Benjamin Bathurst (Royal Navy officer)
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| Sir Benjamin Bathurst | |
|---|---|
| 27 May 1936 – | |
 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Benjamin Bathurst Crown Copyright |
|
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1953 - 1995 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held | First Sea Lord HMS Minerva (F45) HMS Ariadne (F72) |
| Battles/wars | Cold War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Benjamin Bathurst GCB, ADC (born 27 May 1936) is a Royal Navy officer who served as Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord during the early 1990s. He usually goes by his middle name and is known as Benjamin Bathurst.[1]
Bathurst is the son of Peter Bathurst and his wife Lady Elizabeth Ann (née Temple-Gore-Langton). His grandfather Benjamin Bathurst, Member of Parliament for Cirencester, was the third son of Allen Bathurst, 6th Earl Bathurst.
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[edit] Naval career
Educated at Eton College and Britannia Royal Naval College he joined the Royal Navy in 1953 serving with the Fleet Air Arm as a helicopter pilot. He soon qualified as an instructor, followed by Senior Pilot and went on to take command of his squadron.
Promoted Captain in 1974, Bathurst took command of a Leander class frigate, HMS Ariadne. Two years later he became Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord at the Ministry of Defence. In 1978 he took command of HMS Minerva and was Captain 5th Frigate Squadron until 1980. The following year, Bathurst attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and was appointed Director of Naval Air Warfare in the Ministry of Defence[2].
Bathurst was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1983, serving as Flag Officer Second Flotilla until taking up the appointment of Director General Naval Manpower and Training. He was made Vice Admiral in 1986 and then Admiral in 1989. He served as Commander-in-Chief Fleet which also carried the NATO appointment of Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT), which reported to SACLANT[2].
He became Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 1991 and two years later became Chief of the Naval Staff and First Sea Lord. Bathurst was promoted Admiral of the Fleet on his retirement in 1995[2].
[edit] Later career
He was appointed to the office of Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Somerset in 1996 and became Vice Lord Lieutenant in 1999[2].
Bathurst is the cousin of the present 8th Earl Bathurst and in distant remainder to this title.
[edit] References
- ^ thePeerage.com - nil and others "Admiral Sir David Benjamin Bathurst usually went by his middle name of Benjamin." cites Charles Mosley, editor, Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 215. Hereinafter cited as Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition.
- ^ a b c d University of Greenwich Biography
[edit] Further reading
- The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995, Heathcote T. A., Pen & Sword Ltd, 2002, ISBN 0 85052 835 6
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Richard Vincent |
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 1991 – 1993 |
Succeeded by Sir Jock Slater |
| Preceded by Sir Julian Oswald |
First Sea Lord 1993–1995 |
Succeeded by Sir Jock Slater |
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