Reginald Tyrwhitt
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, GCB
, DSO
(10 May 1870 – 30 May 1951) was a senior officer of the Royal Navy
in World War I
who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich
on the east coast of England
during the first part of the war.
in command of the Second Flotilla
of Torpedo Boat Destroyers. He was advanced in 1913 to the command of all destroyer flotillas of the Home Fleet, with the rank of Commodore
, flying his flag from the light cruiser
, HMS Amethyst
.
The forces Tyrwhitt commanded were called the Harwich Force
during World War I. His leadership was highly regarded, and he led his ships at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and in the Cuxhaven Raid
in 1914, and in the Battle of Dogger Bank
in 1915. During the Battle of Jutland
in 1916, the Admiralty
held back Tyrwhitt's forces in case of a German attack on the coast.
After the War he commanded the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet
and then became Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland
in 1923. From 1926 to 1928, Tyrwhitt was Commander-in-Chief on the China Station
during a period of disturbances and tension with the Nationalist Government, and became the senior British officer in the region. In the aftermath of the Invergordon Mutiny
, Tyrwhitt was instrumental in preventing Vice-Admiral Frederic C. Dreyer
, the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, from taking command of the Atlantic Fleet and ending any hopes Dreyer had of becoming First Sea Lord
. From 1930 to 1933, he served as Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. When he hauled down his flag for the last time in 1933 he was the last British flag officer
of World War I to do so.
Tyrwhitt was created a Baronet, of Terschelling
and of Oxford
, in 1919, and in 1934 he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
. He retired in 1939.
Mount Tyrwhitt
(9,430 ft) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
was named after the admiral in 1918. It is situated at latitude
50°34'55" north in the province of Alberta
near the headwaters of the Bow River
and the Kootenay River
.
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....
Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet, 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...
, 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...
(10 May 1870 – 30 May 1951) was a senior officer of the 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...
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England and one of the Haven ports, located on the coast with the North Sea to the east. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the northeast, Ipswich to the northwest, Colchester to the southwest and Clacton-on-Sea to the south...
on the east coast of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during the first part of the war.
Naval career
Tyrwhitt entered the Navy as a cadet in July, 1885. By 1912 he was a CaptainCaptain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
in command of the Second Flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
of Torpedo Boat Destroyers. He was advanced in 1913 to the command of all destroyer flotillas of the Home Fleet, with the rank of Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
, flying his flag from the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
, HMS Amethyst
HMS Amethyst (1903)
HMS Amethyst was a third-class protected cruiser of the Topaze class of the Royal Navy. She was launched in 1904, served during World War I at the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, in the Mediterranean and the South Atlantic...
.
The forces Tyrwhitt commanded were called the Harwich Force
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War, that went on to play a significant role in the war.-History:...
during World War I. His leadership was highly regarded, and he led his ships at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and in the Cuxhaven Raid
Cuxhaven Raid
The Cuxhaven Raid was a British ship-based air-raid on the German naval forces at Cuxhaven mounted on Christmas Day, 1914.Aircraft of the Royal Naval Air Service were carried to within striking distance by seaplane tenders of the Royal Navy, supported by both surface ships and submarines...
in 1914, and 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....
in 1915. During 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, the Admiralty
Admiralty
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...
held back Tyrwhitt's forces in case of a German attack on the coast.
After the War he commanded the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron in the 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...
and then became Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland
Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland
The Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England and Northern Ireland is a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It is based at HM Naval Base Clyde and the holder of the post is the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland with representational duties everywhere north of the M4. The...
in 1923. From 1926 to 1928, Tyrwhitt was Commander-in-Chief 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....
during a period of disturbances and tension with the Nationalist Government, and became the senior British officer in the region. In the aftermath of the 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...
, Tyrwhitt was instrumental in preventing Vice-Admiral Frederic C. Dreyer
Frederic Charles Dreyer
Admiral Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer, GBE, KCB was an officer of the Royal Navy who developed a fire control system for British warships...
, the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, from taking command of the Atlantic Fleet and ending any hopes Dreyer had of becoming 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...
. From 1930 to 1933, he served as Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. When he hauled down his flag for the last time in 1933 he was the last British flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
of World War I to do so.
Tyrwhitt was created a Baronet, of Terschelling
Terschelling
Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...
and of Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, in 1919, and in 1934 he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet
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....
. He retired in 1939.
Mount Tyrwhitt
Mount Tyrwhitt
Mount Tyrwhitt is a mountain in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada located between Highway 40 and Elk Pass in the Elk Range of the Canadian Rockies, west of the Highwood Pass parking lot in Kananaskis Country and south east of Upper Kananaskis Lake...
(9,430 ft) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
was named after the admiral in 1918. It is situated at latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
50°34'55" north in the province of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
near the headwaters of the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
and the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
.