Sydney Fremantle
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Sir Sydney Robert Fremantle GCB
, MVO
(16 November 1867 – 29 April 1958) was an officer of the Royal Navy
, who served during the Victorian era
and had risen to the rank of rear-admiral by the outbreak of the First World War. He played a role in developing fleet communications and signalling methods prior to the war, but was hampered in effectively implementing them due to the disruption caused by the conflict. He had an active seagoing career during the war, commanding several of the cruiser squadrons, and later taking command of the British fleet in the Aegean
. Promoted to vice-admiral after the end of the war and given command of the First Battle Squadron
, Fremantle oversaw the interned German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow
, and was away on exercises when the sailors began to scuttle their ships
in June 1919. He attempted to salvage what he could, later accusing the German commander, Vice-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
, of a shameful breach of honour. Fremantle rose to full admiral and commanded the naval base at Portsmouth
, retiring in 1928. He wrote his memoirs, publishing them after the Second World War, and donated many of his papers to institutions before his death in 1958.
and his wife Barberina Rogers Isaacs. He followed his father into the navy, joining up in 1881. He rose steadily through the ranks, being promoted to lieutenant in 1887, commander in 1889 and captain in 1903. By 1908 he was commanding the armoured cruiser with the Mediterranean Fleet.
in 1910 as the Head of the War Division, and by 1912 he was at Portsmouth
, as President of the Signal Committee. While in this role Fremantle was charged with overseeing the overhaul of the existing signal systems and books to incorporate the latest advances made possible through wireless telegraphy. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1913, and though his suggestion for a dedicated communications department was overtaken by the outbreak of war, a Signals Division was established at the Admiralty in 1914, with Fremantle as its head.
in 1915, followed by commander of the Ninth Cruiser Squadron in 1916, and the Second Cruiser Squadron in early 1917. He was appointed to command the British Aegean Squadron in August 1917, and in December advocated the resumption of raids on the Turkish coast, a proposal rejected by the Admiralty on the grounds that no significant benefits were anticipated to result. In January the following year Fremantle received a promotion to vice-admiral, and an appointment as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. As the war drew to a close, Fremantle was one of the officers advocated the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet
as a condition for an armistice. In October 1918 he made the case for the Royal Navy, stating that the naval disarmament of Germany was necessary, lest they be tempted into a 'recommencement of warlike operations'. Fremantle's proposals did not find favour with the American planners, who were keen to limit British naval domination.
He was mentioned in despatches during the war, and after its end he received number of honours for his services during it, including several international ones. The United States awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal
, France made him a Commander of the Légion d'honneur
, while he was also Commander of the Greek Order of the Redeemer
, the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
, and the Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
.
Fremantle continued in the navy after the end of the war, becoming commander of the First Battle Squadron
in May 1919. A large portion of the German fleet had by this point been placed in internment at the Royal Navy's northern base at Scapa Flow
, and Fremantle's task as commander of the First Battle Squadron was to keep a watchful eye on them. The deadline for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles
was by now approaching, and concerns had begun to circulate about the possibility of the disgruntled German sailors scuttling their ships, rather than agreeing to hand them over to the allies as stipulated in the terms of the treaty. Fremantle drew up orders for the ships to be seized on the expiration of the deadline for the signing of the treaty, and had them approved by his superior, Admiral Sir Charles Madden. The deadline meanwhile was extended from 21 June to 7pm on 23 June. Fremantle decided to take his squadron to sea to carry out exercises on 21 June, and return in the afternoon of 23 June to commence procedures for seizing the fleet. Unbeknownst to him, the German commander Vice-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
intended to order the scuttling of the fleet on 21 June, unaware that the deadline had been extended. As Fremantle steamed out of Scapa Flow on the morning of 21 June, Reuter was completing his preparations. The scuttling of the fleet
began just before midday, and when the British realised what was happening, a message was immediately despatched to Fremantle, who returned to Scapa Flow at full speed, with his first ships arriving at 2pm, his last at 4pm.
Fremantle began the task of limiting the damage; destroyers towed sinking ships ashore and beached them, while boarding parties attempted to reverse the scuttling, or order the Germans aboard to do so. Those Germans who abandoned ship were picked up, and Reuter was brought aboard Fremantle's flagship
, , where a brief argument took place between Fremantle and Reuter with the aid of an interpreter. The following day Fremantle assembled Reuter and his officers on the deck of Revenge, and through an interpreter informed them of their breaches 'of faith and honour', and accusing them of recommencing hostilities by sinking their ships. The prisoners were then led into captivity.
