| Sir Geoffrey Layton | |
|---|---|
| 20 April 1884 – 4 September 1964 | |
| Place of birth | Liverpool, England |
| Place of death | Portsmouth, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1899 – 1947 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | Eastern Fleet 1st Battle Squadron |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order |
Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO (20 April 1884 – 4 September 1964), was a British Royal Navy officer. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Please see “ Admiral ” for other nations which use this rank The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of Battleships The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George Prince Regent (later George The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British Order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath) is a British Order of chivalry founded by George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George Prince Regent (later George The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 476 - Romulus Augustus, last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, is deposed when Odoacer proclaims himself Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service)
Contents |
Early Life and Career
He was the son of a Liverpool solicitor, George Layton. He joined the Royal Navy as a naval cadet on 15 May 1899 on HMS Britannia. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon Following this he served as a Midshipman aboard cruisers in the English Channel and off the south coast of the United States. For the fish called midshipman see Midshipman fish. The rank of midshipman is one of the oldest ranks still in existence The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
He took his Lieutenant's course and was promoted to that rank on 30 November 1905. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Layton then he joined the submarine branch of the navy, in which he had his first command. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability From 1910 he did two years general service and returned to submarines in 1912, commanding several of them during the First World War. Year 1910 ( MCMX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
World War I
On 18 August 1915 his submarine HMS E13 was ordered to the Baltic to assist the Russians, but he ran aground on Saltholm off the Danish coast. Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year HMS E13 was a British E class submarine built by HM Dockyard, Chatham. Saltholm ( Salt Islet) is an Island in the Oresund, the Strait that separates Denmark and Sweden. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe E13 was destroyed early the following morning by a German torpedo boat, killing half his men. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval Ship designed to carry Torpedoes into battle Layton and the others were interned at Copenhagen. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city Three months later, disguised as a local sailor, he managed to return to Britain. At the end of the war he was awarded the DSO. The Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) is a Military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries awarded for
Between the Wars
He was promoted to Captain on 31 December 1922 and held the post of Chief of Staff to the Rear Admiral (Submarines). The chief of staff is the chief aide to the Commander of larger military Formations and Units It is sometimes the case that the chief of staff is more directly Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. In the late 1920s he was appointed Deputy Director of Operations at the Admiralty and in 1930 he attended a course at the Imperial Defence College. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. From 1931 to 1933, he was posted as Chief of Staff on the China Station. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The China Station was a historical geographical Area of operations of the British Royal Navy 's China Squadron.
Sir Geoffrey then transferred to battleships, firstly the Renown. Then, following another period at the Admiralty, he commanded the battlecruiser squadron, flying his flag on the Hood, from August 1938 until August 1939. Battlecruisers were large Warships in the first half of the 20th century that were first introduced by the British Royal Navy. History Construction Construction of Hood began at the John Brown & Company shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland, on 1 September Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Geoffrey was then appointed second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet, firstly under Admiral Dudley Pound and later under Admiral Andrew Cunningham. Mediterranean Fleet redirects here For the Mediterranean Fleets of other countries see Mediterranean Fleet (disambiguation. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alfred Dudley Pickman Rogers Pound GCB OM GCVO RN ( 29 August 1877 - 21 October Admiral of the Fleet Andrew Browne Cunningham 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, Bt, KT, GCB, OM, DSO (7 January He is recorded as commanding the 1st Battle Squadron, consisting of Barham, Warspite, and Malaya, on the outbreak of war on 3 September 1939. The British 1st Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of Battleships The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet Service In World War I, she collided with her sister-ship in 1915 Early career Warspite's first commanding officer upon commissioning in 1915 was Captain Edward Montgomery Phillpotts. [1]
