George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon
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Lyon in 1943
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| Born | 3 October 1883 Bankipore, Bihar, India |
| Died | 19 August 1947 (aged 63) Midhurst, Sussex, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1899–1943 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | 3rd Cruiser Squadron Africa Station Nore Command |
| Battles/wars | World War I - Jutland |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Commander, Order of the Redeemer of Greece; Grand Cross Order of Aviz of Portugal |
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Admiral Sir George Hamilton D'Oyly Lyon (born October 3, 1883 – died August 19, 1947) was a very important officer in the Royal Navy. He was also a talented sportsman. He played first-class cricket and represented the England national rugby union team in rugby.
Contents
A Life of Service and Sport
George Lyon started his naval journey on June 15, 1899. He went to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, to train. During World War I, he served on HMS Monarch. He was part of the famous Battle of Jutland. This was a huge naval battle in 1916.
Leading the Fleet
After the war, George Lyon continued to rise in the Navy. In 1929, he became the Head of the British Naval Mission to Greece. He then led the Home Fleet Destroyers in 1932. Destroyers are fast warships.
By 1935, he was a Rear Admiral. He commanded the 3rd Cruiser Squadron. Cruisers are large, powerful warships. In 1938, he became the Commander-in-Chief, Africa. This meant he was in charge of all naval operations in that region.
During World War II, he served as Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, starting in 1941. This was a key command in England. He retired from the Navy in 1943.
A Talented Cricketer
Besides his naval career, George Lyon was a skilled sportsman. He played first-class cricket, which is the highest level of the sport. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler.
He played two matches for Hampshire in 1907. In one game, he scored 29 runs. He also took important wickets, which means he got opposing batsmen out.
In 1911, he played for an Army and Navy team. He scored 90 runs, which was his highest score. He also took four wickets for 51 runs. His final first-class match was in 1922. He played for the Royal Navy against the Army.
Rugby Union Star
George Lyon also played rugby union for England. He was a full-back, a defensive position. He played his first international match in 1908 against Scotland.
In 1909, he captained the England team against Australia. Even though England lost, it was a special game. Nine players on the team were playing their first international match.
His Family
George Lyon had a son named Patrick Maxwell Lyon. Patrick was a second lieutenant in the Middlesex Regiment. Sadly, he was killed during the Belgian campaign in May 1940.
