George Edwin Patey Admiral Sir George Edwin Patey KCMG , KCVO ( 24 February 1859 – 5 February 1935 ) was a senior officer in the Royal Navy . Biography . Patey was born on 24 February 1859 at Montpellier , near Plymouth , United Kingdom . His father , also named George Edwin Patey , was a Royal Navy officer . Patey entered the Royal Navy as a cadet on 15 January 1872 , aged 12 . Patey served as a midshipman aboard HMS " Shah " as part of the British Pacific Squadron under Admiral de Horsey during the Battle of Pacocha , an action in company with the corvette HMS " Amethyst " on 29 May 1877 with the Peruvian armoured turret ship " Huáscar " which had been taken over by rebels opposed to the Peruvian Government and , it was feared , could be used to attack British shipping . He was promoted to Sub - Lieutenant on 21 March 1878 , and while upon the voyage home HMS " Shah " was diverted to South Africa to assist in the Anglo - Zulu War . Patey served in the naval brigade which was formed to fight ashore , for which he received the Zulu Medal . Promoted to Lieutenant on 10 August 1881 , he went to gunnery school at HMS " Excellent " between February 1889 and February 1892 . Assigned to naval intelligence , he was promoted to Commander on 31 December 1894 and became Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence . Serving upon HMS " Barfleur " as part of the British Mediterranean Squadron , he participated in the Allied occupation of Candia , Crete on 15 February 1897 , and was part of the International Squadron blockading Crete during the Greco - Turkish uprising on Crete . After being promoted to Captain on 1 January 1900 , he went on to serve as Assistant Director of Naval Intelligence until 5 May 1901 . He was awarded the Order of the Redeemer from George I , King of Greece in 1903 . In command of HMS " Venerable " , he was appointed Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Edward VII , King of the United Kingdom during his visit to Naples on 23 April 1903 . Later he went on to command HMS Implacable between 1905 and 1907 . He was awarded the Cross of the Order of the Naval Merit and Cross of the Order of Military Merit from Alfonso XII , King of Spain . On 22 March 1908 , he became a Naval Aide - de - camp to King Edward VII . On 2 January 1909 , he was promoted to Rear Admiral in the British Home Fleet and was commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron until 1911 . He was appointed the first Rear Admiral Commanding His Majesty ' s Australian Fleet in 1913 and was awarded a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on his flagship HMAS " Australia " , when King George V visited the Australian Fleet at Spithead on 30 June 1913 to review the fleet and watch them depart for Australia . At the outbreak of World War I , he commanded the naval squadron as part of the New Zealand Samoa Expeditionary Force that captured German Samoa and the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force that captured German New Guinea . Sailed with HMAS " Australia " to join the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron at Rosyth , Scotland and on 8 February 1915 , became the flagship of the Squadron . He was promoted to Vice Admiral on 21 September 1914 and became Commander - in - Chief , North America and West Indies Station the following year . He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George on 1 January 1916 . On 22 September 1916 , he transferred to another ship of the Royal Navy and command of His Majesty ' s Australian Fleet was transferred to Rear Admiral William Pakenham . He died on 5 February 1935 .