Lionel Halsey

Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey GCMG GCVO KCIE CB ADC (26 February 1872–26 October 1949) was a British Royal Navy officer and courtier.

Early life and career

Halsey was born in London, the fourth son of Sir Thomas Frederick Halsey, 1st Baronet. After primary education at Stubbington House, Fareham, Hampshire, he entered the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in January 1885. He was commissioned a Sub-Lieutenant on 14 July 1891. [LondonGazette|issue=26347|startpage=6582|date=22 November 1892|accessdate=2007-12-18] In July 1893 he was posted to the Royal Yacht and was promoted Lieutenant on 28 August 1893. [LondonGazette|issue=26444|startpage=5433|date=26 September 1893|accessdate=2007-12-18] He served with the Mediterranean Fleet and then on the North America and West Indies Station, before joining HMS "Powerful". In the South African War he commanded a battery of naval guns in the Defence of Ladysmith, for which he was mentioned in dispatches [LondonGazette|issue=27194|startpage=3249|date=22 May 1900|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=27282|startpage=930|date=8 February 1901|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=27293|startpage=1729|date=17 March 1901|accessdate=2007-12-18] and promoted Commander on 1 January 1901. ["Oxford Dictionary of National Biography"] He was posted to the cruiser HMS "Diana" as Executive Officer and served in her in the Mediterranean until June 1902. From November 1902 he served as Executive Officer in HMS "Good Hope", flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron.

In January 1905 Halsey was appointed Naval Member of the new Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Committee at the Admiralty, and was promoted Captain on 30 June 1905. [LondonGazette|issue=27812|startpage=4557|date=30 June 1905|accessdate=2007-12-18] In August 1905 he took command of HMS "Powerful", [LondonGazette|issue=27922|startpage=4157|date=15 June 1906|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=27950|startpage=6326|date=18 September 1906|accessdate=2007-12-18] as flag captain to Sir Wilmot Hawkes as Commander-in-Chief Australia Station. In April 1911 he was given command of HMS "Donegal" in the 4th Cruiser Squadron and in 1912 took over the new battle cruiser HMS "New Zealand" on her cruise around the world to "show the flag". He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) on 8 December 1913. [LondonGazette|issue=28780|startpage=9077|date=9 December 1913|accessdate=2007-12-18] On 19 September 1914 he was appointed a Naval ADC to the King. [LondonGazette|issue=28910|startpage=7478|date=22 September 1914|accessdate=2007-12-18]

First World War

After the outbreak of the First World War, Halsey commanded the "New Zealand" at the Battle of Dogger Bank in January 1915, for which he was again mentioned in dispatches. [LondonGazette|issue=29088|supp=yes|startpage=2211|date=2 March 1915|accessdate=2007-12-18] In June 1915 he became Captain of the Fleet to Sir John Jellicoe in HMS "Iron Duke" with the rank of Commodore 1st Class. He was granted a special Good Service Pension in July 1915. [LondonGazette|issue=29239|startpage=7193|date=23 July 1915|accessdate=2007-12-18] He was present at the Battle of Jutland, being mentioned in dispatches [LondonGazette|issue=29751|supp=yes|startpage=9068|date=15 September 1916|accessdate=2007-12-18] for a third time and appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 3 June 1916 (in the King's Birthday Honours). [LondonGazette|issue=29608|supp=yes|startpage=5553|date=2 June 1916|accessdate=2007-12-18] On 15 September 1916 he was appointed an Officer of the "Légion d'honneur" [LondonGazette|issue=29751|supp=yes|startpage=9081|date=15 September 1916|accessdate=2007-12-18] and was promoted to Commander in 1917. [LondonGazette|issue=30029|supp=yes|startpage=3821|date=20 April 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18]

On 4 December 1916 Halsey was appointed Fourth Sea Lord at the Admiralty, becoming Third Sea Lord in May 1917. [LondonGazette|issue=29848|startpage=11839|date=5 December 1916|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=29865|startpage=12226|endpage=12227|date=15 December 1916|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=30114|startpage=5514|date=5 June 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=30278|startpage=9369|date=11 September 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=30369|startpage=11469|date=6 November 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=30472|startpage=731|date=11 January 1918|accessdate=2007-12-18] In April 1917 he was promoted Rear-Admiral. He was also awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun 2nd Class in 1917. [LondonGazette|issue=30363|supp=yes|startpage=11322|date=30 October 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18] In September 1918 he returned to sea in the battle cruiser HMAS "Australia" in command of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet and was present at the German surrender at Scapa Flow. He was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1918 and in 1919 received the Distinguished Service Medal of the United States. [LondonGazette|issue=31553|supp=yes|startpage=11582|endpage=11583|date=11 September 1917|accessdate=2007-12-18] He served at the Admiralty from March to August 1919, when he became chief of staff to the Prince of Wales for his tour of Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and other colonies in HMS "Renown". For this he was appointed Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) on 1 December 1919 [LondonGazette|issue=31705|startpage=15864|date=23 December 1919|accessdate=2007-12-18] and promoted Knight Grand Cross (GCVO) on 11 October 1920. [LondonGazette|issue=32086|startpage=9986|endpage=9987|date=15 October 1920|accessdate=2007-12-18]

Post-war

In November 1920 Halsey was appointed Comptroller and Treasurer to the Prince of Wales. [LondonGazette|issue=32145|startpage=11793|date=30 November 1920|accessdate=2007-12-18] He became a member of the Prince's council in 1920, [LondonGazette|issue=32154|startpage=12052|date=7 December 1920|accessdate=2007-12-18] and an extra equerry in 1921. [LondonGazette|issue=32180|startpage=55|date=4 January 1921|accessdate=2007-12-18] He was promoted Vice-Admiral on 5 July 1921 [LondonGazette|issue=32394|startpage=5733|date=19 July 1921|accessdate=2007-12-18] and retired from the Navy on 1 November 1922. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in 1922 after the Prince's visit to India, promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) on 16 October 1925 following the Prince's visit to Africa and South America, [LondonGazette|issue=33101|startpage=7349|date=10 November 1925|accessdate=2007-12-18] and promoted Admiral on 4 October 1926. [LondonGazette|issue=33209|startpage=6440|date=8 October 1926|accessdate=2007-12-18] In 1926 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Bedford. [LondonGazette|issue=33212|startpage=6690|date=19 October 1926|accessdate=2007-12-18] He was also awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun 1st Class in 1922. [LondonGazette|issue=32718|startpage=4390|date=9 June 1922|accessdate=2007-12-18]

In 1936 he was dismissed from the staff of King Edward VIII, as the Prince of Wales had now become. This was probably due to his opposition to Wallis Simpson becoming queen. In 1937, however, he was appointed an extra equerry to the new King George VI [LondonGazette|issue=34306|supp=yes|startpage=4664|date=20 July 1936|accessdate=2007-12-18] [LondonGazette|issue=34376|startpage=1406|date=2 March 1937|accessdate=2007-12-18] and took part in the coronation procession as acting Keeper of the Jewel House. [LondonGazette|issue=34453|startpage=7048|date=10 November 1937|accessdate=2007-12-18]

Footnotes

References

*cite web|first=V. W.|last=Baddeley|title=‘Halsey, Sir Lionel (1872–1949)’|coauthor=rev. Marc Brodie|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2004; online edition, May 2006|format=subscription required|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/33661|accessdate=2007-12-18|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/33661

-