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Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Sir Roger Roland Charles Backhouse, (24 November 1878 – 15 July 1939) was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War as a cruiser commander and after the war became a battle squadron commander and later Home Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet. Becoming First Sea Lord in November 1938, his major contribution in that role was to abandon the official British policy of sending a major fleet to Singapore to deter Japanese aggression (the Singapore strategy), realising the immediate threat was closer to home (from Germany and Italy) and that such a policy was no longer viable. He died from a brain tumour in July 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Backhouse transferred to the corvette on the Pacific Station in October 1895 and, having been promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 March 1898 and to lieutenant on 15 March 1899, he joined the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1899. After attending the gunnery school , he was posted as gunnery officer to the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1903 and then to the battleship in Mediterranean Fleet in April 1904, before returning to HMS ''Excellent'' to join the directing staff in July 1905. He became gunnery officer in the battleship in the Channel Fleet in August 1907 and, having been promoted to commander on 31 December 1909, he rejoined the directing staff at HMS ''Excellent'' in February 1910. He became Flag Commander to the Home Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, first in from March 1911 and then in from March 1914.
Backhouse served in the First World War, earning promotion to Captain (Royal Navy), captain on 1 September 1914, and being appointed commanding officer of the light cruiser in the Harwich Force in November 1915 before being given command of the battle cruiser , flagship of the Battle Cruiser force, in November 1916. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 4 June 1917.
Backhouse became Director of Naval Ordnance at the British Admiralty, Admiralty in September 1920 and then commanding officer of the battleship in January 1923, before receiving promotion to rear admiral on 24 February 1925 and being given command of the 3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom), 3rd Battle Squadron in May 1926. He became Third Sea Lord, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy in November 1928, and having been promoted to vice admiral on 9 October 1929, he became Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom), 1st Battle Squadron and Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom), Mediterranean Fleet in April 1932.Heathcote, p. 21 Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1933 New Year Honours, he was promoted to full admiral on 11 February 1934 and became Home Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship , on 20 August 1935. Two months later, when being flown back from London to Portsmouth, his Supermarine Walrus aircraft made a bad landing and began to sink; he and the crew had to be rescued, leaving him uninjured but shaken. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on 20 May 1937.
Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1938 New Year Honours and appointed List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp, First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to George VI of the United Kingdom, the King on 1 July, Backhouse became First Sea Lord on 7 September 1938. Taking office shortly before the signing of the Munich Agreement, his major contribution as First Sea Lord was to abandon the official British policy of sending a major fleet to Singapore to deter Japanese aggression (the Singapore strategy), realising the immediate threat was closer to home (from Germany and Italy) and that such a policy was no longer viable. With failing health, he resigned as First Sea Lord in May 1939 and, having been promoted to Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet on 29 June 1939, he died from a brain tumour in London on 15 July 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
National Portrait Gallery Photo
Career history on admirals.org.uk
* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Backhouse, Roger Backhouse family, Roger First Sea Lords and Chiefs of the Naval Staff Lords of the Admiralty Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 1878 births 1939 deaths Younger sons of baronets Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George People from Richmondshire (district) Military personnel from North Yorkshire 19th-century Royal Navy personnel
Naval career
Backhouse was fourth son of Jonathan Backhouse, Sir Jonathan Backhouse, 1st Baronet and Florence Backhouse (née Salusbury-Trelawny); his elder brother, Admiral Oliver Backhouse, also achieved flag rank in the Royal Navy. Backhouse joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in the training ship HMS Prince of Wales (1860), HMS ''Britannia'' in 1892 and went to sea as a midshipman in the battleship in the Channel Fleet, Channel Squadron in 1894.Heathcote, p. 20
Backhouse transferred to the corvette on the Pacific Station in October 1895 and, having been promoted to sub-lieutenant on 15 March 1898 and to lieutenant on 15 March 1899, he joined the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1899. After attending the gunnery school , he was posted as gunnery officer to the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet in February 1903 and then to the battleship in Mediterranean Fleet in April 1904, before returning to HMS ''Excellent'' to join the directing staff in July 1905. He became gunnery officer in the battleship in the Channel Fleet in August 1907 and, having been promoted to commander on 31 December 1909, he rejoined the directing staff at HMS ''Excellent'' in February 1910. He became Flag Commander to the Home Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, first in from March 1911 and then in from March 1914.
Backhouse served in the First World War, earning promotion to Captain (Royal Navy), captain on 1 September 1914, and being appointed commanding officer of the light cruiser in the Harwich Force in November 1915 before being given command of the battle cruiser , flagship of the Battle Cruiser force, in November 1916. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 4 June 1917.
Backhouse became Director of Naval Ordnance at the British Admiralty, Admiralty in September 1920 and then commanding officer of the battleship in January 1923, before receiving promotion to rear admiral on 24 February 1925 and being given command of the 3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom), 3rd Battle Squadron in May 1926. He became Third Sea Lord, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy in November 1928, and having been promoted to vice admiral on 9 October 1929, he became Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom), 1st Battle Squadron and Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet (United Kingdom), Mediterranean Fleet in April 1932.Heathcote, p. 21 Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1933 New Year Honours, he was promoted to full admiral on 11 February 1934 and became Home Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, with his flag in the battleship , on 20 August 1935. Two months later, when being flown back from London to Portsmouth, his Supermarine Walrus aircraft made a bad landing and began to sink; he and the crew had to be rescued, leaving him uninjured but shaken. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order on 20 May 1937.
Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1938 New Year Honours and appointed List of First and Principal Naval Aides-de-Camp, First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to George VI of the United Kingdom, the King on 1 July, Backhouse became First Sea Lord on 7 September 1938. Taking office shortly before the signing of the Munich Agreement, his major contribution as First Sea Lord was to abandon the official British policy of sending a major fleet to Singapore to deter Japanese aggression (the Singapore strategy), realising the immediate threat was closer to home (from Germany and Italy) and that such a policy was no longer viable. With failing health, he resigned as First Sea Lord in May 1939 and, having been promoted to Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet on 29 June 1939, he died from a brain tumour in London on 15 July 1939 just before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Family
In 1907 Backhouse married Dora Louise Findlay, daughter of John Ritchie Findlay proprietor of the British newspaper, ''The Scotsman''; they had two sons and four daughters.References
Sources
*Further reading
*External links
*National Portrait Gallery Photo
Career history on admirals.org.uk
* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Backhouse, Roger Backhouse family, Roger First Sea Lords and Chiefs of the Naval Staff Lords of the Admiralty Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath 1878 births 1939 deaths Younger sons of baronets Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George People from Richmondshire (district) Military personnel from North Yorkshire 19th-century Royal Navy personnel