John Rushworth Jellicoe Jellicoe

JELLICOE, JOHN RUSHWORTH JELLICOE, 1ST EARL (1859-1935), British admiral, was born Dec. 5, 1859, the son of J. H. Jellicoe, a captain in the mercantile marine. His great-grandfather was Sir James Whalley Smyth Gardiner, the third and last baronet of that name. Educated at Rottingdean, he entered the navy as a naval cadet at the age of thirteen. He obtained his commission as sub-lieutenant in 188o, and his marked ability won him first class certificates in his three examinations for the rank of lieutenant. He soon developed an interest in gunnery and joined the Royal Naval College in 1883 for the theoretical part of the course for gunnery lieutenant, where he won a special £8o prize. The following year he spent in H.M.S. "Excellent," and became a fully qualified gunnery officer. From now onwards gunnery was his speciality, though his interests were by no means confined to this branch.

His first sea-going ship as a gunnery lieutenant was H.M.S. "Monarch," in which he served from 1886 to 1888. During his first year on board he went to the rescue of the crew of a stranded steamer, taking charge of a gig manned by volunteers. The boat upset in a heavy sea and he and the crew saved themselves with difficulty. He received the Board of Trade silver medal for his plucky effort. After two years on the senior staff of the Gunnery School, he was appointed to the admiralty as an assist ant to the director of naval ordnance. In 1893 he was promoted to commander, and shortly afterwards was appointed to H.M.S. "Victoria," flagship of Admiral Sir George Tryon, commander in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. When the "Victoria" was rammed and sunk by the "Camperdown," Commander Jellicoe had to take to the water. As he was seriously ill at the time he would have fared badly but for the support he received from a young naval cadet, P. D. Roberts-West, until rescued.

Commander Jellicoe soon recovered and two months later was appointed to the battleship "Ramillies" which flew the flag of the new commander-in-chief, Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Sey mour. After a three years commission in that ship he was promoted captain on Jan. 1, 1897, and served on the Ordnance Committee. In 1898 he was appointed to the command of H.M.S. "Centurion," where he became flag captain to Admiral Sir Ed ward Seymour, commander-in-chief of the China Station. As the latter's chief of staff he took part in the expedition to relieve the legations in Peking during the Boxer rising in 1900. During these operations Captain Jellicoe was badly wounded. He was subsequently awarded the C.B.

Service at the Admiralty.

He returned to the Admiralty in 1902 to be the naval assistant to the controller (third sea lord). Here he acquired a valuable insight of the work of that depart ment. In August 1903 he went to sea again to take command of the armoured cruiser "Drake." The year 1905 saw him director of naval ordnance at the Admiralty. During his period of office he did much to further the advance of long range firing and to assist the development of naval gunnery on lines which more closely approximated to the real conditions of war. Towards the end of his time he reached the top of the captains' list and was promoted to flag rank in February 1907. In August of that year he hoisted his flag afloat in H.M.S. "Albemarle" as rear admiral in the Atlantic Fleet. The appointment was for a year's duration only, when once more he returned to the admiralty, this time to become a member of the Board as third sea lord and controller of the navy. In December 1910 he was appointed acting vice-admiral in command of the Atlantic Fleet, being con firmed in that rank in the following November. At the end of the year he transferred his flag to H.M.S. "Hercules," on appoint ment to the command of the 2nd division of the Home Fleet.

In

1912 important gunnery experiments were carried out by two battleships of this division, the "Thunderer" and "Orion," the former being fitted with this system of director firing which Sir Percy Scott had been perfecting. The trials culminated in competitive firings under Admiral Jellicoe's personal supervision. As a result of these practices and largely owing to Admiral Jel licoe's insistent pressure, this most valuable system was adopted as the primary one for laying and firing the guns of practically all classes of H.M. ships. The event may be regarded as yet

another milestone on the path of that gunnery progress for which he was greatly responsible. After a year in this command he returned to the Admiralty to rejoin the Board as second sea lord.

The War Period.

He left Whitehall temporarily in 1913 to become commander-in-chief of the "Red" fleet during manoeu vres, flying his flag in H.M.S. "Thunderer," but had returned to the Admiralty, when, on the eve of war, he was sent to join the Home Fleet at Scapa as second in command. The period of com mand of Admiral Sir George Callaghan was due to expire in a few months and Vice-Admiral Jellicoe had already been designated as his successor. When war could no longer be averted, it was con sidered desirable that the change in this most responsible naval command should not be delayed and Sir John Jellicoe was ap pointed commander-in-chief with acting rank of admiral. He had to perform a peculiarly difficult and trying duty in relieving his former chief, who was trusted and respected in an unusual degree throughout the fleet. That he achieved it so successfully was due to the chivalrous attitude of these two flag officers towards each other and to the very high reputation and strong personal regard which Sir John himself enjoyed.

Admiral Jellicoe was confirmed in his rank in March 1915, and for two years bore the exceptionally heavy burden of organising and training the Grand Fleet and keeping it ready for battle. His command was put to the test at the battle of Jutland (q.v.). Now that the full details of that action are better understood, the skillful handling of the British forces against an elusive enemy in conditions of low visibility and approaching darkness, is being increasingly appreciated. The German fleet escaped at night and took refuge in harbour with many ships severely damaged, and such was the impression left by Jutland that Germany never again risked a meeting with the Grand Fleet. The fruits of Admiral Jellicoe's leadership on that day and of his incomparable services throughout his period of command were seen in the historic surrender of German ships at the end of the War.

In the latter part of 1916 Admiral Jellicoe was invited to be come first sea lord and regretfully left his last and greatest command afloat to take up that appointment. It was largely due to his tireless labours and wide experience that the danger of the German submarine menace was eventually overcome. He left the Admiralty at the end of 1917. After the Armistice he was sent on a special mission to visit the Dominions and advise on the post-war organisation of their navies. On this tour he flew his flag in H.M.S. "New Zealand." He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1919 and the following year was made governor of New Zealand. During his four years in this high office he greatly endeared himself to the people of that Dominion.

For his services in the War Admiral Jellicoe received the thanks of parliament and a grant of L5o,000, and at the end of 1918 he was raised to the peerage as Viscount Jellicoe of Scapa, subsequently taking the additional title of Viscount Brocas of Southampton. On his return from New Zealand and in recogni tion of his services as governor he was, in 1925, created an Earl. He received the K.C.V.O. in 1907, G.C.B in 1915 and G.C.V.O in 1916; he also held a number of foreign orders. He married, in 1902, the daughter of Sir Charles Cayzer, Bart., and had four daughters and a son and heir, Viscount Brocas, who was born in 1918. No naval commander since Nelson's time has shouldered a heavier responsibility than that which Earl Jellicoe accepted and carried through in the World War with such unswerving courage and singleness of purpose. He died on Nov. 20, 1935, and was bur ied close to Nelson in St. Paul's Cathedral, London. (E. A. ; X.) He published The Grand Fleet 1914—I6, its Creation, Development and Work (192o) ; The Crisis of the Naval War (1920).