Cecil Henry Fox

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Rear-Admiral (retired) Cecil Henry Fox, C.B., (27 May, 1873 – 1963) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Monkstown, Fox entered Britannia in January, 1886 after placing thirty-ninth in order of merit of the forty candidates for naval cadetship that were accepted for acceptance following a round of examinations in late November, 1885.[1]

He received eight months time on passing out of Britannia in December, 1887. He was appointed first to the armoured cruiser Orlando on the Australia Station on 24 May, 1898.[2]

Fox was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1894.[3]

Fox was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1904.[4]

Fox was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1911.[5]

He was appointed as Captain (D) of the Third Destroyer Flotilla on 3 April, 1913,[6] commanding the flotilla from Boadicea and, from August of that year, from Forward.[7]

Great War

In April, 1914, he assumed command of the scout cruiser Amphion,[8] continuing to command the Third Flotilla from her. Fox was to suffer the misfortune of losing her to a mine on 6 August – the first Royal Navy warship to be lost in the war. Fox was badly burned in the sinking and admitted to Shotley Hospital. He mended well, and while doing so was placed on the books of H.M.S. Vivid for charge of the new flotilla leader Faulknor, which was still being completed.[9]

He was next appointed in command of the Undaunted on 6 October, 1914,[10] almost immediately to fight the Action of 17 October, 1914, where he eradicated the entire enemy force of four torpedo boats off Texel. Fox was issued a letter on vellum commending him for his services in this battle, this being equivalent to a mention in despatches.[11]

On 26 October, 1914 Fox was superseded in Undaunted and in command of the Third Flotilla by Francis G. St. John and became Captain in Charge of the Naval Base at Methil in the Firth of Forth. On 18 November, he was transferred to be Captain in Charge of Naval Base, Granton.[12]

On 29 October, 1918, Fox was appointed to be Captain Superintendent, Clyde District and Senior Naval Officer, Clyde. He left the post when the depot closed down on 10 July, 1920.[13]

Fox was granted a General Service Pension of 150 pounds a year on 5 July, 1921 and placed on the Retired List with the rank of Rear-Admiral on 2 May, 1922, vice Lumsden.[14]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Joseph Sanders
Captain of H.M. T.B. 63
11 Jul, 1893[15]c. 20 Aug, 1893[Inference]
Succeeded by
Harold B. Bedwell
Preceded by
The Hon. Hubert G. Brand
Captain of H.M.S. Contest
10 Sep, 1898[16]
Succeeded by
Charles Tibbits
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Jed
24 Jan, 1905[17] – 10 Jul, 1906[18]
Succeeded by
Charles John Wintour
Preceded by
Francis G. St. John
Captain of H.M.S. Waveney
10 Jul, 1906[19] – 1 Oct, 1906[20]
Succeeded by
Alan C. Bruce
Preceded by
Alan C. Bruce
Captain of H.M.S. Kale
1 Oct, 1906[21][22] – 14 Jan, 1908[23]
Succeeded by
Alan C. Bruce
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Mohawk
20 Apr, 1908[24][25] – 25 Feb, 1909[26]
Succeeded by
Cyril Asser
Preceded by
Wilmot S. Nicholson
Captain of H.M.S. Attentive
25 Feb, 1909[27][28] – 13 Feb, 1911[29]
Succeeded by
Henry F. G. Talbot
Preceded by
Ernest S. Carey
Captain of H.M.S. Boadicea
3 Apr, 1913[30][31] – 5 Jul, 1913[32]
Succeeded by
Louis C. S. Woollcombe
Preceded by
Ernest S. Carey
Captain (D), Third Destroyer Flotilla
3 Apr, 1913[33][34] – 26 Oct, 1914[35]
Succeeded by
Francis G. St. John
Preceded by
Charles J. Wintour
Captain of H.M.S. Forward
Aug, 1913[36][37]
Succeeded by
Frederick P. Loder-Symonds
Preceded by
Thomas D. Pratt
Captain of H.M.S. Amphion
3 Apr, 1914[38] – 6 Aug, 1914[39]
Succeeded by
Vessel Lost
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Faulknor
25 Aug, 1914[40] – 6 Oct, 1914[41]
Succeeded by
Herbert Meade
Preceded by
H. Ralph Crooke
Captain of H.M.S. Undaunted
6 Oct, 1914[42][43] – 26 Oct, 1914[44]
Succeeded by
Francis G. St. John
Preceded by
?
Captain in Charge, Methil
26 Oct, 1914[45] – 18 Dec, 1914[46]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
?
Captain in Charge, Granton
18 Nov, 1914[47] – 5 Mar, 1915[48]
Succeeded by
Sir James Startin
as Senior Naval Officer, Granton
Preceded by
William J. B. Law
Captain of H.M.S. Topaze
5 May, 1915[49] – 14 May, 1915[50]
Succeeded by
Francis C. Brown
Preceded by
Herbert J. Savill
Captain of H.M.S. Powerful
16 May, 1915[51][52] – 4 Jul, 1917[53]
Succeeded by
Frederic W. Dean
Preceded by
John H. Loftie
Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable
4 Jul, 1917[54] – 23 Aug, 1918[55]
Succeeded by
Charles P. Beaty-Pownall
Preceded by
Charles F. Thorp
Flag Captain, Plymouth Station
4 Jul, 1917[56] – 3 Aug, 1918[57]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
John F. E. Green
as Senior Naval Officer and Admiral Superintendent, Clyde
Captain Superintendent, Clyde District and Senior Naval Officer, Clyde
29 Oct, 1918[58] – 10 Jul, 1920[59]
Succeeded by
Depot Closed

Footnotes

  1. "Cadetships In The Navy." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Dec 05, 1885; pg. 8; Issue 31622.
  2. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  3. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  4. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  5. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  6. "Movements of Ships" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 28 March, 1913. Issue 40171, col E, p. 6.
  7. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 317.
  8. The Navy List. (July, 1914). p. 278.
  9. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  10. The Navy List. (November, 1914). p. 387.
  11. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  12. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  13. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  14. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  15. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jul 10, 1893; pg. 10; Issue 33999.
  16. The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 240.
  17. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  18. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  19. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  20. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  21. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  22. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 335.
  23. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  24. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  25. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 346.
  26. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  27. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  28. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 280.
  29. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  30. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  31. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 286.
  32. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  33. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  34. "Movements of Ships" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 28 March, 1913. Issue 40171, col E, p. 6.
  35. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  36. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  37. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 317.
  38. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  39. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  40. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  41. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  42. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  43. The Navy List. (November, 1914). p. 387.
  44. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  45. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  46. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  47. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  48. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  49. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  50. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  51. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  52. The Navy List. (October, 1916). p. 396o.
  53. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  54. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  55. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  56. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  57. Thorp Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 20.
  58. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.
  59. Fox Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/320. f. 320.