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09-10-2009, 18:20
Admiral Sir P. Noble
Admiral Sir Percy Noble, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.V.O, who was Commander-in- Chief, Western Approaches, during 1941- 42, and from then until 1944 leader of the British Naval Delegation in Washington, died yesterday evening 25th July 1955 at his home in London at the age of 75. Percy Laxland Harnam Noble was born on January 16, 1880, the son of Colonel Charles Noble, and entered the Navy as a cadet the day before his fourteenth birthday. Two years later he was appointed to the cruiser lmmortalite (Captain [afterwards Admiral Sir] Edward Chichester) on the China Station, in which he served for three and a half years, being rated midshipman after six months. On returning home, he served for six months in the sailing Training Squadron before being promoted to sub-lieutenant. While undergoing sub-lieutenants' instructional courses at Greenwich and Portsmouth he was detailed for the naval guard of honour which was mounted at Windsor at the funeral of Queen Victoria, a duty for which he was made M.V.O.. As a sub-lieutenant he served in the. battleship Hannibal, in the Channel Squadron, remaining in her on promotion to lieutenant in 1902. After two years in the battleship Russell, in the Mediterranean as a watch-keeper, he became Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral A. L. Winsloe, commanding flotillas at home. When Admiral Winsloe was relieved in that command, Noble served for a year in command of the destroyer Ribble in the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, after which he joined the Signal School at Portsmouth and qualified as a signal officer. From January, 1910, until October. 1911. He was again Flag-Lieutenant to Admiral Winsloe, then Commander-in- Chief on the China Station, a post which he left on his appointment to the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. 1914-18
War Service
He succeeded to the position of First Lieutenant of the yacht the following year, and in August, 1913, he was promoted commander. Four months later he became executive officer of the armoured cruiser Achilles, in the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. In September, 1916, he was transferred in the same capacity to the new cruiser Courageous (Captain Arthur Bromley), flagship of Rear-Admiral-later Vice-Admiral-T. D. W. Napier Commanding the Light Cruiser Force of the Grand Fleet, where he was still serving when he was promoted to captain at the end of June, 1918. Four months later he took over his first command, when he became Flag- Captain to Rear-Admiral Sir Allen Everett, in the Calliope, 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, Grand Fleet. In March, 1919, he transferred to the Calcutta, on Admiral Everett becoming Rear-Admiral Commanding the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron, America and West Indies Station, and served there for two years, in the course of which he was advanced to C.V.O. After a period of unemployment, Noble became for some 18 months Chief Staff Officer to Admiral Sir H. L. Heath in the Scottish Command, and in October, 1922, he returned to the sea for two years in command of the battleship Barham, as Flag- Captain and Chief Staff Officer to Vice- Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair, Commanding the 1st Battle Squadron, Atlantic Fleet. After a period of committee work at the Admiralty, he became captain of the Ganges, the training establishment for boys at Harwich, and captain-in-charge of the port. When he had held that command for two years he was selected as the first commanding officer of the new boys' training establishment H.M.S. St. Vincent, at Forton, Gosport, in the inauguration of which his experience at Harwich was invaluable. As soon as the new establishment was running smoothly; Noble Was relieved after being in command of it for nine months, and. took over the highly responsible post of Director of the Operations Division of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty. He was promoted Rear-Admiral in October. 1929. 1 A year of unemployment followed, and in January, 1931, he became Director of Naval Equipment at the Admiralty. He did not bold that post for the full two years, how- ever, as in December, 1932, he was selected for the. command of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet, with his flag in the Leander. After two years in that command he returned once more to the Admiralty, this time as Fourth Sea Lord and a member of the Board of Admiralty. He was promoted vice-admiral two months after taking up duty, and remained on the Board for two years and eight months, when he was selected to succeed Admiral Sir Charles Little as Commander-in-Chief on the China Station. He was made a C.B. in 1932 and was advanced to K.C.B. in 1936. The anti-British attitude of the Japanese forces in China was at its worst when he assumed command, and to uphold British rights and British dignity in the face of Japanese intrigue and often insult, with little or no material forces at his back, called for qualities of firmness, good sense, tact, and restraint. of the highest order in the Commander-in-Chief--qualities which he possessed in abundance. He was promoted admiral in 1939. In July, 1940, he was recalled from his command-in-chief in China after two and a half years, and in March, 1941, he took' up the appointment of Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches.
