Vice Admiral Sir Stuart Sumner Bonham Carter, (9 July 1889 – 5 September 1972) was an officer in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

who served in both the First and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

Naval career

Born the younger son of Lothian Bonham-Carter and Emily Maud Sumner, Bonham Carter joined the

in 1904.Unit Histories
/ref> He served in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, commanding the block ship during the

Zeebrugge Raid The Zeebrugge Raid ( nl, Aanval op de haven van Zeebrugge; ) on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the Royal Navy to block the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. The British intended to sink obsolete ships in the canal entrance, to prevent Germ ...

in 1918.Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
/ref> He also commanded the

destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, manoeuvrable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against powerful short range attackers. They were originally developed ...

in the closing stages of the war. A keen cricketer, Bonham Carter played two first-class matches for the

Royal Navy Cricket Club The Royal Navy Cricket Club is a cricket team representing the British Royal Navy and based at the United Services Recreation Ground, Portsmouth, Hampshire. The club was formed in 1863, although cricket is recorded as having been played by seam ...

in 1925. He was appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Africa in 1928, and made Assistant Director for Navy Equipment in 1932 before becoming Chief Staff Officer to the commander of the

1st Cruiser Squadron The First Cruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of cruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the World War I then later as part of the Mediterranean during the Interwar period and World War II it first established in 190 ...

in 1934. He was given command of the Royal Naval Barracks at Chatham in 1937 and made

Naval Secretary The Naval Secretary is the Royal Navy officer who advises the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff on naval officer appointing (and General Officers). Their counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary. The Royal Air Force equi ...

in 1939. Bonham Carter also served in the

, commanding the

3rd Battle Squadron The 3rd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships and other vessels, active from at least 1914 to 1945. The 3rd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the First ...

from 1940 and the

18th Cruiser Squadron The 18th Cruiser Squadron was a formation of cruisers of the Royal Navy from 1939 to 1942. The squadron was formed in September 1939 and was assigned to the Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the Unit ...

from 1942. It is said that he had something of a reputation of being a Jonah in any cruiser in which he raised his Admiral's flag, as these kept being sunk from under his feet. He was made

Flag Officer, Malta Malta Dockyard was an important naval base in the Grand Harbour in Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. The infrastructure which is still in operation is now operated by Palumbo Shipyards. History Pre-1800 The Knights of Malta established dockyard ...

in 1942 and retired due to ill health in 1943, although he was recalled in 1944 to lead naval convoys.

Family

In 1933 Bonham Carter married Eve Lloyd; they had one child, Joanna. He is distantly related to the

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received various awards and nominations, including a British Academy Film Award a ...

. There is a memorial to Bonham Carter at St Mary's Church,

Buriton Buriton () is a village and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is located 2 miles (3.3 km) south of Petersfield. History About a mile north-west of Buriton was the extensive manor of West Mapledurham ...

.Geograph
/ref>

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Bonham Carter, Stuart Royal Navy officers Royal Navy vice admirals Royal Navy personnel of World War I Royal Navy personnel of World War II English cricketers People educated at Clifton College Royal Navy cricketers 1889 births 1972 deaths People from Petersfield Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Stuart People from Buriton Military personnel from Portsmouth

Naval career

Family

See also

References