Cecil Fiennes Thursby

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Admiral Sir Cecil F. Thursby, 1918.
Portrait: Francis Dodd. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1773).

Admiral SIR Cecil Fiennes Thursby, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., Royal Navy (17 January, 1861 – 28 May, 1936) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Thursby was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1883.[1]

On 7 July 1887, Thursby was loaned to command the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 45 for manoeuvres.[2]

Thursby was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1895, aged thirty-four years, five months, and thirteen days.[3] He was appointed Commander of the battleship Mars on 8 June, 1897.[4]

Captain

Thursby was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1901.[5]

He was appointed in command of the ironclad Triumph on 16 July, 1902. He was discharged from her on 18 July, 1903, to take command of Cleopatra for manoeuvres. He was then reappointed to command Triumph on 11 August, 1903 and remained in her until 31 December.[6]

In 1905, he assumed command of the second class protected cruiser Encounter,leaving the ship in December to become captain of the armoured cruiser King Alfred.

He was appointed in command of the battleship Swiftsure on 5 August, 1908.[7]

He was appointed a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (C.M.G.) on 24 June, 1910.[8]

Flag Rank

Thursby was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 July, 1911, vice Farquhar.[9]

On 29 August, 1912, he became second in command of the Third Battle Squadron, under Vice-Admiral Cecil Burney.

Great War

General Birdwood and Thursby, 1915.

On 1 August, 1914, he was appointed to the Fifth Battle Squadron, again under Cecil Burney.[10]

He was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K.C.M.G.) on 1 January, 1916.[11]

Thursby was confirmed in the rank of Vice-Admiral on 10 April, 1917, vice Jerram.[12]

He was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 1 January, 1918.[13]

Post-War

He was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 3 April, 1919.[14]

He was placed on the Retired list at his own request "in order to facilitate the promotion of younger officers" on 7 October, 1920.[15]

He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant in the County of Salop (Shropshire) on 19 October, 1923.

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir Cecil Thursby" (Obituaries). The Times. Friday, 29 May, 1936. Issue 47387, col C, p. 19.

Papers

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M. T.B. 45
7 Jul, 1887[16] – 18 Aug, 1887[17]
Succeeded by
Edward M. Hewett
Preceded by
Thomas H. Fisher
Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. St. Vincent
4 Apr, 1899[18] – 13 Jan, 1902[19]
Succeeded by
Bentinck J. D. Yelverton
Preceded by
Sir Edward Chichester, Bart.
Captain of H.M.S. Triumph
16 Jul, 1902[20]
Succeeded by
Arthur H. Oldham
as Captain of H.M.S. Tenedos
Preceded by
Pennant A. I. Lloyd
Captain of H.M.S. Cleopatra
19 Jul, 1903[21] – 10 Aug, 1903[22]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Arthur W. E. Prothero
Flag Captain, Plymouth Station
1 Jan, 1904[23] – 27 Mar, 1905[24]
Succeeded by
Montague E. Browning
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Encounter
7 Apr, 1905[25][26] – 30 Nov, 1905[27]
Succeeded by
Henry V. W. Elliott
Preceded by
Charles D. Granville
Captain of H.M.S. King Alfred
1 Dec, 1905[28] – 20 Mar, 1908[29]
Succeeded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker
Preceded by
Christopher G. F. M. Cradock
Captain of H.M.S. Swiftsure
5 Aug, 1908[30][31] – 14 Feb, 1910[32]
Succeeded by
Cyril E. Tower
Preceded by
Ernest C. T. Troubridge
Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham
15 Feb, 1910[33] – 1 Aug, 1911[34]
Succeeded by
Seymour E. Erskine
Preceded by
Sir Christopher G. F. M. Cradock
Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Third Battle Squadron
29 Aug, 1912[35] – 29 Aug, 1913[36]
Succeeded by
Montague E. Browning
Preceded by
Charles Dundas of Dundas
Rear-Admiral Second-in-Command, Seventh Battle Squadron
13 Jul, 1914[37] – 27 July, 1914[38]
Succeeded by
Command merged into Eighth Battle Squadron[39]
Preceded by
Bernard Currey
Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Fifth Battle Squadron
29 Jul, 1914[40]
Succeeded by
Lewis Clinton-Baker
Preceded by
The Hon. Sir Alexander E. Bethell
Vice-Admiral in Command, Fifth Battle Squadron
14 Aug, 1914[41]
Succeeded by
Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas
Preceded by
?
Rear-Admiral, Second in Command, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron
Mar, 1915
Succeeded by
Stuart Nicholson
Preceded by
New Command
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Adriatic Squadron
Jun, 1915[42]
Succeeded by
Mark E. F. Kerr
Preceded by
Sir John M. de Robeck
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron
19 Jun, 1916[43] – 25 Aug, 1917[44]
Succeeded by
Sydney F. Fremantle
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Ægean Squadron
Preceded by
The Hon. Sir Somerset A. Gough-Calthorpe
Admiral Commanding Coastguard and Reserves
26 Aug, 1917[45][46] – 22 Jul, 1918[47]
Succeeded by
Sir Dudley R. S. de Chair
Preceded by
The Hon. Sir Alexander E. Bethell
Commander in Chief, Plymouth Station
1 Aug, 1918[48] – 6 Oct, 1920[49]
Succeeded by
Sir Montague E. Browning

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 25303. p. 2. 1 January, 1884.
  2. "Naval and Military Intelligence". The Times. Saturday, 2 July, 1887. Issue 32114, col C, p. 12.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 26647. p. 4233. 26 July, 1895.
  4. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 24 May, 1897. Issue 35211, col E, p. 12.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 27393. p. 3. 3 January, 1902.
  6. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  7. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 380.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 28388. p. 4477. (Supplement) 24 June, 1910.
  9. The London Gazette: no. 28514. p. 5353. 18 July, 1911.
  10. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. f. 6.
  11. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29423. p. 83. 1 January, 1916.
  12. The London Gazette: no. 30017. p. 3496. 13 April, 1917.
  13. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30451. p. 79. 1 January, 1918.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 31304. p. 5116. 22 April, 1919.
  15. The London Gazette: no. 32081. p. 9891. 12 October, 1920.
  16. "Naval and Military Intelligence". The Times. Saturday, 2 July, 1887. Issue 32114, col C, p. 12.
  17. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 231.
  18. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  19. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  20. The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 309.
  21. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  22. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  23. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. f. 1309.
  24. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  25. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 308.
  26. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  27. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  28. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  29. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  30. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 380.
  31. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  32. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  33. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  34. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  35. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  36. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  37. "Naval Mobilization" (News). The Times. Tuesday, 14 July, 1914. Issue 40575, col G, p. 16.
  38. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. p. 658.
  39. Naval Staff Monographs. Volume III. p. 10.
  40. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 1310.
  41. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 1310.
  42. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. f. 32.
  43. Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918. f. 32.
  44. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  45. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 423.
  46. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  47. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.
  48. The Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 2.
  49. Thursby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 658.