Admiral Sir Montague Edward Browning, GCB, GCMG, GCVO (18 January 1863 – 4 November 1947) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.
Sir Montague Browning | |
|---|---|
 Browning in 1916 | |
| Born | 18 January 1863 Fornham St Martin, Suffolk, England[1] |
| Died | 4 November 1947 (aged 84) Winchester, Hampshire, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1876–1926 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands | Plymouth Command Second Sea Lord 4th Battle Squadron North America and West Indies Station 3rd Cruiser Squadron HMS Ariadne |
| Battles / wars | Anglo-Egyptian War World War I |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Legion of Honour (France) Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Japan) Distinguished Service Medal (United States) Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain (China) |
| Relations | Frederick Browning (nephew) |
Military career
editBrowning joined the Royal Navy in 1876.[2] He served in the Anglo-Egyptian War and then became Secretary to the Parliamentary Committee on Water Tube Boilers in 1900.[2]
He was promoted to captain on 1 January 1902,[3] and in June that year was appointed flag captain in command of the cruiser HMS Ariadne.[4] She was commissioned on 5 June 1902 as flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Archibald Douglas, the new Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station, where she arrived to take up the position on 15 July.[5] Browning became Chief of Staff for the Channel Fleet in 1908 and Inspector of Target Practice in 1911.[2]
He served in the World War I as Commander of the 3rd Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet and then, from 1916, as Commander-in-Chief North America and West Indies.[2] He commanded 4th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet from 1918.[2]
After the War he became President of the Allied Naval Armistice Commission and had the task of dismantling the German Fleet.[6]
He then became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1919.[2] In this capacity he also sought to dismantle the Royal Canadian Navy but this time faced determined and successful opposition from Rear Admiral Walter Hose.[7] His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth from 1920.[2] He also became First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King in 1925 and retired from the navy on 4 October 1926.[8]
He was also Rear Admiral of the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1939[2] and then Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom from 1939 to 1945.[9]
He lived at Crawley near Winchester.[10] His brother was Frederick Browning, a cricketer and British Army officer.[11]
References
edit- ^ "Sir Montague Edward Browning (1863–1947), Admiral". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
- ^ "No. 27393". The London Gazette. 3 January 1902. p. 3.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36754. London. 29 April 1902. p. 7.
- ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36822. London. 17 July 1902. p. 9.
- ^ Disarming other ships The Adalaide Advertiser, 25 November 1918
- ^ Rear Admiral Walter Hose: Saving the Royal Canadian Navy Archived 9 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum
- ^ "No. 33209". The London Gazette. 8 October 1926. p. 6440.
- ^ "No. 34599". The London Gazette. 17 February 1939. p. 1136.
- ^ "No. 33299". The London Gazette. 2 August 1929. p. 5022.
- ^ War Organizer's Death. Western Morning News. 16 October 1929. p. 11