Alexander Bethell

Sir Alexander Bethell
Sir Alexander Bethell
	1917 portrait byFrancis Dodd
Born	28 August 1855; London,England
Died	13 June 1932(aged 76); London, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1869–1918
Rank	Admiral
Commands	HMSArethusa; HMSNaiad; HMSHindustan; East Indies Station; Royal Naval College, Greenwich; Plymouth Command; Coastguards and Reserves
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George; Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Relations	Richard Bethell, 3rd Baron Westbury,brother

AdmiralSir Alexander Edward BethellGCMG KCB(28 August 1855 – 13 June 1932) was a British naval officer who served asCommander-in-Chief, Plymouthof theRoyal Navy.

Naval career

Born the second son ofRichard Augustus Bethell, 2nd Baron Westbury,^[1]Bethell joined theRoyal Navyin 1869.^[2]In July–August 1899 he commanded theArethusa,which was commissioned for the annual manoeuvres.^[3]He was given command of thecruiser HMSNaiadserving in theMediterranean Fleetin March 1901, and landed the Somaliland Field Force in East Africa^[1]before returning to the United Kingdom to become assistant director of torpedoes.^[2]He was given command of thebattleship HMSHindustanin 1908.^[1]He was appointedDirector of Naval Intelligencein 1909.^[2]

In that capacity he attended the famousCIDmeeting on 23 August, at which the government rejected the Royal Navy's proposal that 5 divisions guard Britain whilst one land on the Baltic coast in the event of war with Germany. Instead the Army's plan, to send an Expeditionary Force of between four and six divisions to France, was adopted.^[4]He was appointedCommander-in-Chief, East Indies Stationin 1912.^[2]He was appointed Officer Commanding the Royal Navy War College atPortsmouthin 1913.^[2]

He served inWorld War Ias Commander, Battleships for the 3rd Fleet.^[2]He was President of theRoyal Naval College, Greenwich,from 1914 to 1915 and was appointedCommander-in-Chief, Plymouth,in 1916 and Admiral commanding the Coastguards and Reserves in 1918.^[2]He retired later that year.^[2]

He lived at Wadeford House inCombe St NicholasinSomerset.^[1]He died in a London nursing home on 13 June 1932.^[5]

Family

In 1890 he married Hilda Huntsman; they had two sons and a daughter.^[1]Both his sons were killed in World War I.^[1]

References

^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f"The Bethell Family and Wadeford House"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 March 2010.Retrieved14 August2010.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^hLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
^Navy List, August 1899, corrected to 18 July 1899 - Supplement: Ships and Officers Engaged in the Naval Manoeuvres,page 28.
^Jeffery 2006, p96-7
^Admiral Sir Alexander Bethell "(Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 15 June 1932. Issue 46160, col C, p. 9.

Books

Jeffery, Keith (2006).Field Marshal Sir Henry Wilson: A Political Soldier.Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-820358-2.

External links

The Dreadnought Project - Alexander Bethell

Military offices
Preceded by Edmond Slade	Director of Naval Intelligence 1909–1912	Succeeded by Thomas Jackson
Preceded by Sir Edmond Slade	Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station 1912	Succeeded by Sir Richard Peirse
Preceded by Sir Frederic Fisher	President, Royal Naval College, Greenwich 1914–1915	Succeeded by Sir Lewis Bayly
Preceded by Sir George Warrender	Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth 1916–1918	Succeeded by Sir Cecil Thursby

[wade-1] "The Bethell Family and Wadeford House"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 March 2010.Retrieved14 August2010.

[lh-2] ^^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^hLiddell Hart Centre for Military Archives

[NavyListAug99-3] Navy List, August 1899, corrected to 18 July 1899 - Supplement: Ships and Officers Engaged in the Naval Manoeuvres,page 28.

[4] Jeffery 2006, p96-7

[5] Admiral Sir Alexander Bethell "(Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 15 June 1932. Issue 46160, col C, p. 9.

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