| Reserve Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Active | c. 1700–1960 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Garrison/HQ | Portsmouth |
The Reserve Fleet was a Royal Navy formation of decommissioned vessels which could be brought to a state of readiness at time of war.
History[]
In the early years of the 18th century ships were "laid up in ordinary" at various British naval bases so establishing the Reserve Fleet as a repository for decommissioned ships: it was brought to readiness for World War I.[1] It continued to exist in the inter-war years but in 1930 the Admiralty reduced it in size on the basis that war was unlikely in the ensuing 10 years.[2] At the start of World War II the Reserve Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton,[3] was again brought to a state of readiness.[4] Some 15,000 men were called up in May 1939 to man the Reserve Fleet which became ready for service on 15 June 1939.[5] During the 1950s ships were regularly 'cocooned' for the Reserve Fleet[6] and it ceased to exist in 1960.[7]
Flag Officers Commanding[]
Flag Officers Commanding included:[8]
- 1919–1920 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Oliver
- 1920–1922 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Phillimore
- 1922–1923 Vice-Admiral Sir Douglas Nicholson
- 1923–1924 Vice-Admiral Sir William Goodenough
- 1924–1926 Vice-Admiral Sir Victor Stanley
- Mar – Oct 1926 Vice-Admiral Sir Rudolph Bentinck
- 1926–1928 Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Watson
- 1928–1929 Vice-Admiral Sir William Boyle
- 1929–1930 Vice-Admiral Percival Hall-Thompson
- 1930–1932 Vice-Admiral Sir Frank Larken
- 1932–1934 Vice-Admiral Sir William Kerr
- 1934–1935 Vice-Admiral Edward Astley-Rushton
- 1935–1937 Vice-Admiral Sir Gerald Dickens
- 1937–1939 Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton
- 1944–1945 Rear-Admiral Charles Harris
- 1945–1947 Rear-Admiral Leslie Ashmore
- 1947–1948 Rear-Admiral Reginald Servaes
- 1948–1951 Vice-Admiral Sir Robin Bridge
- 1951–1953 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry McCall
- 1953–1954 Vice-Admiral Sir Ian Campbell
- 1954–1955 Vice-Admiral Sir John Eaton
- 1955–1956 Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Cazalet
- 1956–1958 Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Onslow
- 1958–1959 Vice-Admiral Sir Guy Sayer
- 1959–1960 Rear-Admiral John Grant
References[]
- ↑ "Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher of Kilverstone 1841–1920". National Archives. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20081120170436/royalnavy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.3882. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ Moretz, p. 82
- ↑ "Reserve Fleet". Orbat. http://niehorster.orbat.com/017_britain/39_navy/reserve-fleet.html. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ "Britain's Reserve Fleet 1939". British Pathe. http://www.britishpathe.com/video/britains-reserve-fleet. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ "Maritime War-The British Shore Organisation". The War at Sea. http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/UK/UK-RN-I/UK-RN-I-2.html. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ "Reserve Fleet 1950". British Pathe. http://www.britishpathe.com/video/reserve-fleet. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ "Royal Navy Maintenance and Supply Ships". Royal Navy Ships. http://fortships.tripod.com/Royal%20Navy.htm. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
- ↑ Senior Royal Navy Appointments
Sources[]
- Moretz, Joseph (2002). The Royal Navy and the Capital Ship in the Interwar Period: An Operational Perspective. Routledge. ISBN 978-0714651965. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FviiDAlhy8cC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=%22Reserve+Fleet%22+Royal+Navy&source=bl&ots=fwfZYHALFk&sig=kyPmzKNLVdt7Wf6uEwd4xMEkmKQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6gJfUJCLCqem0QXqj4GIBg&ved=0CEgQ6AEwCDgo#v=onepage&q=%22Reserve%20Fleet%22%20Royal%20Navy&f=false.
The original article can be found at Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom) and the edit history here.