Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (2SL/CNH), commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord (2SL), is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy (after the First Sea Lord and the Commander-in-Chief Fleet), and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.
History
In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents.[1] The Second Naval Lord was the second most senior Naval Lord on the Board of Admiralty and as Chief of Naval Personnel was responsible for handling all personnel matters for the Royal Navy.
The post of Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command was created on 1 July 1969 as a result of the merger of the posts of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.[2]
The posts of Second Sea Lord and the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (CINCNAVHOME) were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War.[3]
2SL/CNH is based in Portsmouth in a combined headquarters with the Commander-in-Chief Fleet on Whale Island.[4] He flies his flag in HMS Victory, the world's oldest commissioned warship, which is preserved in dry dock in Portsmouth.[5] The right to use HMS Victory as a flagship comes from his position as CINCNAVHOME, who in turn acquired it from the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.
Second Naval Lords, 1830–1904
Second Naval Lords incude:[6]
- Rear Admiral George Dundas, 1830–1834
- Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, 1834
- Vice-Admiral Sir John Beresford, 1835–1841
- Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, 1835–1841
- Rear Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge, 1841
- Vice-Admiral Sir William Gage, 1841–1846
- Vice-Admiral Sir James Dundas, 1846–1847
- Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Prescott, 1847
- Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley, 1847–1852
- Vice-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, 1852
- Vice-Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby, 1852–1853
- Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley, 1853–1854
- Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1854–1855
- Vice-Admiral Henry Eden, 1855–1857
- Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1857
- Vice-Admiral Henry Eden, 1857–1858
- Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1858–1859
- Rear Admiral Frederick Pelham, 1859–1861
- Vice Admiral Sir Charles Eden, 1861–1866
- Vice-Admiral Sir Sydney Dacres, 1866–1868
- Vacant, 1868–1872
- Vice Admiral Sir John Tarleton, 1872–1874
- Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby, 1874–1877
- Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hood 1877–1879
- Admiral The Earl of Clanwilliam, 1879–1880
- Admiral Lord John Hay, 1880–1883
- Admiral Lord Alcester, 1883–1885
- Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins, 1885–1888
- Vice-Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton, 1888–1889
- Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax, 1889–1892
- Admiral Sir Frederick Richards, 1892–1893
- Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, 1893–1895
- Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, 1895–1899
- Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, 1899
- Vice-Admiral Archibald Douglas, 1899–1902
- Admiral Sir John Fisher, 1902–1903
Second Sea Lords, 1904–1995
Second Sea Lords include:[6]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Drury, 1903–1907
- Admiral Sir William May, 1907–1909
- Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Bridgeman, 1909–1911
- Vice-Admiral Sir George Egerton, 1911
- Vice-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg, 1911–1912
- Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, 1912–1914
- Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Hamilton, 1914–1916
- Vice-Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, 1916
- Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, 1916–1917
- Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, 1917
- Vice-Admiral Sir Herbert Heath, 1917–1919
- Admiral Sir Montague Browning, 1919–1920
- Admiral Sir Henry Oliver, 1920–1924
- Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 1924–1925
- Vice-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand, 1925–1927
- Admiral Sir Michael Hodges, 1927–1930
- Admiral Sir Cyril Fuller, 1930–1932
- Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, 1932–1935
- Admiral Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith, 1935–1938
- Admiral Sir Charles Little, 1938–1941
- Admiral Sir William Whitworth, 1941–1944
- Admiral Sir Algernon Willis, 1944–1946
- Admiral Sir Arthur Power, 1946–1948
- Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt, 1948–1950
- Admiral Sir Alexander Madden, 1950–1953
- Admiral Sir Guy Russell, 1953–1955
- Admiral Sir Charles Lambe, 1955–1957
- Vice-Admiral Deric Holland-Martin, 1957–1959
- Admiral Sir St John Tyrwhitt, 1959–1961
- Admiral Sir Royston Wright, 1961–1965
- Admiral Sir Desmond Dreyer, 1965–1967
- Admiral Sir Peter Hill-Norton, 1967
- Admiral Sir Frank Twiss, 1967–1970
- Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis, 1970–1971
- Admiral Sir Derek Empson, 1971–1974
- Admiral Sir David Williams, 1974–1977
- Admiral Sir Gordon Tait, 1977–1979
- Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi, 1979–1982
- Admiral Sir Simon Cassels, 1982–1986
- Admiral Sir Richard Fitch, 1986–1988
- Admiral Sir Brian Brown, 1988–1991
- Admiral Sir Michael Livesay, 1991–1992
- Admiral Sir Michael Layard, 1992–1995
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief Naval Home Command since 1995
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief include:[6]
See also
References