Washington
In 1942, November, 1942, after 18 months directing the struggle against enemy submarines in the Atlantic with ever-increasing success, he was. appointed Head of the British Admiralty Delegation in Washington in suc- cession to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham (now Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope). He lost no time on his new appointment in making clear to the American public the seriousness of the U-boat menace and during his two years in Washington succeeded notably in his duties as representative of the Royal Navy with the combined chiefs of staff. For his services he was made a G.B.E. in 1944. From 1943 until his retirement in 1945 from the Active List on reaching the age limit he was First and Principal Naval A.D.C. to King George VI, and after his retirement he was appointed Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom and of the Admiralty, an appointment which carries no duties except in attendance on the Sovereign. He married in 1907 Diamantina Isabella, only daughter of Allan Campbell. She died in 1909. There was one son of the marriage. He is Commander A. H. P. Noble, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N. (retd.)., Conservative- member of Parliament for Chelsea since 1945, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty from 1951 until the last general election. Admiral Sir Percy Noble married secondly, in 1913, Celia Emily, daughter of Robert Kirkman Hodgson. There was one son of the marriage
Taken from The Times Archive
Admiral Sir Percy Noble, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.V.O, who was Commander-in- Chief, Western Approaches, during 1941- 42, and from then until 1944 leader of the British Naval Delegation in Washington, died yesterday evening 25th July 1955 at his home in London at the age of 75. Percy Laxland Harnam Noble was born on January 16, 1880, the son of Colonel Charles Noble, and entered the Navy as a cadet the day before his fourteenth birthday. Two years later he was appointed to the cruiser lmmortalite (Captain [afterwards Admiral Sir] Edward Chichester) on the China Station, in which he served for three and a half years, being rated midshipman after six months. On returning home, he served for six months in the sailing Training Squadron before being promoted to sub-lieutenant. While undergoing sub-lieutenants' instructional courses at Greenwich and Portsmouth he was detailed for the naval guard of honour which was mounted at Windsor at the funeral of Queen Victoria, a duty for which he was made M.V.O.. As a sub-lieutenant he served in the. battleship Hannibal, in the Channel Squadron, remaining in her on promotion to lieutenant in 1902. After two years in the battleship Russell, in the Mediterranean as a watch-keeper, he became Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral A. L. Winsloe, commanding flotillas at home. When Admiral Winsloe was relieved in that command, Noble served for a year in command of the destroyer Ribble in the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, after which he joined the Signal School at Portsmouth and qualified as a signal officer. From January, 1910, until October. 1911. He was again Flag-Lieutenant to Admiral Winsloe, then Commander-in- Chief on the China Station, a post which he left on his appointment to the Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert. 1914-18
War Service
He succeeded to the position of First Lieutenant of the yacht the following year, and in August, 1913, he was promoted commander. Four months later he became executive officer of the armoured cruiser Achilles, in the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet. In September, 1916, he was transferred in the same capacity to the new cruiser Courageous (Captain Arthur Bromley), flagship of Rear-Admiral-later Vice-Admiral-T. D. W. Napier Commanding the Light Cruiser Force of the Grand Fleet, where he was still serving when he was promoted to captain at the end of June, 1918. Four months later he took over his first command, when he became Flag- Captain to Rear-Admiral Sir Allen Everett, in the Calliope, 4th Light Cruiser Squadron, Grand Fleet. In March, 1919, he transferred to the Calcutta, on Admiral Everett becoming Rear-Admiral Commanding the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron, America and West Indies Station, and served there for two years, in the course of which he was advanced to C.V.O. After a period of unemployment, Noble became for some 18 months Chief Staff Officer to Admiral Sir H. L. Heath in the Scottish Command, and in October, 1922, he returned to the sea for two years in command of the battleship Barham, as Flag- Captain and Chief Staff Officer to Vice- Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair, Commanding the 1st Battle Squadron, Atlantic Fleet. After a period of committee work at the Admiralty, he became captain of the Ganges, the training establishment for boys at Harwich, and captain-in-charge of the port. When he had held that command for two years he was selected as the first commanding officer of the new boys' training establishment H.M.S. St. Vincent, at Forton, Gosport, in the inauguration of which his experience at Harwich was invaluable. As soon as the new establishment was running smoothly; Noble Was relieved after being in command of it for nine months, and. took over the highly responsible post of Director of the Operations Division of the Naval Staff at the Admiralty. He was promoted Rear-Admiral in October. 1929. 1 A year of unemployment followed, and in January, 1931, he became Director of Naval Equipment at the Admiralty. He did not bold that post for the full two years, how- ever, as in December, 1932, he was selected for the. command of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet, with his flag in the Leander. After two years in that command he returned once more to the Admiralty, this time as Fourth Sea Lord and a member of the Board of Admiralty. He was promoted vice-admiral two months after taking up duty, and remained on the Board for two years and eight months, when he was selected to succeed Admiral Sir Charles Little as Commander-in-Chief on the China Station. He was made a C.B. in 1932 and was advanced to K.C.B. in 1936. The anti-British attitude of the Japanese forces in China was at its worst when he assumed command, and to uphold British rights and British dignity in the face of Japanese intrigue and often insult, with little or no material forces at his back, called for qualities of firmness, good sense, tact, and restraint. of the highest order in the Commander-in-Chief--qualities which he possessed in abundance. He was promoted admiral in 1939. In July, 1940, he was recalled from his command-in-chief in China after two and a half years, and in March, 1941, he took' up the appointment of Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches.
Washington
In 1942, November, 1942, after 18 months directing the struggle against enemy submarines in the Atlantic with ever-increasing success, he was. appointed Head of the British Admiralty Delegation in Washington in suc- cession to Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham (now Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope). He lost no time on his new appointment in making clear to the American public the seriousness of the U-boat menace and during his two years in Washington succeeded notably in his duties as representative of the Royal Navy with the combined chiefs of staff. For his services he was made a G.B.E. in 1944. From 1943 until his retirement in 1945 from the Active List on reaching the age limit he was First and Principal Naval A.D.C. to King George VI, and after his retirement he was appointed Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom and of the Admiralty, an appointment which carries no duties except in attendance on the Sovereign. He married in 1907 Diamantina Isabella, only daughter of Allan Campbell. She died in 1909. There was one son of the marriage. He is Commander A. H. P. Noble, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N. (retd.)., Conservative- member of Parliament for Chelsea since 1945, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty from 1951 until the last general election. Admiral Sir Percy Noble married secondly, in 1913, Celia Emily, daughter of Robert Kirkman Hodgson. There was one son of the marriage
Taken from The Times Archive