Years of service 1900 - 1946 Name Ralph Leatham Rank Admiral | Died March 10, 1954 Awards Order of the Bath | |
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Commands held HMS YarmouthHMS DurbanHMS RamilliesHMS ValiantCommander-in-Chief, East Indies StationCommander-in-Chief, LevantPlymouth Command Battles/wars World War IWorld War II | ||
Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham KCB (3 March 1888 – 10 March 1954) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth during World War II.
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Naval career
Leatham joined the Royal Navy in 1900 as a cadet on the training ship Britannia. He served on various ships during World War I. After the War he went on to command HMS Yarmouth, HMS Durban, HMS Ramillies and HMS Valiant. He was appointed Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron in 1938.
He served in World War II as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station from April 1939 and as Flag Officer in Command, Malta from 1941 taking part in actions against the Italian Navy. He became Deputy Governor of Malta in 1943 and was briefly temporary Commander-in-Chief, Levant before becoming Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth later in 1943. He retired in 1946.
In retirement he became Governor of Bermuda.
Family
In 1910 he married Enid Birks; they had one son and one daughter.