AdmiralSir Montague Edward Browning,GCB,GCMG,GCVO(18 January 1863 – 4 November 1947) was a seniorRoyal Navyofficer who served asSecond Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.
Sir Montague Browning | |
|---|---|
 Browning in 1916 | |
| Born | 18 January 1863 Fornham St Martin,Suffolk,England[1] |
| Died | 4 November 1947(aged 84) Winchester,Hampshire,England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1876–1926 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Plymouth Command Second Sea Lord 4th Battle Squadron North America and West Indies Station 3rd Cruiser Squadron HMSAriadne |
| Battles / wars | Anglo-Egyptian War World War I |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Legion of Honour(France) Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure(Japan) Distinguished Service Medal(United States) Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain(China) |
| Relations | Frederick Browning(nephew) |
Military career
editBrowning joined theRoyal Navyin 1876.[2]He served in theAnglo-Egyptian Warand then became Secretary to the Parliamentary Committee on Water Tube Boilers in 1900.[2]
He was promoted tocaptainon 1 January 1902,[3]and in June that year was appointedflag captainin command of the cruiserHMSAriadne.[4]She was commissioned on 5 June 1902 as flagship of Vice-Admiral SirArchibald Douglas,the new Commander-in-Chief of theNorth America and West Indies Station,where she arrived to take up the position on 15 July.[5]Browning becameChief of Stafffor theChannel Fleetin 1908 and Inspector of Target Practice in 1911.[2]
He served in theWorld War Ias Commander of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of theGrand Fleetand then, from 1916, asCommander-in-Chief North America and West Indies.[2]He commanded4th Battle Squadronof the Grand Fleet from 1918.[2]
After the War he became President of the Allied Naval Armistice Commission and had the task of dismantling theGerman Fleet.[6]
He then becameSecond Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnelin 1919.[2]In this capacity he also sought to dismantle theRoyal Canadian Navybut this time faced determined and successful opposition fromRear AdmiralWalter Hose.[7]His last appointment was asCommander-in-Chief, Plymouthfrom 1920.[2]He also becameFirst and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camptothe Kingin 1925 and retired from the navy on 4 October 1926.[8]
He was alsoRear Admiral of the United Kingdomfrom 1929 to 1939[2]and thenVice Admiral of the United Kingdomfrom 1939 to 1945.[9]
He lived atCrawleynearWinchester.[10]His brother wasFrederick Browning,a cricketer and British Army officer.[11]
References
edit- ^"Sir Montague Edward Browning (1863–1947), Admiral".National Portrait Gallery.Retrieved17 May2024.
- ^abcdefghLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^"No. 27393".The London Gazette.3 January 1902. p. 3.
- ^"Naval & Military intelligence".The Times.No. 36754. London. 29 April 1902. p. 7.
- ^"Naval & Military intelligence".The Times.No. 36822. London. 17 July 1902. p. 9.
- ^Disarming other shipsThe Adalaide Advertiser, 25 November 1918
- ^Rear Admiral Walter Hose: Saving the Royal Canadian NavyArchived9 June 2011 at theWayback MachineCFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum
- ^"No. 33209".The London Gazette.8 October 1926. p. 6440.
- ^"No. 34599".The London Gazette.17 February 1939. p. 1136.
- ^"No. 33299".The London Gazette.2 August 1929. p. 5022.
- ^War Organizer's Death.Western Morning News.16 October 1929. p. 11