Vivian Bernard Admiral Vivian Henry Gerald Bernard , CB ( 30 August 1868 – 18 February 1934 ) was a senior British Royal Navy officer . Early life . Bernard was born 30 August 1868 , Simon ' s Town , Cape of Good Hope , British Cape Colony , to Inspector - General John Bernard of the Royal Navy . He was educated at Stubbington House School , boys ' preparatory school . Military career . Bernard joined the Royal Navy on 15 July 1882 as a naval cadet . He became a midshipman on 15 January 1884 . He was promoted to sub - lieutenant on 25 February 1888 , and to lieutenant on 25 February 1889 . He qualified as a gunnery lieutenant in 1893 , having attended training at HMS " Excellent " . He was promoted to commander on 30 June 1901 . He then served in the Department of Naval Intelligence , Admiralty . On 26 June 1906 , he was promoted to captain , and given command of HMS " Topaze " a topaze - class cruiser . In August 1907 , he took command of HMS " Argonaut " , a diadem - class cruiser . A year later , in August 1908 , took command of HMS " Revenge " , a Royal Sovereign - class battleship . He commanded the Gunnery School at HMNB Devonport between 1910 and 1912 . He commanded the Devonshire - class cruiser HMS " Argyll " from May 1912 to June 1914 . Bernard saw active service in World War I . In August 1914 , he took command of HMS " Venerable " , a formidable - class battleship . He commanded HMS " Venerable " in operations off the Belgian coast between 1914 and 1915 . He and HMS " Venerable " then took part in the naval operations of the unsuccessfully Dardanelles Campaign . He then joined the operations of the Italian Adriatic Squadron , commanding HMS " Venerable " for the rest of 1915 . In February 1916 , he took command of the dreadnought HMS " Neptune " . He fought in the Battle of Jutland . He received a number of decorations for his role as commander of one of the dreadnought battleships . He was promoted to rear - admiral on 26 September 1917 . He was relieved of his command of HMS " Neptune " in October 1917 . He became Captain of Portland Harbour in November 1917 . From March 1920 to March 1921 , he held the appointment Rear - Admiral Reserve Fleet , The Nore . On 15 November 1922 , he was promoted to vice - admiral and placed on the retired list the following day . On 1 August 1927 , he was promoted to admiral . Later life . Having lived in Australia for two years , Bernard died on 18 February 1934 in Rose Bay , New South Wales . His funeral took place on 19 February at St Mark ' s Anglican Church in Darling Point , New South Wales . Following the service , he was cremated at the Rookwood Crematorium . Personal life . Bernard was married twice . In 1900 , he married Ida Marie Gilles in Woollahra , New South Wales . Together they had one child , a son . She died in 1925 . In 1926 , he married Eileen Mary Churchill ( née Power ) , widow of Major W . M . Churchill , Indian Army . They had a daughter in 1918 , Joan Bernard , while he was married to his previous wife . He was a devout Anglican and regular church goer . Honours and decorations . In March 1916 , it was gazetted that he had been mentioned in dispatches for ' operations between the time of the landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915 and the evacuation in December 1915 — January 1916 ' . He was further mentioned in dispatches for ' service in the Battle of Jutland ' . It was gazetted in August 1916 , that he had been appointed Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy by the King of Italy ' in recognition of valuable services rendered ' . It was gazetted in September 1916 , that he had been appointed Officer of the Legion of Honour by the President of the Republic of France ' in recognition of [ his ] services during the war ' . In the 1918 New Year Honours , he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) . It was gazetted in August 1919 , that he had been appointed to the second class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure by the Emperor of Japan ' for distinguished services rendered during the war ' . He was appointed Aide - de - Camp ( ADC ) to the King on 3 July 1917 .