# 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 HMS Victory 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 (and which had formerly been home to the Mayor of Portsmouth). In the 1830s Admiralty House was sold to the War Office (as Government House, it went on to house the Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth for the next fifty years). 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 (retired) as Naval Officer-in-Charge Poole, 1940-44. Also located at HMS Vernon 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 (CINCHAN). 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 Commanding | Date | Notes |
| Admiral-superintendent, Portsmouth | 1832–1969 | Portsmouth Dockyard. Renamed Flag Officer, Portsmouth and Admiral Superintendent |
| Senior Naval Officer, Portland | 1908–1914 | held by a Captain up-to the rank of RAdm. |
| Flag Officer-in-Charge Portland | 1914–1958 | |
| Commodore RN Barracks, Portsmouth | 1898–1969 | Possibly renamed Commander, Naval Base Portsmouth from the time Commodore Edward Ellis took command in July 1969. |

### Flotillas and squadrons

Included:
| Naval Units | Commanded by | Date | Notes |
| 1st Anti-Submarine Flotilla | | 1939–1945 | |
| 1st Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla | 01/1918-01/1919 | |
| 1st Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 1st Destroyer Flotilla | 07/1940-05/1945 | |
| 4th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 4th Destroyer Flotilla | 12/1916-03/1917 | |
| 12th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 12th Destroyer Flotilla | 1939-08/1940 | |
| 16th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 16th Destroyer Flotilla | 1939-08/1940 | |
| 18th Destroyer Flotilla | Captain (D), 18th Destroyer Flotilla | 09-10/1939 | |
| 4th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 4th Minesweeper Flotilla | 04/1944-12/1944 | |
| 9th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 9th Minesweeper Flotilla | 11/1940-05/1945 | |
| 14th Minesweeper Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 13th Minesweeper Flotilla | 09/1941-12/1944 | |
| 2nd Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 2nd Submarine Flotilla | 08/1914-08/1916 | |
| 3rd Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 3rd Submarine Flotilla | 1919–1922 | based at Gosport |
| 5th Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 5th Submarine Flotilla | 1919–1939 | based at Gosport – training & reserve flotilla |
| 6th Submarine Flotilla | Officer Commanding, 6th Submarine Flotilla | 1919–1939 | based at Portland – ASW training & reserve flotilla |
| Fishery Protection Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Fishery Protection Flotilla | 1919–1927 | |
| Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla | Captain of Fishery Protection and Minesweeping Flotilla | 1923–1945 | |
| Fishery Protection Squadron | Captain, Fishery Protection Squadron | 1945–1969 | |
| Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Newhaven Local Defence Flotilla | 1914–1918 | |
| Portsmouth Escort Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Escort Flotilla | 01/1916-01/1918 | renamed 1st Destroyer Flotilla |
| Portland Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portland Local Defence Flotilla | 1914–1918 | |
| Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla | Officer Commanding, Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla | 1914–1927 | |

### Shore establishments

Included:
| Other units | Commanded by | Date | Notes |
| HMS Dolphin (shore establishment) | | 1904–1969 | Royal Navy Submarine School |
| HMS Dryad (shore establishment) | | 1939–1969 | Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School |
| HMS Grasshopper (shore establishment) | | 1939–1946 | Coastal forces base, Weymouth |
| HMS Hornet (shore establishment) | | 1941–1956 | HQ Coastal Force |
| HMS Marlborough (shore establishment) | | 1939–1945 | Torpedo school, Eastbourne |
| HMS Mercury (shore establishment) | Captain of Royal Navy Signals School | 1941–1969 | Royal Navy Signals School and Combined Signals School |
| HMS King Alfred (shore establishment) | | 1939–1946 | RNVR officers training establishment- Sussex Division – Hove |
| Portsmouth Signal School | Captain of Portsmouth Signal School | 1916–1941 | |
| Signal School | Superintendent of Signal Schools | 1901–1920 | |
| HMS St Vincent (shore establishment) | | 1927–1969 | Boys Training School, Gosport |
| HMS Sultan (shore establishment) | | 1914–1969 | Mechanical engineering school |
| HMS Turtle (shore establishment) | | 1946–? | Combined operations training establishment, based at Poole |
| HMS Vernon (shore establishment) | | 1876–1969 | Torpedo and mining school |