World War II
He then took over as Commander-in-Chief China Fleet, September 1940. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In May 1941, he was informed that Admiral Sir Tom Phillips would be taking over from him, and the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse were sent to Singapore in December 1941 with Phillips flying his flag on the Prince of Wales. Admiral Sir Thomas "Tom" Spencer Vaughan Phillips KCB ( February 19, 1888 &ndash December 10, 1941) had Naming The Admiralty ordered construction of two new ''King George V''-class Battleships on 29 July 1936 (the other became HMS ''King George V'') Service in World War I Repulse first saw action on 17 November 1917 at the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. Singapore Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sir Geoffrey broadcast a message to the Malayan people, telling them of the improvements to defence on the arrival of these two capital ships in Singapore. On 10 December he handed over the naval command to Phillips and made preparations to embark for home. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V At 1. 20pm on the same day Admiral Phillips was lost on the Prince of Wales off Malaya, when both ships were sunk by Japanese action. The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks Sir Geoffrey was then recalled as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet. The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II
In January 1942, the short-lived American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM) was formed, to direct Allied forces in South East Asia and the South West Pacific. The American-British-Dutch-Australian (ABDA Command, code name ABDACOM, was a short-lived supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in On January 5, the deputy commander of ABDA naval forces, Rear Admiral Arthur Palliser made Sir Geoffrey the senior naval officer at Tanjong Priok, the port for Batavia (Jakarta), Java. Sir Arthur Francis Eric Palliser, DSC, KCB, Croix de Guerre avec Palme, 1890&ndash 22 February 1956 was a prominent Tanjung Priok (also Tandjung Priok) is a subdistrict of North Jakarta, Indonesia. Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta) is the Capital and largest city of Indonesia. Java (Jawa is an Island of Indonesia and the site of its Capital city Jakarta. His main role was organising better convoy protection.
Following the fall of Singapore and dissolution of ABDA, command of the British Eastern Fleet was given to Sir James Somerville. The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of World War II when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold The British Eastern Fleet (also known as the East Indies Fleet and the Far East Fleet) was a fleet of the Royal Navy during World War II Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville GCB, GBE, DSO ( 17 July 1882 &ndash 19 March 1949 Sir Geoffrey was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island
On 5 April, the Japanese attacked Colombo, sinking two cruisers, an auxiliary cruiser and a destroyer. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Colombo ( Sinhala:, ˈkoləmbə Tamil: கொழும்பு is the largest city and commercial capital of Sri Lanka. On 9 April they attacked Trincomalee and sank an aircraft carrier, a destroyer and a corvette. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Trincomalee (திருகோணமலை Tirukōṇamalai තිරිකුණාමළය Tirikūṇamaḷaya is a district a bay and a port city on the northeast coast of The Japanese now switched their attack from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, and on 11 April Sir Geoffrey sent a signal that the enemy had withdrawn from Ceylon to Singapore. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I.
The defence of the island had been a fiasco. The RAF squadrons on the island proved no match for the Japanese Zeroes, losing at least twice as many aircraft as the Japanese. The early warning system set up by Sir Geoffrey was a shambles: the aircraft at Ratmalana were still on the ground when the Japanese aircraft flew overhead. Ratmalana Airport was originally the international airport for Colombo, Sri Lanka. None of the local inhabitants had reported the Japanese aircraft, which had flown over the Ceylonese coastline for half an hour, in full view of everybody, before reaching Ratmalana.
Later Life
Following the war Sir Geoffrey returned to the UK as Commander in Chief, Portsmouth a post he held until his retirement in 1947. History See also History of Portsmouth There have been settlements in the area since before Roman times mostly being offshoots of Portchester, which Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
Sir Geoffrey Layton died at Portsmouth on at the age of 80.
See also
- Indian Ocean Raid
- Participation of Ceylon in World War II
- South-East Asian Theatre of World War II#Indian Ocean
References and Sources
- ^ Orbat. The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 After the outbreak of the Second World War, in the British Crown Colony of Ceylon ( Sri Lanka) the government of Sir Baron Jayatilleke assured the British The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in India, Thailand, com/Niehorster, Mediterranean Fleet, 3 September 1939, accessed May 2008
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by not known |
Commander-in-Chief British Eastern Fleet 1940–1941 |
Succeeded by Sir Tom Phillips |
| Preceded by Sir Tom Phillips |
Commander-in-Chief British Eastern Fleet 1941–1942 |
Succeeded by Sir James Somerville |
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