John Augustine Edgell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Edgell
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| Born | 20 December 1880 Teddington, Middlesex |
| Died | 14 November 1962 (aged 81) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1893-1945 |
| Rank | Vice-admiral |
| Office | Hydrographer of the Navy |
| Term | 1932-1945 |
Sir John Augustine Edgell (born December 20, 1880 – died November 14, 1962) was a very important officer in the Royal Navy. He worked as the Hydrographer of the Navy from 1932 to 1945. This means he was in charge of making sea maps, called charts. He was known for supporting new ideas like echo sounding (using sound to measure water depth) and radio navigation (using radio signals to find your way). He also helped a lot with making maps during World War II and loved the science of oceanography, which is the study of the ocean.
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John Edgell was born in Teddington. He joined the Navy when he was just 13 years old. He started his training on a ship called HMS Britannia. Later, he moved to HMS Blenheim. In June 1897, he became a midshipman.
He joined the Navy's surveying team in 1902. As a sub-lieutenant, he worked on HMS Triton in the North Sea. He became a Lieutenant in 1903. After that, he served on HMS Egeria in British Columbia and HMS Rambler in China and Borneo.
In 1906, he took a special course on magnetic observations. He continued his survey work on HMS Merlin in the Red Sea, Malaya, and Borneo. He also worked on HMS Sealark in the Indian Ocean and the south-west Pacific. His first time commanding a ship was on HMS Mutine. He surveyed the west coast of Africa from 1912 to 1914. After that, he surveyed the east coast of Scotland and the Shetland Islands on HMS Hearty.
World War I and Chart Production (1915-1931)
In September 1915, John Edgell was promoted to Commander. He took HMS Endeavour to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. His ship helped with the Dardanelles operation. This ship was special because it had printing presses on board. This meant they could print new sea maps right there for the fleet. They didn't have to send them back to England.
From 1917 to 1920, Edgell became the Superintendent of Charts. This job meant he was in charge of all the Navy's maps. In 1921, he went back to sea, surveying in Singapore on HMS Merlin. He was promoted to captain in 1923. He again became the Superintendent of Charts from 1923 to 1925.
His next surveying job was in Australia. He commanded HMAS Moresby until 1928. From 1928 to 1932, he was the Assistant Hydrographer. During this time, he also did a surveying job on HMS Endeavour in the Red Sea from 1930 to 1931.
Leading the Hydrographic Office (1932-1939)
In October 1932, Edgell became the Hydrographer of the Navy. This was a very important role, and he kept it until the end of World War II. He was promoted to rear admiral in 1935 and then to vice admiral in 1938. Even though he officially retired then, he continued in his role until 1945.
During his time as Hydrographer, he brought in many new technologies. He helped develop echo sounding for measuring very deep water. He also changed how maps were printed, making it much faster. This was helped by moving the Chart Printing department to Taunton. He also planned for new, modern surveying ships. These changes made map production much more efficient. This was very important for the huge amount of surveying and map-making needed during the war.
Edgell also became very interested in the science behind surveying. He wrote many papers about surveying methods. He actively encouraged research in oceanography, the study of the ocean. One of his projects was to build a special ship that wasn't affected by magnetic fields. This ship, called R.R.S. Research, started being built in 1937. However, the war began, and the ship was never finished.
Mapping for World War II
During World War II, the work of surveying changed a lot. The Navy needed to clear minefields and mark safe paths with buoys. They also had to find and mark sunken ships (wrecks) on charts. Damaged harbors needed to be re-surveyed quickly.
Perhaps the most important work was surveying coastal areas for planned landings. The biggest of these was Operation Neptune on the Normandy coast in 1944. Secret surveys were done at night on the beaches before the landings. Teams even went ashore to collect sand samples. New maps were made, combining new information with land details.
During the actual landings, survey boats worked all the time. They marked channels and dangers with buoys. As the invasion continued, they surveyed the harbors of Cherbourg and St Malo after they were captured. Map production and distribution also faced big challenges. Production increased greatly, and steps were taken to protect the original map plates and create backups.
Later Life and Achievements
In 1943, Edgell was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists. In 1944, he suggested that the United Kingdom should have a national oceanographic laboratory. There had been a lot of ocean research, but no permanent place to do it.
His idea came true in 1949 when the National Institute of Oceanography was created. Dr G.E.R. Deacon led this new institute. Edgell served on its executive committee and the National Geographic Council.
Edgell was made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.) in 1942. This meant he was given the title "Sir." He also represented the Admiralty on the Boards of the Port of London Authority and the Kent River Board. He was also the acting conservator of the River Mersey. Sir John Edgell passed away on November 14, 1962.
