Philip Durell

Philip Durell
Philip Durell
Born	1707
Died	26 August 1766
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Vice-Admiral
Commands held	HMS Eltham HMS Gloucester HMS Terrible HMS Trident Plymouth Command
Battles/wars	War of the Austrian Succession Seven Years' War

Vice-Admiral Philip Durell (1707 – 26 August 1766) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Port Admiral at Plymouth.

Naval career

Durell joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1721.^[1] In 1742 he was appointed Post Captain on HMS Eltham and sailed to the West Indies.^[1] In 1745 he took part in the successful Siege of Louisbourg during the War of the Austrian Succession.^[1] He was appointed Captain of HMS Gloucester and took part in the defeat of the French Navy at Cape Ortegal off Spain in 1747.^[1] As Captain of HMS Terrible from March 1755, he joined Rear-Admiral Francis Holburne’s squadron supporting Vice-Admiral Edward Boscawen in North America off Louisbourg later that year.^[1]

Becoming Captain of HMS Trident he was part of Vice-Admiral John Byng's fleet which failed to engage with the enemy at the start of the Seven Years' War leading to the loss of Minorca in 1756.^[1] Promoted to Commodore in January 1758, he took part in the Siege of Louisbourg in June and July 1758 and subsequent capture of the Fortress of Louisbourg in July 1758.^[1] Then in September 1759 he took part in the capture of Quebec.^[1]

He became Port Admiral at Plymouth in June 1761.^[1] In 1766 he was named Commander-in-Chief of the North American Station but died within days of his arrival in North America.^[1]

He is buried in St Paul's Church in Halifax.^[2]

References