The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Portsmouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the post. The commanders-in-chief were based at High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the 1830s and then at the Dockyard Commissioner's house from the 1830s to 1969.
An admiral commanding in Portsmouth has been attested as early as 1697, but the first Flag Officer who records clearly establish was responsible for Portsmouth was Rear-Admiral Sir John Moore, appointed in 1766. The Command extended along the south coast from Newhaven in East Sussex to Portland in Dorset. In 1889 the Commander-in-Chief took HMS Victory as his Flagship.
In the late 18th century port admirals began to reside ashore, rather than on board their flagships; the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was provided with a large house in the High Street (formerly home to one Philip Varlo, four times Mayor of Portsmouth). In the 1830s this Admiralty House was sold to the War Office (as Government House, it went on to house the Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth for the next fifty years). The Commander-in-Chief moved in turn into the former Dockyard Commissioner's house, which still stands within HMNB Portsmouth.
During the Second World War the Command Headquarters was at Fort Southwick.
In 1952 the Commander-in-Chief took up the NATO post of Commander-in-Chief, Channel (CINCHAN). This move added Allied Command Channel to the NATO Military Command Structure. The admiral commanding at Portsmouth had control naval operations in the area since 1949 under WUDO auspices.
The post of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was merged with that of Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1969 to form the post of Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command (CINCNAVHOME). The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War. In 2012, however, all distinct Commander-in-Chief appointments were discontinued, with full operational command being vested instead in the First Sea Lord; he now flies his flag from HMS Victory.
Commanders-in-Chief
Commanders-in-Chief have included:
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1745 – 1747 Admiral James Steuart1748 – 1752 Admiral Sir Edward Hawke1755 – 1756 Admiral Sir Edward Hawke1756 – 1757 Admiral Henry Osborn1758 – 1766 Admiral Sir Francis Holburne1766 – 1769 Admiral Sir John Moore1769 – 1771 Admiral Sir Francis Geary1771 – 1774 Admiral Thomas Pye1774 – 1777 Admiral Sir James Douglas1777 – 1783 Admiral Thomas Pye1783 – 1786 Admiral John Montagu1786 – 1789 Admiral Viscount Hood1789 – 1792 Admiral Robert Roddam1792 – 1793 Admiral Viscount Hood1793 – 1799 Admiral Sir Peter Parker1799 – 1803 Admiral Mark MilbankeMar – Jun 1803 Admiral Lord Gardner1803 – 1809 Admiral Sir George Montagu1809 – 1812 Admiral Sir Roger Curtis1812 – 1815 Admiral Sir Richard Bickerton1815 – 1818 Admiral Sir Edward Thornbrough1818 – 1821 Admiral Sir George Campbell1821 – 1824 Admiral Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed1824 – 1827 Admiral Sir George Martin1827 – 1830 Admiral Sir Robert Stopford1830 – 1833 Admiral Sir Thomas Foley1833 – 1836 Admiral Sir Thomas Williams1836 – 1839 Admiral Sir Philip DurhamApr – Nov 1839 Admiral Charles Elphinstone Fleeming1839 – 1842 Admiral Sir Edward Codrington1842 – 1845 Admiral Sir Charles Rowley1845 – 1848 Admiral Sir Charles Ogle1848 – 1851 Admiral Sir Thomas Capel1851 – 1852 Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs1852 – 1856 Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane1856 – 1859 Admiral Sir George Seymour1859 – 1660 Admiral Sir William Bowles1860 – 1863 Admiral Sir Henry Bruce1863 – 1866 Admiral Sir Michael Seymour1866 – 1869 Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley1869 – 1872 Admiral Sir James Hope1872 – 1875 Admiral Sir Rodney Mundy1875 – 1878 Admiral Sir George Elliot1878 – 1879 Admiral Sir Edward Fanshawe1879 – 1882 Admiral Sir Alfred Ryder1882 – 1886 Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby1886 – 1888 Admiral Sir George Willes1888 – 1891 Admiral Sir John Commerell1891 – 1894 Admiral The Earl of Clanwilliam1894 – 1897 Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon1897 – 1900 Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour1900 – 1903 Admiral Sir Charles Hotham1903 – 1904 Admiral Sir John Fisher1905 – 1907 Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas1907 – 1908 Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet1908 – 1910 Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe1910 – 1911 Admiral Sir Assheton Curzon-Howe1911 – 1912 Admiral Sir Arthur Moore1912 – 1916 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux1916 – 1919 Admiral Sir Stanley Colville1919 – 1920 Admiral Sir Cecil Burney1920 – 1923 Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe1923 – 1926 Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle1926 – 1929 Admiral Sir Osmond Brock1929 – 1931 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Keyes1931 – 1934 Admiral Sir Arthur Waistell1934 – 1936 Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Kelly1936 – 1937 Admiral Sir William Fisher1937 – 1939 Admiral of the Fleet The Earl of Cork and Orrery1939 – 1942 Admiral Sir William James1942 – 1945 Admiral Sir Charles Little1945 – 1947 Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton1947 – 1948 Admiral The Lord Fraser of North Cape1948 – 1950 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon Willis1950 – 1952 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Power1952 – 1954 Admiral Sir John Edelsten1954 – 1957 Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Creasy1957 – 1959 Admiral Sir Guy Grantham1959 – 1961 Admiral Sir Manley Power1961 – 1963 Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley1963 – 1965 Admiral Sir Wilfrid Woods1965 – 1966 Admiral Sir Varyl Begg1966 – 1967 Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins1967 – 1969 Admiral Sir John FrewenCommander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command
1969 – 1970 Admiral Sir John Frewen1970 – 1972 Admiral Sir Horace Law1972 – 1974 Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis1974 – 1975 Admiral Sir Derek Empson1975 – 1976 Admiral Sir Terence Lewin1976 – 1979 Admiral Sir David Williams1979 – 1981 Admiral Sir Richard Clayton1981 – 1983 Admiral Sir James Eberle1983 – 1984 Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi1984 – 1987 Admiral Sir Peter Stanford1987 – 1989 Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward1989 – 1991 Admiral Sir Jeremy Black1991 – 1994 Admiral Sir John KerrSecond Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command
1994 – 1995 Admiral Sir Michael Layard1995 – 1997 Admiral Sir Michael Boyce1997 – 2000 Admiral Sir John Brigstocke2000 – 2003 Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Spencer2003 – 2005 Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent2005 – 2008 Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns2008 – 2010 Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Massey2010 – 2012 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles MontgomeryIn 2012 the appointment of separate Commanders-in-Chief was discontinued with full operational command being vested in the First Sea Lord.
