Allegiance United Kingdom Years of service 1898–1944 Name Frederick Edward-Collins | Service/branch Royal Navy Rank Admiral | |
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Birth name George Frederick Basset Edward-Collins Born 26 December 1883
Bodmin, Cornwall ( 1883-12-26 ) Died 17 February 1958(1958-02-17) (aged 74)
Lostwithiel, Cornwall | ||
Admiral Sir George Frederick Basset Edward-Collins KCB, KCVO, ADC, DL (26 December 1883 – 17 February 1958) was a British senior officer in the Royal Navy during the first half of the twentieth century.
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Early life
Edward-Collins was born in Bodmin, Cornwall, the son of Edward Charles Edward-Collins, a local landowner. He was the younger brother of Charles Edward-Collins.
Naval career
Edward-Collins enrolled in the navy on 15 January 1898. He served as a midshipman on the HMS Goliath in 1900. During the First World War Edward-Collins served on both the HMS Superb and HMS Tiger.
Edward-Collins commanded the light cruisers HMS Carysfort from April till September 1925, and HMS Comus from September 1925 till April 1927. He was also captain of the battlecruiser HMS Renown from December 1930 till March 1932, and was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet on 13 September 1935. From 1938 until 1940 he commanded the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, and later in 1940 he became second in command of the Home Fleet. In 1942, during the Second World War, Edward-Collins served as the acting Governor and Commander in Chief of the Fortress of Gibraltar. He reached the rank of Admiral on 21 January 1943, and retired on 7 February 1944.
Awards and recognition
Edward-Collins became Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order on 17 June 1939. He was mentioned in dispatches in 1940, and became Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1941. He was awarded the Order Odrodzenia Polski (4th class) in recognition of services to the Polish Navy on 22 December 1942.