Fifth Sea Lord facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Office of the Fifth Sea Lord |
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Ensign of the Royal Navy
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| Department of the Admiralty | |
| Member of | Board of Admiralty |
| Reports to | First Sea Lord |
| Nominator | First Lord of the Admiralty |
| Appointer | Prime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
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| Term length | Not fixed (typically 1–3 years) |
| Inaugural holder | Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine |
| Formation | 1917-1965 |
The Fifth Sea Lord was an important job in the Royal Navy, which is the United Kingdom's navy. This person was part of a group called the Board of Admiralty, which managed the entire navy. The main role of the Fifth Sea Lord was to look after everything to do with the navy's aircraft and flying, known as naval aviation.
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History of the Fifth Sea Lord Role
In 1805, specific duties were given to each of the 'Naval' Lords. These were the 'Professional' Lords, meaning they were experienced naval officers. The 'Civil' Lords handled the regular paperwork.
During World War I, four extra Sea Lord positions were created to help manage the Navy. The first person to hold the title of Fifth Sea Lord was Commodore Godfrey Paine in 1917. He was also the Director of Naval Aviation at the same time. In November 1917, a new law created the Air Council, which included Paine. This meant that naval aviation was moved to the new Royal Air Force in 1918.
Because of this change, the job of Fifth Sea Lord stopped for a while. It was brought back in 1938 when the Admiralty once again became responsible for naval aviation. The re-established role was called the Chief of Naval Air Services. This person was in charge of preparing and managing all of the Royal Navy's aircraft and air personnel.
From 1957 to 1965, the Fifth Sea Lord also held the job of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. The position of Fifth Sea Lord was officially ended in 1965. Today, the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) has a similar role in the Royal Navy.
Who Were the Fifth Sea Lords?
- Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine (1917)
- Note: When naval aviation moved to the Royal Air Force in 1918, this job stopped until 1938.
Fifth Sea Lords (1938–1956)
- Admiral The Hon. Sir Alexander Ramsay (1938–1939)
- Vice Admiral Sir Guy Royle (1939–1941)
- Rear Admiral Sir Lumley Lyster (1941–1942)
- Note: The title was not used from 1942 to 1943, even though Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer was Chief of Naval Air Services.
- Vice Admiral Sir Denis Boyd (1943–1945)
- Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge (1945–1946)
- Admiral Sir Philip Vian (1946–1948)
- Vice Admiral Sir George Creasy (1948–1949)
- Vice Admiral Sir Maurice Mansergh (1949–1951)
- Vice Admiral Sir Edmund Anstice (1951–1954)
- Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley (1954–1956)
- Vice Admiral Sir Manley Power (1957–1959)
- Admiral Sir Laurence Durlacher (1959–1962)
- Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton (1962–1963)
- Vice Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins (1963–1965)
The Fifth Sea Lord in Stories
In a short story by Ian Fleming from 1960, called For Your Eyes Only, he wrote that M, who is James Bond's boss in the spy agency MI6, gave up the chance to become the Fifth Sea Lord to lead the spy agency instead.
See also
- First Sea Lord
- Second Sea Lord
- Third Sea Lord
- Fourth Sea Lord
Sources
- Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy at The National Archives. ADM 234/434.
