THE ARCTIC 1st January - 31st May, 1943
|-