Edward Ashmore

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This article is about the Royal Navy officer. For the British Army and Royal Air Force officer, see Edward Ashmore (general).

Edward Ashmore
11 December 1919 –
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Ashmore Crown Copyright
Place of birth	Queenstown, Ireland
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1938 - 1977
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Battles/wars	World War II, Cold War
Awards	GCB, DSC

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Edward Beckwith Ashmore, GCB, DSC (born 11 December 1919) is a former senior Royal Navy officer.

Contents 1 Naval career 2 Later career 3 References 4 Further reading

[edit] Naval career

Educated at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Edward Ashmore served in the Royal Navy from 1938 to 1977, ending his service in the highest posts available.

He commanded HMS Alert from 1952 to 1953 and HMS Blackpool during 1958^[1].

He was appointed Director of Naval Plans in 1960 and Commander of British Forces in the Caribbean in 1963. In 1966 he became Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, then in 1967 Flag Officer Second in Command of the Far East Fleet and then in 1969 Vice Chief of the Naval Staff^[1].

In 1971 in the rank of Admiral, he was the last Commander-in-Chief Western Fleet for the last two months of the command's existence in 1971^[1]. He was appointed as the first Commander-in-Chief Fleet, as a result of the amalgamation of the Far East Fleet and the Western Fleet into the a single Fleet Command. In this role, for the first time in the history of the Royal Navy, he was the sole officer responsible for the preparation and operation of all the ships, submarines and aircraft of the navy.

Between 1974 and 1977 he served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. In February 1977, he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet and was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, serving in this role for only a short period before retiring at the end of August 1977^[1].

[edit] Later career

In retirement he has served as Governor of Suttons Hospital in London.

[edit] References

[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 Michael Pollock	First Sea Lord 1974–1977	Succeeded by Sir Terence Lewin
Preceded by Sir Andrew Humphrey	Chief of the Defence Staff 1977–1977	Succeeded by Sir Neil Cameron

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