Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth


The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, his successor, Sir Philip Durham, being the first to move into Admiralty House at the Royal Navy Dockyard, where subsequent holders of the office were based until 1969. Prior to World War I the officer holder was sometimes referred to in official dispatches as the Commander-in-Chief, Spithead.
The Command extended along the south coast from Newhaven in East Sussex to Portland in Dorset. In 1889 the Commander-in-Chief took as his flagship.

History

In the late 18th century port admirals began to reside ashore, rather than on board their flagships; the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was provided with a large house at 111 High Street, which was renamed Admiralty House. In the 1830s Admiralty House was sold to the War Office. The Commander-in-Chief moved in turn into the former Dockyard Commissioner's house, which still stands within HMNB Portsmouth.
During the Second World War the Command Headquarters was at Fort Southwick. Rear Admiral Lancelot Holland, commanding the 3rd Battle Squadron, was briefly tasked also to command the Channel Force, operating from Portland Harbour in September-October 1939, within the Portsmouth command boundaries but responsible directly to the Admiralty. Operation Aerial, the evacuation from western French ports in 1940, was commanded by Admiral William Milbourne James, the Commander-in-Chief. James lacked the vessels necessary for convoys and organised a flow of troopships, storeships and motor vehicle vessels from Southampton, coasters to ply from Poole and the Dutch schuyts to work from Weymouth, while such warships as were available patrolled the shipping routes. Demolition parties sailed in the ships but it was hoped that supplies and equipment could be embarked as well as troops.
During World War II several subordinate commanders along the coast were appointed: Flag Officer-in-Charge Southampton, 1942-45; a Captain as Naval Officer-in-Charge Weymouth, 1941-43; Naval Officer-in-Charge Newhaven, 1942-44, held by two retired vice-admirals; and Commander C.B. Hastings RN as Naval Officer-in-Charge Poole, 1940-44. Also located at for a time within the C-in-C Portsmouth's command boundaries was the Rear-Admiral in charge of the Royal Navy Coastal Forces. However operational control of the various Coastal Forces flotillas was the responsibility of the local area commander-in-chief rather than Rear-Admiral Coastal Forces. Later in the war Coastal Forces HQ was moved to North London.
In 1952 the Commander-in-Chief took up the NATO post of Commander-in-Chief, Channel. This move added Allied Command Channel to the NATO Military Command Structure. The admiral commanding at Portsmouth had control naval operations in the area since 1949 under WUDO auspices.
The post of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was merged with that of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, in 1969 to form the post of Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command. The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War.

Units and formations

Considered as the most prestigious of the home commands, the Commander-in-Chief was responsible for the central part of the English Channel between Newhaven and the Isle of Portland. Below is a list of units that served under this command.
The Commander-in-Chief had a Chief of Staff serving under him from 1832–1969.
Senior officers included:
Admiral CommandingDateNotes
Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth1832–1969Portsmouth Dockyard. Renamed Flag Officer, Portsmouth and Admiral Superintendent
Senior Naval Officer, Portland1908–1914held by a Captain up-to the rank of RAdm.
Flag Officer-in-Charge Portland1914–1958
Commodore RN Barracks, Portsmouth1898–1969Possibly renamed Commander, Naval Base Portsmouth from the time Commodore Edward Ellis took command in July 1969.

Flotillas and squadrons

Included:
Naval UnitsCommanded byDateNotes
1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla1939–1945
1st Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 1st Destroyer Flotilla01/1918-01/1919
1st Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 1st Destroyer Flotilla07/1940-05/1945
4th Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 4th Destroyer Flotilla12/1916-03/1917
12th Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 12th Destroyer Flotilla1939-08/1940
16th Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 16th Destroyer Flotilla1939-08/1940
18th Destroyer FlotillaCaptain, 18th Destroyer Flotilla09-10/1939
4th Minesweeper FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla04/1944-12/1944
9th Minesweeper FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 9th Minesweeper Flotilla11/1940-05/1945
14th Minesweeper FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 13th Minesweeper Flotilla09/1941-12/1944
2nd Submarine FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 2nd Submarine Flotilla08/1914-08/1916
3rd Submarine FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 3rd Submarine Flotilla1919–1922based at Gosport
5th Submarine FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 5th Submarine Flotilla1919–1939based at Gosport – training & reserve flotilla
6th Submarine FlotillaOfficer Commanding, 6th Submarine Flotilla1919–1939based at Portland – ASW training & reserve flotilla
Fishery Protection FlotillaOfficer Commanding, Fishery Protection Flotilla1919–1927
Fishery Protection and Minesweeping FlotillaCaptain of Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla1923–1945
Fishery Protection SquadronCaptain, Fishery Protection Squadron1945–1969
Newhaven Local Defence FlotillaOfficer Commanding, Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla1914–1918
Portsmouth Escort FlotillaOfficer Commanding, Portsmouth Escort Flotilla01/1916-01/1918renamed 1st Destroyer Flotilla
Portland Local Defence FlotillaOfficer Commanding, Portland Local Defence Flotilla1914–1918
Portsmouth Local Defence FlotillaOfficer Commanding, Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla1914–1927

Shore establishments

Included:
Other unitsCommanded byDateNotes
HMS Dolphin (shore establishment)1904–1969Royal Navy Submarine School
HMS Dryad (shore establishment)1939–1969Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School
HMS Grasshopper (shore establishment)1939–1946Coastal forces base, Weymouth
HMS Hornet (shore establishment)1941–1956HQ Coastal Force
HMS Marlborough (shore establishment)1939–1945Torpedo school, Eastbourne
HMS Mercury (shore establishment)Captain of Royal Navy Signals School1941–1969Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School
HMS King Alfred (shore establishment)1939–1946RNVR officers training establishment- Sussex Division – Hove
Portsmouth Signal SchoolCaptain of Portsmouth Signal School1916–1941
Signal SchoolSuperintendent of Signal Schools1901–1920
HMS St Vincent (shore establishment)1927–1969Boys Training School, Gosport
HMS Sultan (1956 shore establishment)1914–1969Mechanical engineering school
HMS Turtle (shore establishment)1946–?Combined operations training establishment, based at Poole
HMS Vernon (shore establishment)1876–1969Torpedo and mining school

Commanders-in-Chief

Post holder have included:

= died in post