Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur John Power, (12 April 1889 – 28 January 1960) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

officer. He took part in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...

as a gunnery officer and saw action in the Dardanelles campaign. During the inter-war years he commanded the gunnery school at and then the aircraft carrier . During the

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

he played a leading role in the planning for the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers (Fascist Italy (192 ...

and for the

Allied invasion of Italy The Allied invasion of Italy was the Allied amphibious landing on mainland Italy that took place from 3 September 1943, during the Italian campaign of World War II. The operation was undertaken by General Sir Harold Alexander's 15th Army Gro ...

and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of V Corps at

Taranto Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino dialect, Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an ...

in Italy in September 1943. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Fleet in the closing stages of the war and conducted naval strikes on the

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor ...

Borneo Borneo (; id, Kalimantan) is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. At the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, in relation to major Indonesian islands, it is located north of Java Isl ...

and

Malaya Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia: Political entities * British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...

. After the War he became

Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer to currently serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establish ...

, Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and then

Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth The Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. The commanders-in-chief were based at premises in High Street, Portsmouth from the 1790s until the end of Sir Thomas Williams's tenure, his succes ...

Naval career

Early career

Born the son of Edward John Power and Harriet Maud Power (née Windeler), Power joined the training ship HMS ''Britannia'' as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

in 1904 and, having won the King's medal as best cadet of his year, he was promoted to

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

on 15 September 1905.Heathcote, p. 218 He was promoted to acting

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second hig ...

on 15 January 1909 and to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

on 15 April 1910 on his appointment to the

battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of at ...

HMS ''Indomitable'' in the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the Fi ...

. He became First Lieutenant in the destroyer HMS ''Nautilus'' in October 1912 and then attended HMS ''Excellent'', the gunnery school at

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is admi ...

, in 1913.Heathcote, p. 219 Power served as a gunnery officer throughout the

, initially in the battleship HMS ''Magnificent'', then in the cruiser HMS ''Royal Arthur'' and next in the monitor HMS ''Raglan''. In the ''Raglan'' he saw action in the Dardanelles campaign, before transferring to the battlecruiser HMS ''Princess Royal'' in the

Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from the ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

on 15 April 1918. After the war Power joined the directing staff at HMS ''Excellent''. Promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain ...

on 31 December 1922, he became an assistant to the Director in the Naval Ordnance Department at the Admiralty in January 1923 and, after attending the Royal Naval Staff College, he became Executive Officer on HMS ''Hood'', flagship of the battlecruiser squadron in the Atlantic Fleet in 1925. He joined the directing staff at the Royal Naval Staff College in 1927 and, having been promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 30 July 1929, he joined the Ordnance Committee at the

Royal Arsenal The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Br ...

. He became Flag Captain of the Second Cruiser Squadron in the

in the cruiser HMS ''Dorsetshire'' in April 1931 and, having served on the directing staff at the Imperial Defence College in 1933, he became commanding officer of the gunnery school HMS ''Excellent'' in October 1935. He was appointed a

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, ...

on 29 January 1936. He went on to be commanding officer of the aircraft carrier HMS ''Ark Royal'' in September 1937, and in that capacity, also became Flag Captain to the Flag Officer commanding aircraft carriers in the Home Fleet in July 1939.

Second World War

Power served in the

as assistant chief of the Naval Staff from May 1940 and was granted promotion to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

on 25 June 1940. Appointed a

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a care ...

on 1 July 1941, he became commander of the 15th Cruiser Squadron in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

with his flag in the cruiser in August 1942. Appointed Flag Officer in charge of Malta in May 1943, he played a leading role in the planning for the

in July 1943, and, having been promoted to vice admiral on 4 August 1943, he led the planning for the

and then commanded the naval forces for the actual landing of V Corps at

in September 1943. Following the landings, he became head of the Allied military mission to the Italian government and was briefly Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second in command of the

. Advanced to

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as one ...

on 1 January 1944, Power became commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second in command of the

Eastern Fleet Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 * Eastern Air ...

with his flag in the battlecruiser in January 1944. He went on to be commander-in-chief of that fleet, renamed the East Indies Fleet, in November 1944, and conducted naval strikes on the

and

. Flying his flag in ''Cleopatra'', the first British ship to enter

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

since the fall of that city over three years earlier, Power arrived in style to attend the final surrender of the Japanese there in September 1945.

Later career

Power was appointed a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

on 1 January 1946 and became

in February 1946.Heathcote, p. 220 Promoted to full admiral on 6 May 1946, he proceeded to manage the run-down in naval manpower after the War. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in May 1948 and, having been advanced to

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved bathing (as a symbol of purification) as ...

on 2 January 1950, he became

in September 1950. He was also appointed First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to

the King In the British English-speaking world, The King refers to: * Charles III (born 1948), King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms since 2022 As a nickname * Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer and pop icon, nicknamed "T ...

on 15 January 1951 and was double-hatted as

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and Southern North Sea Command from 1952. He attended the funeral of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952. ...

in February 1952 and was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 22 April 1952. Power retired in September 1952 and became a Deputy Lieutenant of

Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...

on 27 April 1953 shortly before attending the

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of o ...

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

in June 1953. He died at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar on 28 January 1960.

Family

In 1918 Power married Amy Bingham; they had three sons (including Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Mackenzie Power). Following the death of his first wife in 1945, he married Margaret Joyce Watson in 1947.

Legacy

The Power Papers are housed at the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

. The papers can be accessed through the British Library catalogue.Power Papers
archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020

References

Sources

External links

* , - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Power, Arthur John Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Royal Navy admirals of World War II Royal Navy officers of World War I Commanders of the Order of Polonia Restituta Commanders of the Legion of Merit Knights of the Order of St John Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order Knights Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau 1889 births 1960 deaths Lords of the Admiralty Admiralty personnel of World War II Military personnel from London