Fourth Sea Lord Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Office of the Chief of Materiel (Fleet)
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Incumbent Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Gardner since 2019
Department of the Admiralty, Ministry of Defence
Member of	Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board
Reports to	First Sea Lord
Nominator	First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer	Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–3 years)
Inaugural holder	Captain George Barrington
Formation	1830-1964, 1965-current

The Chief of Materiel (Fleet) is a very important job in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. This person is in charge of making sure the navy has everything it needs to do its job. This includes ships, equipment, and supplies.

This role has had many different names over the years. It was once called the Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies. Before that, it was known as the Fourth Naval Lord. Today, it's also sometimes called Chief of Fleet Support or Director General Ships.

History of the Role
What the Job Does
People Who Held the Role
Departments Managed by This Office
See also

History of the Role

The job of looking after the navy's supplies started a long time ago, in 1830. Back then, it was called the Fourth Naval Lord. This title changed in 1868 to Junior Naval Lord.

Then, in 1904, it became the Fourth Sea Lord. This name stayed until 1964. At that time, the department that ran the navy, called the British Admiralty, was changed. Its jobs were combined with other government departments to form the new Ministry of Defence.

After this big change, a new job was created called Chief of Fleet Support. This person took over the same important duties. In 2007, the name changed again to Chief of Materiel (Fleet). Around 2017, it was briefly known as Chief of Materiel (Ships). Finally, in August 2020, it was renamed Director General Ships.

What the Job Does

The main job of the Chief of Materiel (Fleet) is to make sure the Royal Navy has all the supplies and support it needs. This means they are responsible for:

Transport: Moving people and goods where they need to go.
Victualling: Making sure there's enough food and drink for everyone.
Medical Services: Providing healthcare for sailors and marines.
Equipment and Ships: Getting and maintaining all the ships and equipment the navy uses.

Basically, this role is like being the head of logistics for the entire Royal Navy. They make sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so the navy can protect the country.

People Who Held the Role

Many important people have held this position over the years, under its different names.

Fourth Naval Lords (1830–1868)

Some of the first people to hold this role as Fourth Naval Lord included:

Captain George Barrington (1830-1833)
Rear Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley (1833-1835)
Rear Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge (1835-1837)

Many other naval officers also held this position until 1868.

Junior Naval Lords (1868-1904)

After 1868, the role was called Junior Naval Lord. Many officers served in this position, helping to manage the navy's supplies and support.

Fourth Sea Lords (1904–1964)

From 1904, the title became Fourth Sea Lord. This was a very important role, especially during the World Wars, as they were responsible for keeping the navy supplied during these major conflicts. In 1917, the title was expanded to include "Chief of Naval Supplies and Transport" to better reflect the wide range of duties.

Chiefs of Fleet Support (1964–2007)

After the Admiralty was merged into the Ministry of Defence, the role was renamed Chief of Fleet Support. This person continued to oversee all the logistical needs of the navy.

Chiefs of Materiel (Fleet) and Director General Ships (2007–Present)

Since 2007, the role has been known as Chief of Materiel (Fleet), then Chief of Materiel (Ships), and now Director General Ships. The current person holding this important job is Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Gardner.

Departments Managed by This Office

The Chief of Materiel (Fleet) oversees many different departments that help the navy. These include groups responsible for:

Managing Royal Navy Bases
Getting new ships and submarines (Office of the Director Ships Acquisitions, Office of the Director Submarines Acquisitions)
Keeping ships and submarines working (Office of the Director Ships Support, Office of the Director Submarines Support)
Handling naval stores and supplies (Department of the Director, Naval Stores)
Providing food and other necessities (Department of the Director of Victualling)
Managing dockyards where ships are built and repaired (Department of the Director of Dockyards)

Fourth Sea Lord facts for kids

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