Rhoderick McGrigor

Infobox Military Person
name= Sir Rhoderick Robert McGrigor
lived= 12 April 1893 – 3 December 1959
placeofbirth= York, United Kingdom
placeofdeath= Tarland, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom


caption= Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rhoderick McGrigor
nickname=
allegiance= flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
serviceyears= 1910 - 1955
rank= Captain (31 Dec 1933)
Commodore 2nd cl. (26 August 1938)
Rear Admiral (8 July 1941)
Vice Admiral (15 April 1945)
Admiral (2 September 1948)
Admiral of the Fleet (1 May 1953)
branch=
branch
commands= 4th Destroyer Flotilla
Force B at Pantellaria and Sicily
Flag Officer Sicily
Flag Officer, Taranto and Adriatic
Home Fleet aircraft carriers
1st Cruiser Squadron
Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet
First Sea Lord
unit=
battles= Dardanelles, Jutland
Malta Convoys
Arctic Convoys
awards= GCB (1st January 1951)
KCB (14th June 1945)
CB (1st January 1944)
Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
laterwork=

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Rhoderick Robert McGrigor GCB (12 April 1893 - 3 December 1959) was a Royal Navy officer and the British First Sea Lord from 1951 to 1955. During his years as professional head of the Royal Navy, he is most remembered as a leading proponent of carrier-based air power.

Early life

Rhoderick Robert McGrigor was the son of Major General C.R.R. McGrigor CB, CMG, 60th Rifles. In 1931, he married Gwendoline Glyn (widow of Major Charles Greville DSO, Grenadier Guards). The couple adopted twin sons one of whom is called Jock McGrigor.

He spent his childhood in South Africa and in early 1906 returned to England and was educated at Royal Naval Colleges (Osborne, Isle of Wight and Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth). He spent almost a year out of college, due to a bronchial infection but eventually graduated in 1910. His first ship was HMS "Dreadnought".

Naval service

First World War and inter-war

During the First World War, he served on destroyers in the Mediterranean and with the Grand Fleet, seeing action during the Dardanelles campaign and at the Battle of Jutland.

In the inter-war years, he was promoted on 22nd September 1936 to Captain (D), 4th Destroyer Flotilla (HMS "Kempenfelt"), with the Home Fleet, where he served until mid-1938. Later in 1938, on 26th August, he became Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief China Station (first on HMS "Kent", then HMS "Tamar", the RN base at Hong Kong), until April 1940.

econd World War

In early 1941, McGrigor was, briefly, Flag Captain, HMS "Renown" and was involved in the Malta convoys and other operations in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Between 9th September 1941 and early 1943, he was a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Weapons). In late 1943, he commanded the Naval Force (Force B) covering the capture of the Italian island of Pantelleria (Operation Corkscrew) and the subsequent Invasion of Sicily; he remained as Flag Officer Sicily during Sicilian and Calabrian Campaigns, during which he was wounded when blown from his ship. He was Flag Officer, Taranto and Adriatic (HMS Nile) until the end of 1943.

At the start of 1944, McGrigor briefly commanded Home Fleet aircraft carriers. From 27th March 1944 until July 1945, he was Rear-Admiral/Vice-Admiral Commanding 1st Cruiser Squadron and Second-in-Command Home Fleet (HMS "Kent", then HMS "Norfolk"). During this period, he participated in operations off the Norwegian coast (he was mentioned in despatches on 30 January 1945 for Operation Counterblast) and convoys to North Russia.

On 7th June 1945 he escorted the King Haakon on his return to Norway.

Post-war service

From 1945 onwards, McGrigor was appointed to a number of influential shore posts. On 1st October 1945, he became a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Vice Chief of Naval Staff, where he stayed until 1947. In 1948, until 1950, he was Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet, then Commander in Chief, Plymouth until 1951. From 20th December 1951, until 1955, he was First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff.

In 1952, McGrigor was appointed as First and Principal Naval ADC to the Queen, a post he held until 1953.

He held several honorary academic awards posts: Hon. LLD St Andrews, 1953; Hon. LLD Aberdeen, 1955; Lord Rector of Aberdeen University, 1954-1957.

References

* [http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersM.html Royal Navy Officers 1939-1945]
* Murfett, Malcolm H.(1995). "The First Sea Lords from Fisher to Mountbatten". Westport. ISBN 0-275-94231-7
* Heathcote, Tony (2002). "The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995". Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0 85052 835 6