Fifth Sea Lord

Office of the Fifth Sea Lord
Office of the Fifth Sea Lord
	Ensign of the Royal Navy
	Department of the Admiralty
Member of	Board of Admiralty
Reports to	First Sea Lord
Nominator	First Lord of the Admiralty
Appointer	Prime Minister ; Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–3 years)
Inaugural holder	Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine
Formation	1917–1965

Last updated June 24, 2024

The Fifth Sea Lord was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty that controlled the Royal Navy.^[1] The post's incumbent had responsibility for naval aviation.

History

In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents.^[2]

During World War I it was one of four additional naval positions added to the Board of Admiralty to manage the Navy. The only officer to hold the title during the war was Commodore Godfrey Paine. Commodore Paine simultaneously held the title of Director of Naval Aviation. After the Air Force Bill received Royal Assent in November 1917 the Air Council was created on 3 January 1918 which included Paine.^[3]

The post of Fifth Sea Lord then lapsed until 1938 when the Admiralty regained responsibility for naval aviation: the post was reestablished and was the Chief of Naval Air Services, responsible for preparation and management of all of the Royal Navy's aircraft and air personnel.^[4]

From 1957 to 1965 the Fifth Sea Lord's post was held jointly with the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. The post was abolished in 1965.^[5]

In the 21st century the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers) has a similar role.

List of Fifth Sea Lords

Fifth Sea Lords and Chief of Naval Air Service 1917–1918

Included:^[6]

Rear Admiral Sir Godfrey Paine 1917

Note: with the transfer of naval aviation to the Royal Air Force in 1918, the appointment lapsed and was not revived until 1938

Fifth Sea Lords 1938–1956

Admiral The Hon. Sir Alexander Ramsay 1938–1939
Vice Admiral Sir Guy Royle 1939–1941
Rear Admiral Sir Lumley Lyster 1941–1942

Note: the title was in abeyance from 1942 to 1943 although Admiral Sir Frederic Dreyer was Chief of Naval Air Services

Vice Admiral Sir Denis Boyd 1943–1945
Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Troubridge 1945–1946
Admiral Sir Philip Vian 1946–1948
Vice Admiral Sir George Creasy 1948–1949
Vice Admiral Sir Maurice Mansergh 1949–1951
Vice Admiral Sir Edmund Anstice 1951–1954
Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley 1954–1956

Fifth Sea Lords and Deputy Chiefs of the Naval Staff 1957–1965

Vice Admiral Sir Manley Power 1957–1959
Admiral Sir Laurence Durlacher 1959–1962
Vice Admiral Sir Peter Gretton 1962–1963
Vice Admiral Sir Frank Hopkins 1963–1965

Admiralty departments and divisions under the Fifth Sea Lord

As of 1917^[7]

As of 1939^[8]

Air Branch
Air Materiel Department
Department of the Director Aircraft Maintenance & Repair
Department of Air Personnel

As of 1941^[8]

Air Branch
Naval Air Division (co-responsibility with the Naval Staff)
Department of the Director Airfield & Carrier Requirements
Department of the Director of Air Equipment
Department of the Director Aircraft Maintenance & Repair

As of 1957^[9]^[10]

Fleet Air Arm
Naval Air Warfare Division (co-responsibility with the Naval Staff)
Naval Air Organisation and Training Division (co-responsibility with the Naval Staff)
Department of the Director of Air Equipment and Naval Photography
Department of the Director Aircraft Maintenance & Repair
Department of the Director Naval Aircraft Development and Production
Office of the Adviser on Aircraft Accidents

As of 1962^[11]

Fleet Air Arm

In fiction

In the title story of his 1960 short story collection For Your Eyes Only, Ian Fleming wrote that M, James Bond's MI6 superior, gave up a likely appointment as Fifth Sea Lord in order to head the spy agency.^[12]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff</span> Professional head of the UKs Royal Navy

The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is a statutory position in the British Armed Forces usually held by an admiral. As the highest-ranking officer to serve in the Royal Navy, the chief is the principal military advisor on matters pertaining to the navy and a deputy to the Secretary of State for Defence. In a separate capacity, the CNS is a member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and, thereby, a military advisor to the National Security Council, the prime minister and the monarch. The First Sea Lord is typically the highest-ranking officer on active duty of the Royal Navy unless the Chief of the Defence Staff is a naval officer. Admiral Ben Key was appointed First Sea Lord in November 2021.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Anstice</span>

Vice Admiral Sir Edmund Walter Anstice, was a senior Royal Navy officer and aviator who served as Fifth Sea Lord from 1951 to 1954.

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References

↑ Marder, Arthur J. (31 March 2014). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: Volume IV 1917, Year of Crisis. Seaforth Publishing, p.219, 31 Mar 2014. ISBN 9781848322011 . Retrieved 6 February 2017.
↑ "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660–1870 (1975), pp. 18–31". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
↑ Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
↑ Division with ADM National Archives
↑ Whitaker's Almanack 1965
↑ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Fifth Sea Lord - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell,3 November 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
↑ Abbatiello, John (2 May 2006). Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats. Routledge, p.8, 2 May 2006. ISBN 9781135989545 . Retrieved 6 February 2017.
1 2 Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
↑ "Structure of the Service Fleet Air Arm Organization and the Work of Home Air Command" (PDF). flightglobal.com. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
↑ "Naval Air Organization" (PDF). flightglobal.com. ght International Magazine, 20 April 1951, p.483. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
↑ Huntley, Cdr F. C. "All Hands, The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin, No 541" (PDF). navy.mil. United States Navy, February 1962. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
↑ Fleming, Ian (2012). For Your Eyes Only. ISBN 978-1612185514.

Sources

Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy at The National Archives. ADM 234/434.

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[1] Marder, Arthur J. (31 March 2014). From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow: Volume IV 1917, Year of Crisis. Seaforth Publishing, p.219, 31 Mar 2014. ISBN 9781848322011 . Retrieved 6 February 2017.

[Sainty-18-31-2] "Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660–1870 (1975), pp. 18–31". Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2009.

[3] Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation

[4] Division with ADM National Archives

[5] Whitaker's Almanack 1965

[6] Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Fifth Sea Lord - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell,3 November 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2018.

[7] Abbatiello, John (2 May 2006). Anti-Submarine Warfare in World War I: British Naval Aviation and the Defeat of the U-Boats. Routledge, p.8, 2 May 2006. ISBN 9781135989545 . Retrieved 6 February 2017.

[Watson-8] 1 2 Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

[9] "Structure of the Service Fleet Air Arm Organization and the Work of Home Air Command" (PDF). flightglobal.com. Retrieved 19 February 2017.

[10] "Naval Air Organization" (PDF). flightglobal.com. ght International Magazine, 20 April 1951, p.483. Retrieved 12 June 2018.

[11] Huntley, Cdr F. C. "All Hands, The Bureau of Naval Personnel Information Bulletin, No 541" (PDF). navy.mil. United States Navy, February 1962. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

[12] Fleming, Ian (2012). For Your Eyes Only. ISBN 978-1612185514.

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