| Sir Roger Backhouse | |
|---|---|
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Backhouse |
|
| Born | 24 November 1878 Darlington, County Durham, England |
| Died | 15 July 1939 (aged 60) London, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1892–1939 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held | 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 1938 to 1939.
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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. He married Dora Louise Findlay, daughter of John Ritchie Findlay, on 4 June 1907. They had six children.
Backhouse joined the training ship Britannia in 1892 and went to sea as a midshipman in 1894. A gunnery specialist, he was Flag Commander to successive C-in-C Home Fleets, March 1911 to August, 1914. On 1 September 1914 he was promoted to Captain, and he commanded the light cruiser HMS Conquest, part of the Harwich Force, from November 1915 to November 1916, transferring to the battle cruiser HMS Lion in November 1916 as Flag Captain (and for Gunnery Duties in Battle Cruiser force), remaining in that ship until June 1918.
After serving as Director of Naval Ordnance[1] from 1920 to 1922 he commanded the battleship HMS Malaya from January 1923 to August 1924.
He was promoted Rear Admiral on 3 April 1925, and commanded the 3rd Battle Squadron (May 1926 – May 1927),[1] before becoming Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy from 1 November 1928 to 1 March 1932.[1] He was Vice-Admiral commanding the First Battle Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet between 1932 and 1934.[1] He was promoted to the rank of full Admiral on 11 February 1934 and became Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet on 20 August 1935,[1] an appointment he held until 11 April 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.[1] He also held the office of First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King from 1938 to 1939.[1] He remained First Sea Lord 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.
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.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Ernle Chatfield |
Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy 1928–1932 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Forbes |
| Preceded by Sir William Boyle |
Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet 1935–1938 |
Succeeded by Sir Charles Forbes |
| Preceded by Sir Ernle Chatfield |
First Sea Lord 1938—1939 |
Succeeded by Sir Dudley Pound |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Earl of Cork and Orrery |
First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp 1938–1939 |
Succeeded by Hon. Sir Reginald Drax |