Hector Boyes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hector Boyes
|
|
|---|---|
| Born | 20 February 1881 |
| Died | 23 October 1960 (aged 79) |
| Allegiance |  Great Britain |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1895–1934 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Thistle |
| Battles/wars | Boxer Rebellion World War I |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Order of Aviz (Portugal) mentioned in dispatches (7) |
| Other work | Diplomat |
Hector George Boyes (born February 20, 1881 – died October 23, 1960) was a brave officer in the Royal Navy. He became a Rear Admiral, which is a very high rank in the navy. He also served as a diplomat later in his life.
Contents
Hector Boyes was born in 1881 in Plymouth, England. His father was also a naval officer. Hector joined the navy when he was almost 14 years old.
He first saw action in 1901 during the Boxer Rebellion in China. At that time, he was a midshipman, a junior officer in training.
The next year, he became an acting sub-lieutenant. He was sent to the battleship HMS Majestic. This ship was the main ship for the Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Squadron.
On September 15, 1902, he was promoted to lieutenant. He was still serving on the Majestic at this time.
World War I Service
When World War I started, Hector Boyes was 33 years old. He was a Flag Lieutenant for the Commander-in-Chief of the China Station. This meant he helped a senior admiral with important tasks.
In 1915, Lieutenant-Commander Boyes was given command of the gunboat HMS Thistle. He led his ship in the East Africa Campaign.
During this fighting, he was praised for his actions seven times. This is called being "mentioned in dispatches." He also received two important awards: the Order of St Michael and St George and the Portuguese Order of Aviz.
Shore Duties and Diplomatic Work
In 1919, Commander Boyes, who was 38, married Eleonora Bille de Falsen. She was 20 and had both Norwegian and Danish heritage. They met in Archangel and later had one child, Reginald George Hector Boyes.
From 1920 to 1921, he commanded HMS Hollyhock in China. After this, he was promoted to captain. He then held several important roles on land.
He commanded the Australian naval academy at Flinders. He also led the British squadron in the Persian Gulf. Later, he was in charge of the shore base at Simon's Town in South Africa.
His final naval role was Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. This was a very important leadership position.
Retirement and Diplomatic Missions
Captain Boyes retired from the navy in 1934. He was given the rank of rear admiral upon retirement. However, he soon took on new duties as a naval attaché. This meant he worked as a navy representative in another country.
He served in Oslo, Norway. There, he helped get a secret collection of German military plans. This collection became famous as the Oslo Report.
During World War II, Admiral Boyes continued his diplomatic work. He was an attaché in Tokyo, Japan, until the Pacific War began. After that, he worked at different embassies in Latin America.
He retired for a second time on March 31, 1947. Hector Boyes passed away in 1960.
Sources
- Brief biography at the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives: [1]
- Medal collection and biographical sketch: [2]
- Genealogical information: [3]