## Commanders-in-Chief

Post holder have included: N = died in post
* Rear Admiral Sir Robert Holmes April 1667–October 1667
* Captain, John Graydon, January – February 1695
* Captain James Wishart, February – April 1695
* Commodore Basil Beaumont: February–March 1698
* Rear Admiral Henry Houghton: March–July 1698
* Commodore Thomas Warren: December 1698 N
* Rear Admiral James Wishart, September 1703 – October 1703
* Commodore Richard Lestock, 1741
* Admiral James Steuart: 1745–1747
* Admiral Sir Edward Hawke: 1748–1752
* Admiral Sir Edward Hawke: 1755–1756
* Admiral Henry Osborn: 1756–1757
* Admiral Sir Francis Holburne 1758–1766
* Admiral Sir John Moore: 1766–1769
* Admiral Sir Francis Geary 1769–1771
* Admiral Thomas Pye: 1771–1774
* Admiral Sir James Douglas: 1774–1777
* Admiral Thomas Pye: 1777–1783
* Admiral John Montagu: 1783–1786
* Admiral Viscount Hood: 1786–1789
* Admiral Robert Roddam: 1789–1792
* Admiral Viscount Hood: 1792–1793
* Admiral Sir Peter Parker: 1793–1799
* Admiral Mark Milbanke: 1799–1803
* Admiral Lord Gardner: March – June 1803
* Admiral Sir George Montagu: 1803–1809
* Admiral Sir Roger Curtis: 1809–1812
* Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton: 1812–1815
* Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough: 1815–1818
* Admiral Sir George Campbell: 1818–1821 N
* Admiral Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed: 1821–1824
* Admiral Sir George Martin: 1824–1827
* Admiral Sir Robert Stopford: 1827–1830
* Admiral Sir Thomas Foley: 1830–1833 N
* Admiral Sir Thomas Williams: 1833–1836
* Admiral Sir Philip Durham: 1836 – March 1839
* Admiral Charles Elphinstone Fleeming: April – November 1839
* Admiral Sir Edward Codrington: 1839–1842
* Admiral Sir Charles Rowley: 1842–1845
* Admiral Sir Charles Ogle: 1845–1848
* Admiral Sir Thomas Capel: 1848–1851
* Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs: 1851–1852 N
* Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane: 1852–1856
* Admiral Sir George Seymour: 1856–1859
* Admiral Sir William Bowles: 1859–1860
* Admiral Sir Henry W. Bruce: March 1860 – March 1863
* Admiral Sir Michael Seymour: March 1863 – March 1866
* Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, Bt.: March 1866 – February 1869
* Admiral Sir James Hope: February 1869 – March 1872
* Admiral Sir Rodney Mundy: March 1872 – March 1875
* Admiral Sir George A. Elliot: March 1875 – March 1878
* Admiral Edward G Fanshawe: March 1878 – November 1879
* Admiral Alfred Ryder: November 1879 – November 1882
* Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby: November 1882 – November 1885
* Admiral Sir George Willes: November 1885 – June 1888
* Admiral Sir John Commerell: June 1888 – June 1891
* Admiral the Earl of Clanwilliam: June 1891 – June 1894
* Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon: June 1894 – August 1897
* Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, Bt.: August 1897 – October 1900
* Admiral Sir Charles Hotham: October 1900 – August 1903
* Admiral Sir John Fisher: August 1903 – March 1904
* Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas: March 1904 – March 1907
* Admiral Sir Day Bosanque: March 1907 – March 1908
* Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe: March 1908 – April 1910
* Admiral the Hon. Sir Assheton Curzon-Howe: April 1910 – March 1911 N
* Admiral Sir Arthur Moore: March 1911 – July 1912
* Admiral of the Fleet the Hon. Sir Hedworth Meux: July 1912 – March 1916
* Admiral the Hon. Sir Stanley Colville: March 1916 – March 1919
* Admiral Sir Cecil Burney: March 1919 – April 1920
* Admiral the Hon. Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe: April 1920 – April 1923
* Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle: April 1923 – April 1926
* Admiral Sir Osmond Brock: April 1926 – April 1929
* Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes, Bt.: April 1929 – May 1931
* Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell: June 1931 – January 1934
* Admiral Sir John Kelly: January 1934 – July 1936
* Admiral Sir William Fisher: July 1936 – June 1937 N
* Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and Orrery: July 1937 – June 1939
* Admiral Sir William James: June 1939 – October 1942
* Admiral Sir Charles Little: October 1942 – February 1945
* Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton: March 1945 – May 1947
* Admiral The Lord Fraser of North Cape: May 1947 – July 1948
* Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis: July 1948 – September 1950
* Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Power: September 1950 – September 1952
* Admiral Sir John Edelsten: September 1952 – September 1954
* Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Creasy: September 1954 – July 1957
* Admiral Sir Guy Grantham: July 1957 – March 1959
* Admiral Sir Manley Power: March 1959 – October 1961
* Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley: October 1961 – February 1963
* Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods: February 1963 – August 1965
* Admiral Sir Varyl Begg: August 1965 – March 1966
* Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins: March 1966 – November 1967
* Admiral Sir John Frewen: November 1967 – 1969