, a post he held until 1926. He retired from the navy in 1928, having been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
, and a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
.
He eventually wrote his memoirs entitled My Naval Career: 1880-1928, and published them in 1949. He had married Lelia Hope Fremantle on 1 December 1896, and on 1 August 1931 he married for the second time, this time to Geraldine Margaret Cooke-Collis. He had three children by his first wife, one of whom, Edmund Seymour Denis Fremantle, also served in the Navy, receiving the Distinguished Service Order
for service in the Second World War and twice being mentioned in despatches. Admiral Sydney Fremantle died on 29 April 1958 at the age of 90. He donated most of his papers, which are held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum
, and Kings College London.
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
Sir Sydney Robert Fremantle 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...
, MVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(16 November 1867 – 29 April 1958) was an 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...
, who served during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and had risen to the rank of rear-admiral by the outbreak of the First World War. He played a role in developing fleet communications and signalling methods prior to the war, but was hampered in effectively implementing them due to the disruption caused by the conflict. He had an active seagoing career during the war, commanding several of the cruiser squadrons, and later taking command of the British fleet in the Aegean
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea[p] is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea located between the southern Balkan and Anatolian peninsulas, i.e., between the mainlands of Greece and Turkey. In the north, it is connected to the Marmara Sea and Black Sea by the Dardanelles and Bosporus...
. Promoted to vice-admiral after the end of the war and given command of the First Battle Squadron
1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron of battleships, initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, renamed the Grand Fleet during World War I...
, Fremantle oversaw the interned German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, and was away on exercises when the sailors began to scuttle their ships
Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow
The scuttling of the German fleet took place at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in Scotland, after the end of the First World War. The High Seas Fleet had been interned there under the terms of the Armistice whilst negotiations took place over the fate of the ships...
in June 1919. He attempted to salvage what he could, later accusing the German commander, Vice-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter was a German admiral during World War I, who commanded the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet when it was interned at Scapa Flow at the end of the war. On 21 June 1919 he ordered the scuttling of the fleet to prevent the British from seizing the ships.-Early life:Reuter was...
, of a shameful breach of honour. Fremantle rose to full admiral and commanded the naval base at Portsmouth
HMNB Portsmouth
Her Majesty's Naval Base Portsmouth is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the British Royal Navy...
, retiring in 1928. He wrote his memoirs, publishing them after the Second World War, and donated many of his papers to institutions before his death in 1958.
Family and early life
Sydney was born into a naval family on 1 January 1867, the eldest son of Admiral Sir Edmund Robert FremantleEdmund Fremantle
Admiral Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle GCB CMG was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.-Naval career:...
and his wife Barberina Rogers Isaacs. He followed his father into the navy, joining up in 1881. He rose steadily through the ranks, being promoted to lieutenant in 1887, commander in 1889 and captain in 1903. By 1908 he was commanding the armoured cruiser with the Mediterranean Fleet.
Prewar service
Fremantle joined 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...
in 1910 as the Head of the War Division, and by 1912 he was at 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...
, as President of the Signal Committee. While in this role Fremantle was charged with overseeing the overhaul of the existing signal systems and books to incorporate the latest advances made possible through wireless telegraphy. He was promoted to rear-admiral in 1913, and though his suggestion for a dedicated communications department was overtaken by the outbreak of war, a Signals Division was established at the Admiralty in 1914, with Fremantle as its head.
First World War
Fremantle became second-in-command of the Third Battle Squadron3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British Royal Navy 3rd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron consisting of battleships and other vessels, active from at least 1914 to 1945. The 3rd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the First World War, the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet...
in 1915, followed by commander of the Ninth Cruiser Squadron in 1916, and the Second Cruiser Squadron in early 1917. He was appointed to command the British Aegean Squadron in August 1917, and in December advocated the resumption of raids on the Turkish coast, a proposal rejected by the Admiralty on the grounds that no significant benefits were anticipated to result. In January the following year Fremantle received a promotion to vice-admiral, and an appointment as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. As the war drew to a close, Fremantle was one of the officers advocated the surrender of the 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...
as a condition for an armistice. In October 1918 he made the case for the Royal Navy, stating that the naval disarmament of Germany was necessary, lest they be tempted into a 'recommencement of warlike operations'. Fremantle's proposals did not find favour with the American planners, who were keen to limit British naval domination.
