page_title: John West (Royal Navy officer)
section_title: Early career
hierarchical_section_title: John West (Royal Navy officer) / Early career
caption_attribution_description: Porta de Mar de la Ciutadella de Roses (Alt Empordà)
context_page_description: Admiral of the Fleet Sir John West GCB was a Royal Navy officer. West saw action as a junior officer in the first-rate HMS Royal George, the flagship of Admiral Sir Alexander Hood in the Channel Squadron, when he took part in the Glorious First of June and then in the Battle of Groix during the French Revolutionary Wars.
  As commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Excellent, West served off the coast of Catalonia and landed with a naval brigade with orders to help defend Rosas which was under attack from some 5,000 French troops in an action during the Napoleonic Wars. He took 250 of his ship's men and rescued a group migueletes who were at risk of losing their lives, but not before having his own horse shot out from under him.
  As a senior officer, West went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.
context_section_description: Born the son of Lieutenant Colonel Temple West and Jane West (née Drake), West joined the Royal Navy in June 1788. He was appointed to the sixth-rate HMS Pomona in the West Africa Squadron and then transferred to the fourth-rate HMS Salisbury, flagship of the North America Station, and then, having been promoted to midshipman, to the second-rate HMS London, flagship of the Channel Squadron. He joined the fifth-rate HMS Hebe in the Channel Squadron in July 1790 and then transferred to the fourth-rate HMS Romney in the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1793 before moving to the first-rate HMS Royal George in the Channel Squadron a few months later. Promoted to lieutenant on 27 July 1793, he transferred to the third-rate HMS Saturn at Portsmouth in November 1793 before rejoining HMS Royal George, by then the flagship of Admiral Sir Alexander Hood in the Channel Squadron. In HMS Royal George he took part in the Glorious First of June, when the French fleet lost seven ships, in June 1794, and then in the Battle of Groix, when three French ships were captured, in June 1795, during the French Revolutionary Wars.
  Promoted to commander on 7 September 1795, West became commanding officer of the sloop HMS Diligence on the West Indies Station in December 1795. He was promoted to captain on 15 November 1796 and went on to be commanding officer of the sixth-rate HMS Tourterelle also on the West Indies Station. He became commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Utrecht at Chatham in March 1801 and commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Excellent in January 1807. In HMS Excellent he served off the coast of Catalonia and landed with a naval brigade with orders to help defend Rosas which was under attack from some 5,000 French troops in an action in November 1808 during the Napoleonic Wars. He took 250 of his ship's men and rescued a group migueletes (Catalan mercenaries) who were are risk of losing their lives, but not before having his own horse shot out from under him.
  West returned to HMS Excellent and served at the blockade of Toulon before moving on to be commanding officer of the third-rate HMS Sultan in the Mediterranean Fleet in December 1809. In HMS Sultan he continued to serve on the Home Station and in the West Indies until March 1814.
caption: The citadel of Rosas, where West rescued a group migueletes (Catalan mercenaries) in November 1808
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