The Reserve Fleet was a Royal Navy formation of decommissioned vessels which could be brought to a state of readiness at time of war.
In the early years of the 18th century ships were "laid up in ordinary" at various British naval bases so establishing the Reserve Fleet as a repository for serviceable but decommissioned ships.
The Reserve Fleet was brought to readiness for the First World War. It continued to exist in the inter-war years but in 1930 the Admiralty reduced it in size on the basis that war was unlikely in the ensuing 10 years. At the start of the Second World War the Reserve Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton, was again brought to a state of readiness. Some 15,000 men were called up in May 1939 to man the Reserve Fleet which became ready for service on 15 June 1939. During the 1950s ships were regularly 'cocooned' for the Reserve Fleet and it ceased to exist in 1960.
Flag Officers Commanding
Flag Officers Commanding included:
1919–1920 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Oliver1920–1922 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Phillimore1922–1923 Vice-Admiral Sir Douglas Nicholson1923–1924 Vice-Admiral Sir William Goodenough1924–1926 Vice-Admiral Sir Victor StanleyMar – Oct 1926 Vice-Admiral Sir Rudolph Bentinck1926–1928 Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Watson1928–1929 Vice-Admiral Sir William Boyle1929–1930 Vice-Admiral Percival Hall-Thompson1930–1932 Vice-Admiral Sir Frank Larken1932–1934 Vice-Admiral Sir William Kerr1934–1935 Vice-Admiral Edward Astley-Rushton1935–1937 Vice-Admiral Sir Gerald Dickens1937–1939 Vice Admiral Sir Max Hortoncommand then disbanded until 1944
1944–1945 Rear-Admiral Charles Harris1945–1947 Rear-Admiral Leslie Ashmore1947–1948 Rear-Admiral Reginald Servaes1948–1951 Vice-Admiral Sir Robin Bridge1951–1953 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry McCall1953–1954 Vice-Admiral Sir Ian Campbell1954–1955 Vice-Admiral Sir John Eaton1955–1956 Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Cazalet1956–1958 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Onslow1958–1959 Vice-Admiral Sir Guy Sayer1959–1960 Rear-Admiral John GrantSubordinate officers
Portsmouth Division
Rear-Admiral Edward F. Bruen, 1 February, 1919 – 23 April, 1919Rear-Admiral Cole C. Fowler, 23 April, 1919 – 23 April, 1920Rear-Admiral Clement Greatorex, 23 April, 1920 – 1 October, 1921Rear-Admiral Edmond H. Parker, 1 October, 1921Devonport Division
Rear-Admiral Douglas R. L. Nicholson, 1 February, 1919 – 18 March, 1919Rear-Admiral James A. Fergusson, 18 March, 1919 – 9 April, 1919Rear-Admiral Maurice Woollcombe, 9 April, 1919 – 9 April, 1920Rear-Admiral Philip H. Colomb, 9 April, 1920Rear-Admiral Charles D. Johnson, 9 April, 1921Captain Alfred A. Ellison, 16 May, 1922 – 1 November, 1922Captain Rowland H. Bather, 15 April, 1922 – 1 July, 1922 (temporary)Captain John E. Cameron, 1 November, 1922 – April, 1924Captain Herbert A. Buchanan-Wollaston, 25 July, 1927 – 17 April, 1928Captain Edward B. Cloete, 3 November, 1929 – 4 May, 1931Nore Division
Rear-Admiral A. Thomas Hunt, 1 February, 1919 – 8 March, 1919Rear-Admiral Henry L. Mawbey, 17 March, 1919 – 17 March, 1920Rear-Admiral Vivian H. G. Bernard, 17 March, 1920 – 17 March, 1921Rear-Admiral William J. S. Alderson, 17 March, 1921 – 15 April, 1922Captain Lawrence W. Braithwaite, 24 April, 1925 – 17 August, 1926Captain Arthur L. Snagge, c. 1927Captain Claude C. Dobson, 17 October, 1931 – 17 October, 1933Captain Richard M. King, 17 October, 1933 – 16 January, 1935 (and as Captain of Cardiff)Captain Hamilton C. Allen, 16 January, 1935 – 24 July, 1935Captain John H. Young, 1 October, 1935 – 1 September, 1936Rosyth Division
Vice-Admiral Sir Trevylyan D. W. Napier, 1 February, 1919 – 1 May, 1919Rear-Admiral Charles F. Corbett, 1 May, 1919 – 1 May, 1920Rear-Admiral Crawford Maclachlan, 1 May, 1920Captain Henry P. Boxer, 28 January, 1937 – 1 June, 1938Portland Division
Rear-Admiral Sir Douglas R. L. Nicholson, 1 November, 1919 – 1 April, 1920