Roger Backhouse
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| Sir Roger Backhouse | |
|---|---|
| 1878 – 1939 | |
 Admiral of the Fleet Rank Insignia |
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| Place of birth | Darlington |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands | First Sea Lord |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards | GCB, GCVO, CMG |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Roland Charles Backhouse GCB, GCVO, CMG, (24 November 1878-15 July 1939) was an Admiral of the Fleet in the Royal Navy and First Sea Lord of the British Admiralty from 1939 to 1939.
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[edit] Family
Backhouse was born on 24 November 1878 into a Quaker family in Darlington; his relatives included many churchmen and scholars. He was the fourth son of Sir Jonathan Backhouse, 1st Baronet but he did not inherit the family baronetcy from his father's death in 1918. That passed to his eldest brother Sir Edmund Backhouse, 2nd Baronet who became famous as an oriental scholar. He married Dora Louise Findlay, daughter of John Ritchie Findlay, on 4 June 1907. They had six children.
[edit] Career in the Royal Navy
He held the office of Third Sea Lord of the Admiralty and Controller of the Navy from 1 November 1928 to 1 March 1932. He was Vice-Admiral of the First Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet between 1932 and 1934. He was promoted to the rank of full Admiral on 11th February 1934 and became Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet on 20 August 1935 - an appointment he held until 11 April 1938. He also held the office of First and Principal Naval Advisor to H.M. King George VI in 1938. On 17 November 1938 Blackhouse reached the pinnacle of his career when he was appointed First Sea Lord, executive head of the Royal Navy. He remained in this role until 15 June 1939 - a month before his untimely death from a brain tumour.
He was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 29 June 1939 and died just over a fortnight later on 15 July at the age 60.
[edit] Awards
Admiral Sir Roger Roland Charles Backhouse was invested as a Companion, Order of St. Michael and St. George (C.M.G.) in 1917. He was invested as a Knight Commander, Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) in 1933. He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Royal Victorian Order (G.C.V.O.) in 1937. He was invested as a Knight Grand Cross, Order of the Bath (G.C.B.) in 1938.
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[edit] See also
| Military Offices | ||
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| Preceded by Ernle Chatfield |
First Sea Lord 1938—1939 |
Succeeded by Sir Dudley Pound |
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe • Sir Peter Parker • Prince William, Duke of Clarence • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Thomas Hardy • The Hon. George Heneage Dundas • Charles Adam • Sir Charles Adam • Sir William Parker • Sir Charles Adam • James Whitley Deans Dundas • Hyde Parker • The Hon. Maurice Fitzhardinge Berkeley • William Fanshawe Martin • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey • Sir Sydney Dacres • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Hastings Yelverton • George Wellesley • Sir Astley Cooper Key • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Lord John Hay • Sir R. Vesey Hamilton • Sir Anthony Hoskins • Sir Frederick Richards • Lord Walter Kerr • Sir Jackie Fisher • Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson • Sir Francis Bridgeman • Prince Louis of Battenberg • Sir Henry Jackson • Sir John Jellicoe • Sir Rosslyn Wemyss • The Earl Beatty • Sir Charles Madden, Bt • Sir Frederick Field • The Lord Chatfield • Sir Roger Backhouse • Sir Dudley Pound • The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope • Sir John Cunningham • The Lord Fraser of North Cape • Sir Rhoderick McGrigor • The Earl Mountbatten of Burma • Sir Charles Lambe • Sir Caspar John • Sir David Luce • Sir Varyl Begg • Sir Michael Le Fanu • Sir Peter Hill-Norton • Sir Michael Pollock • Sir Edward Ashmore • Sir Terence Lewin • Sir Henry Leach • Sir John Fieldhouse • Sir William Staveley • Sir Julian Oswald • Sir Benjamin Bathurst • Sir Jock Slater • Sir Michael Boyce • Sir Nigel Essenhigh • Sir Alan West • Sir Jonathon Band •
