Terence Lewin, Baron Lewin
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Terence Thornton Lewin, Baron Lewin, KG
, GCB
, LVO
, DSC
(19 November 1920 – 23 January 1999) was a former First Sea Lord
of the Royal Navy
, and Chief of the Defence Staff
.
in Tonbridge
where he was head prefect in 1938 (one of the four houses at Judd is now named after him, following the reinstation of a house system to the school in 2008), he entered the Navy in 1939. He spent much of World War II
on HMS Ashanti
: he served with distinction being mentioned in dispatches three times and being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
He was given command of HMS Corunna
in 1955, HM Yacht Britannia
in 1957, HMS Urchin
in 1962, HMS Tenby
in 1963 and HMS Hermes
in 1966.
He was appointed Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1968 and Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet in 1969. In 1971 he became Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and in 1973 he went on to be Commander-in-Chief Fleet
. In 1975 he was made Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
.
He was appointed First Sea Lord
and Chief of Naval Staff
in 1977. He was Chief of the Defence Staff
and member of the War Cabinet
during the Falklands War
and it was for this role and also his longer term contribution to the restructuring of the Armed Forces in the 1980s that he was created a life peer
, as Baron Lewin, of Greenwich
in Greater London, and appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter
.
Lord Lewin had a building named after him at the maritime warfare school, H.M.S Collingwood.
At The Judd School
in Tonbridge
, a house is named after him (Lewin). The house colour is light blue.
in Greenwich, London. In retirement Lord Lewin served as Honorary Vice-President of the Naval Historical Collectors & Research Association and the NHCRA awards the Lord Lewin Memorial Prize in his memory. He died at home in January 1999.
in the 2002 BBC
production of Ian Curteis
's controversial The Falklands Play
.
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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....
Terence Thornton Lewin, Baron Lewin, KG
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, 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...
, LVO
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...
, DSC
Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
(19 November 1920 – 23 January 1999) was a former 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...
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...
, and Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
.
Naval career
Educated at The Judd SchoolThe Judd School
The Judd School is a state secondary school in Tonbridge, Kent, southeast England. It was established in 1888 at Stafford House on East Street in Tonbridge, where it remained for eight years before moving to its present location on Brook Street, in the south of the town...
in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
where he was head prefect in 1938 (one of the four houses at Judd is now named after him, following the reinstation of a house system to the school in 2008), he entered the Navy in 1939. He spent much of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on HMS Ashanti
HMS Ashanti (F51)
HMS Ashanti was a Tribal-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. Following the style of her sister ships she was named for an ethnic group, in this case the Ashanti people of the Gold Coast in West Africa. She served in the Second World War and was broken up in 1949...
: he served with distinction being mentioned in dispatches three times and being awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
He was given command of HMS Corunna
HMS Corunna (D97)
HMS Corunna was a later or 1943 Battle-class fleet destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named in honour of the Battle of Corunna, which took place during the Peninsular War in 1809 between British and French forces. Corunna was built by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited on the Tyne...
in 1955, HM Yacht Britannia
HMY Britannia
Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia is the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. She was the 83rd such vessel since the restoration of King Charles II in 1660. She is the second Royal yacht to bear the name, the first being the famous racing cutter built for The Prince of Wales...
in 1957, HMS Urchin
HMS Urchin (R99)
HMS Urchin was a U-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service during World War II. She was later converted into a Type 15 fast anti-submarine frigate, with the new pennant number F196. She served off Iceland during the 'Cod wars' in 1959....
in 1962, HMS Tenby
HMS Tenby (F65)
HMS Tenby was a Whitby-class or Type 12 anti-submarine frigate of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-Use in popular culture:...
in 1963 and HMS Hermes
HMS Hermes (R12)
HMS Hermes was a Centaur-class British aircraft carrier, the last of the postwar conventional aircraft carriers commissioned into the Royal Navy.-Construction and modifications:...
in 1966.
He was appointed Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1968 and Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet in 1969. In 1971 he became Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and in 1973 he went on to be Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
. In 1975 he was made Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
Commander-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:...
.
He was appointed 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 Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff
Chief of the Naval Staff is the formal title for the office of:* Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy* Chief of the Naval Staff, Pakistan NavyNavies of other countries have similar titles:* Chief of Navy, Royal Australian Navy...
in 1977. He was Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
and member of the War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
during the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
and it was for this role and also his longer term contribution to the restructuring of the Armed Forces in the 1980s that he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
, as Baron Lewin, of Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
in Greater London, and appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
.
Lord Lewin had a building named after him at the maritime warfare school, H.M.S Collingwood.
At The Judd School
The Judd School
The Judd School is a state secondary school in Tonbridge, Kent, southeast England. It was established in 1888 at Stafford House on East Street in Tonbridge, where it remained for eight years before moving to its present location on Brook Street, in the south of the town...
in Tonbridge
Tonbridge
Tonbridge is a market town in the English county of Kent, with a population of 30,340 in 2007. It is located on the River Medway, approximately 4 miles north of Tunbridge Wells, 12 miles south west of Maidstone and 29 miles south east of London...
, a house is named after him (Lewin). The house colour is light blue.
Later life
He retired from service in late 1982 and went on to Chair the Trustees of the National Maritime MuseumNational 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,...
in Greenwich, London. In retirement Lord Lewin served as Honorary Vice-President of the Naval Historical Collectors & Research Association and the NHCRA awards the Lord Lewin Memorial Prize in his memory. He died at home in January 1999.
In popular culture
Lewin was portrayed by John WoodvineJohn Woodvine
John Woodvine is an English stage and screen actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles.-Early life:...
in the 2002 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
production of Ian Curteis
Ian Curteis
Ian Bayley Curteis is a British television dramatist and former television director.In a career as a television dramatist from the late 1960s onwards, Curteis wrote for many of the series of the day, including The Onedin Line and Crown Court. In 1979, two television plays by Curteis were...
's controversial The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play
The Falklands Play is a dramatic account of the political events leading up to, and including, the 1982 Falklands War. The play was written by Ian Curteis, an experienced writer who had started his television career in drama, but had increasingly come to specialise in dramatic reconstructions of...
.
Further reading
- Lewin of Greenwich, Rear-Admiral Richard HillJ. Richard HillRear Admiral John Richard Hill is a retired rear-admiral in the Royal Navy, a former chief executive of the Middle Temple, author, and editor of many books on naval affairs.-Early life and education:...
, Weidenfeld Military, 2000, ISBN 978 030435 329 3 - The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0 85052 835 6
- ‘Lewin, Terence Thornton, Baron Lewin (1920–1999)’, Richard HillJ. Richard HillRear Admiral John Richard Hill is a retired rear-admiral in the Royal Navy, a former chief executive of the Middle Temple, author, and editor of many books on naval affairs.-Early life and education:...
, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, September 2004; online edition, May 2007. (Subscription required for online access).
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