Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (United Kingdom) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Department of the Admiralty, Ministry of Defence
Abbreviation	V.C.N.S.
Member of	Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board
Reports to	Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
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 2–3 years)
Formation	1941
First holder	Sir Henry Moore
Final holder	Sir Peter Stanford
Abolished	1985

The Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (V.C.N.S.) was a very important role in the Royal Navy, the United Kingdom's navy. People in this job usually held a high rank, like a three-star rank in the military. This position existed from 1941 to 1985 and was part of the Admiralty Naval Staff, which helped manage the navy.

History of the Vice Chief Role
Vice Chiefs of the Naval Staff
See also

History of the Vice Chief Role

How the Role Started

The job of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff was created in October 1941. At that time, the British Admiralty, which was in charge of the navy, changed some of its top positions. They got rid of the title of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. This change was also happening in the army and air force.

The new Vice Chief role was very similar to the old Deputy Chief job. The person holding this position was initially the main leader for how the Royal Navy operated. They reported directly to the First Sea Lord, who was the most senior officer in the navy.

Changes to the Role Over Time

In 1946, the job of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff was brought back. After this, the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff started reporting to the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff instead of the First Sea Lord. This meant the Vice Chief's responsibilities shifted a bit.

When the Role Ended

The position of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff was removed in 1985. This happened because the Ministry of Defence changed how it was organized.

Vice Chiefs of the Naval Staff

Many important officers held the role of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. Note: From 1941 to 1946, they reported to the First Sea Lord. From 1947 until 1985, they reported to the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.

No.	Chief-of-Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1	Moore, MooreVice Admiral Sir Henry Ruthven Moore	21 October 1941	7 June 1943	1 year, 7 months
2	Syfret, EdwardVice Admiral Sir Edward Neville Syfret	8 June 1943	October 1945	2 years, 3 months
3	McGrigor, RhoderickVice Admiral Sir Rhoderick McGrigor	October 1945	October 1947	2 years
4	Edelsten, JohnVice Admiral Sir John Edelsten	October 1947	November 1949	2 years, 1 month
5	Creasy, GeorgeVice Admiral Sir George Creasy	November 1949	October 1951	1 year, 11 months
6	Grantham, GuyVice Admiral Sir Guy Grantham	October 1951	April 1954	2 years, 6 months
7	Davis, WilliamVice Admiral Sir William Davis	April 1954	May 1957	3 years, 1 month
8	John, CasparVice Admiral Sir Caspar John	May 1957	February 1960	2 years, 9 months
9	Couchman, CouchmanVice Admiral Sir Walter Couchman	February 1960	November 1960	9 months
10	Begg, VarylVice Admiral Sir Varyl Begg	January 1961	February 1963	2 years, 1 month
11	Frewen, JohnVice Admiral Sir John Frewen	February 1963	April 1965	2 years, 2 months
12	Bush, JohnVice Admiral Sir John Bush	April 1965	August 1967	2 years, 4 months
13	Hill, PeterVice Admiral Sir Peter Hill-Norton	August 1967	December 1968	1 year, 4 months
14	Ashmore, EdwardVice Admiral Sir Edward Ashmore	December 1968	January 1971	2 years, 1 month
15	Ashmore, EdwardVice Admiral Sir Terence Lewin	January 1971	October 1973	2 years, 9 months
16	Treacher, JohnVice Admiral Sir John Treacher	October 1973	April 1975	1 year, 6 months
17	Lygo, RaymondVice Admiral Sir Raymond Lygo	April 1975	January 1978	2 years, 9 months
18	Morton, AnthonyVice Admiral Sir Anthony Morton	January 1978	July 1980	2 years, 6 months
19	Staveley, WilliamVice Admiral Sir William Staveley	July 1980	October 1982	2 years, 3 months
20	Stanford, PeterVice Admiral Sir Peter Stanford	October 1982	October 1985	3 years