He was mentioned in despatches during the war, and after its end he received number of honours for his services during it, including several international ones. The United States awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal
Distinguished Service Medal (United States)
The Distinguished Service Medal is the highest non-valorous military and civilian decoration of the United States military which is issued for exceptionally meritorious service to the government of the United States in either a senior government service position or as a senior officer of the United...
, France made him a Commander of the Légion 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...
, while he was also Commander of the Greek Order of the Redeemer
Order of the Redeemer
The Order of the Redeemer , also known as the Order of the Savior, is an order of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the modern Greek state.- History :...
, the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, and the Italian Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy, the heads of which were formerly Kings of Italy...
.
Scapa Flow and the scuttling of the fleet
1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)
The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron of battleships, initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, renamed the Grand Fleet during World War I...
in May 1919. A large portion of the German fleet had by this point been placed in internment at the Royal Navy's northern base at Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, and Fremantle's task as commander of the First Battle Squadron was to keep a watchful eye on them. The deadline for the signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
was by now approaching, and concerns had begun to circulate about the possibility of the disgruntled German sailors scuttling their ships, rather than agreeing to hand them over to the allies as stipulated in the terms of the treaty. Fremantle drew up orders for the ships to be seized on the expiration of the deadline for the signing of the treaty, and had them approved by his superior, Admiral Sir Charles Madden. The deadline meanwhile was extended from 21 June to 7pm on 23 June. Fremantle decided to take his squadron to sea to carry out exercises on 21 June, and return in the afternoon of 23 June to commence procedures for seizing the fleet. Unbeknownst to him, the German commander Vice-Admiral Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter
Ludwig von Reuter was a German admiral during World War I, who commanded the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet when it was interned at Scapa Flow at the end of the war. On 21 June 1919 he ordered the scuttling of the fleet to prevent the British from seizing the ships.-Early life:Reuter was...
intended to order the scuttling of the fleet on 21 June, unaware that the deadline had been extended. As Fremantle steamed out of Scapa Flow on the morning of 21 June, Reuter was completing his preparations. The scuttling of the fleet
Scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow
The scuttling of the German fleet took place at the Royal Navy's base at Scapa Flow, in Scotland, after the end of the First World War. The High Seas Fleet had been interned there under the terms of the Armistice whilst negotiations took place over the fate of the ships...
began just before midday, and when the British realised what was happening, a message was immediately despatched to Fremantle, who returned to Scapa Flow at full speed, with his first ships arriving at 2pm, his last at 4pm.
Fremantle began the task of limiting the damage; destroyers towed sinking ships ashore and beached them, while boarding parties attempted to reverse the scuttling, or order the Germans aboard to do so. Those Germans who abandoned ship were picked up, and Reuter was brought aboard Fremantle's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
, , where a brief argument took place between Fremantle and Reuter with the aid of an interpreter. The following day Fremantle assembled Reuter and his officers on the deck of Revenge, and through an interpreter informed them of their breaches 'of faith and honour', and accusing them of recommencing hostilities by sinking their ships. The prisoners were then led into captivity.
Later life
Fremantle received a promotion to full admiral in 1922, and in 1923 was appointed Commander-in-Chief, PortsmouthCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post.-History:...
, a post he held until 1926. He retired from the navy in 1928, having been appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, and a Member of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
He eventually wrote his memoirs entitled My Naval Career: 1880-1928, and published them in 1949. He had married Lelia Hope Fremantle on 1 December 1896, and on 1 August 1931 he married for the second time, this time to Geraldine Margaret Cooke-Collis. He had three children by his first wife, one of whom, Edmund Seymour Denis Fremantle, also served in the Navy, receiving the Distinguished Service Order
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...
for service in the Second World War and twice being mentioned in despatches. Admiral Sydney Fremantle died on 29 April 1958 at the age of 90. He donated most of his papers, which are held in the collections of the National Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum
The National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, England is the leading maritime museum of the United Kingdom and may be the largest museum of its kind in the world. The historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site, it also incorporates the Royal Observatory, Greenwich,...
, and Kings College London.