Reginald Tyrwhitt

Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet of Terschelling and of Oxford (10 May 1870-30 May 1951) was an admiral of the Royal Navy in World War I who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war.

Tyrwhitt entered the navy as a cadet in 1883. By 1912 he was a Captain in command of the Second Flotilla of Torpedo Boat Destroyers. He was advanced in 1913 to the command of all destroyer flotillas of the Home Fleet, with the rank of Commodore, flying his flag from the light cruiser, HMS "Amethyst".

The forces Tyrwhitt commanded were called the Harwich Force during World War I. His leadership was highly regarded, and he led his ships at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and in the Cuxhaven Raid in 1914, and in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915. During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the Admiralty held back Tyrwhitt's forces.

From 1927 to 1929, Tyrwhitt was commander-in-chief of British naval forces in China during a period of disturbances and tension with the Nationalist Government. From 1930 to 1933, he served as commander in chief at the Nore.

Tyrwhitt was created a Baronet, of Terschelling and of Oxford, in 1919, and in 1934 he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.

Mount Tyrwhitt (9,430 ft) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was named after the admiral in 1918. It is situated at latitude 50 34 55 north in the province of Alberta near the headwaters of the Bow River and the Kootenay River.

References

*Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). "Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage" (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/ Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page]