George Callaghan
| Sir George Callaghan | |
|---|---|
Sir George Callaghan
|
|
| Born |
21 December 1852 London |
| Died | 23 November 1920 (aged 67) Chelsea, London |
| Buried at | Westminster Abbey, London |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy
|
| Years of service | 1866–1918 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Commands held |
HMS Alacrity HMS Hermione HMS Endymion HMS Edgar HMS Caesar HMS Prince of Wales 5th Cruiser Squadron Home Fleet Nore Command |
| Battles/wars |
Boxer Rebellion World War I |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Astley Callaghan GCB, GCVO (21 December 1852 – 23 November 1920) was an officer in the Royal Navy. During the Boxer Rebellion he served as commander of a naval brigade sent ashore to form an element of a larger expedition under Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee: the expedition entered Peking and rescued the legations which had been held hostage there. He came to prominence again when, as Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, he assisted with the provision of aid to survivors of the Messina earthquake, which had caused the loss of circa 123,000 lives.
Callaghan became Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet in November 1911 and was advised in December 1913 that his tenure would be extended for another twelve months. With increasing international tension he started preparing his fleet for war. At the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, Callaghan set sail in his flagship for his war station at Scapa Flow. There he met his successor-designate Sir John Jellicoe who had received orders from First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to relieve the ageing Callaghan of command of his fleet. Callaghan was bitterly disappointed not to command his fleet in the war he had completely readied it for. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Born the son of Captain Frederic Marcus Callaghan (an Irish landowner) and Georgina Frances Callaghan (née Hodgson), Callaghan joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS Britannia in January 1866. Promoted to midshipman on 15 October 1867, he joined the paddle steamer HMS Liffey at Liverpool later that month. He then transferred to the corvette HMS Wolverine on the East Indies Station in October 1870. Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 April 1872 and to lieutenant on 15 April 1875, he joined the corvette HMS Ruby on the East Indies Station in June 1877. In this post he was awarded a commendation by the Admiralty for saving the lives of sailors after a boat capsized in the Irrawaddy River. He attended the gunnery school HMS Excellent in 1880 and then joined the staff there in 1882. He returned to HMS Ruby on the South East Coast of America Station in 1885 and, having been promoted to commander on 31 December 1887, he became Executive Officer in the battleship HMS Bellerophon, flagship of the North America and West Indies Station in 1888. He went on to be commanding officer of the despatch vessel HMS Alacrity, yacht of the Commander-in-Chief, China Station in 1892. Promoted to captain on 1 January 1894, he became naval advisor to the Inspector-General of Fortifications at the War Office later that year. He went on to be commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Hermione in the Channel Fleet in 1897 and commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Endymion on the China Station in 1899.
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