Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt Bt (1870 - 1951)

Born 10 May 1870 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

Ancestors

Died 30 May 1951 at age 81 in Sandhurst, Kent, England

Biography

Reginald Tyrwhitt Bt was born in Oxfordshire, England.

Early Life & Career

Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt was born on 10 May 1870 at Oxford in Oxfordshire. He was the son of Richard St John Tyrwhitt and his wife Caroline, born Caroline Yorke. ^{[1] [2]}

At the time of the 1871 census, Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt was living at "Ketilby" in Banbury Road in Oxford with his father, Richard, and his other children. His age was given as 11 months, implying a birth date in 1870. His birthplace was given as Oxford. ^[3]

He was educated for a year at Burney's at Gosport, and passed into the Britannia on his second attempt, thirty-third out of thirty-four.[1]

He was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant dated 14 March, 1890.[2]

He was appointed to the first class protected cruiser Blake on 2 February, 1892,[3] but was appointed to Pilot on 25 March.[4]

On 1 July, 1892, he was appointed to the royal yacht Victoria and Albert II along with David Beatty.[5]

Tyrwhitt was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 25 August, 1892.[6] and was appointed to Cleopatra on 21 September, 1892.[7]

He was promoted to the rank of Commander dated 1 January, 1903.[8] On 24 February he married Sarah Angela Mary Margaret, daughter of Matthew Corbally, J.P., of Rathbeale Hall, Swords, County Dublin; they had one son and two daughters.

In 1904, Tyrwhitt was informed that he had misinterpreted regulations and that this had precipitated, in part, a collision between Arun and T.B. 87, but that no blame was to be attached to him.[9] However, on 13 August, 1904, Arun again collided, this time sinking the destroyer Decoy during night exercises off the Scilly Islands, killing one of Decoy's crew in the process. A Court Martial found that Tyrwhitt had hazarded the two vessels and he was reprimanded in the affair.[10][11]

On 30 June, 1908, Tyrwhitt was promoted to the rank of Captain.[12]

He was placed in command of Topaze as Captain (D) of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla on 10 August, 1909. Superseded in her on 5 August, 1910, he took a Signal Course and then was appointed in command of Bacchante as Flag Captain in the Mediterranean on 26 September, 1910. He would stay there until 27 February, 1912.[13]

Directly from Bacchante, he was appointed as Flag Captain for Sixth Cruiser Squadron in Good Hope, ending on 10 August, 1912, when he became Captain (D) of Second Destroyer Flotilla, flying his flag in Bellona.[14]

On 1 December, 1913 Tyrwhitt succeeded Commodore Lambert as Captain (T) in command of the destroyer flotillas of the First Fleet, taking command of the third class protected cruiser Amethyst.[15]

On 28 April, 1914 he was appointed Commodore, Second Class.[16]

Great War

In August 1914, Tyrwhitt was placed in command of the light cruiser Arethusa.

In the April Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, Tyrwhitt's command is described for the first time as the "Harwich Striking Force,"[17] composed of the Third and Tenth Destroyer Flotillas and the Eighth Submarine Flotilla. In May he was assigned two completing light cruisers, which with the two under his authority would give him the command of the Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron.[18]

He was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) on 3 June, 1916.[19]

On 15 July, 1917, Tyrwhitt was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.).[20] He was not, as Temple Patterson claims, only the second Post Captain to receive this accolade and the first in seventy-eight years.[21] Two recent examples had been the knighting of Captain Robert Molyneux in 1885 and Captain Colin Keppel in 1908.

On 8 January, 1918, Tyrwhitt was appointed Acting Rear-Admiral.[22]

Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt

Post-War & Retirement

On 5 July, 1919, Tyrwhitt was appointed Senior Officer, Gibraltar, taking command on the 10th.[23]

On 2 December, 1919 Tyrwhitt was confirmed in the rank of Rear-Admiral, vice Heaton-Ellis.[24] He was given the baronetcy of Terschelling and of the City of Oxford on 13 December, 1919, and received a grant from Parliament of £10,000 (over £180,000 in early-2000s terms).[25] He received many foreign decorations and an honorary degree of D.C.L. from Oxford (1919).

Tyrwhitt was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 18 January, 1925, vice Pelly.[26]

Tyrwhitt was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 27 February, 1929, vice Webb.[27]

He was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on 31 July, 1934, vice Brock.[28]

He was placed on the Retired List on 31 July, 1939.[29]

As the result of the King approving that Admirals of the Fleet should in future be borne on the Active List of the Royal Navy for life, on 4 March, 1940, Tyrwhitt was replaced on the Active List with seniority of 31 July, 1934.[30]

Tyrwhitt died at Ellenden, Sandhurst, Kent, on 30 May, 1951, from perforation of the duodenum causing peritonitis.

Tyrwhitt's papers were last known to be in the possession of his son's widow, Lady Nancy Agnew, who died in 2010.

Story

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt, 1st Baronet of Terschelling and of Oxford GCB, DSO (10 May 1870 – 30 May 1951) was a senior officer of the Royal Navy in World War I who commanded light forces stationed at Harwich on the east coast of England during the first part of the war. Tyrwhitt entered the Navy as a cadet in July, 1885. By 1912 he was a Captain in command of the Second Flotilla of Torpedo Boat Destroyers. He was advanced in 1913 to the command of all destroyer flotillas of the Home Fleet, with the rank of Commodore, flying his flag from the light cruiser, HMS Amethyst. The forces Tyrwhitt commanded were called the Harwich Force during World War I. His leadership was highly regarded, and he led his ships at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and in the Cuxhaven Raid in 1914, and in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915. During the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the Admiralty held back Tyrwhitt's forces in case of a German attack on the coast. From 1926 to 1928, Tyrwhitt was Commander-in-Chief on the China Station during a period of disturbances and tension with the Nationalist Government, and became the senior British officer in the region. In the aftermath of the Invergordon Mutiny, Tyrwhitt was instrumental in preventing Vice-Admiral Frederic C. Dreyer, the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, from taking command of the Atlantic Fleet and ending any hopes Dreyer had of becoming First Sea Lord.[1] From 1930 to 1933, he served as Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. When he hauled down his flag for the last time in 1933 he was the last British flag officer of World War I to do so.[2] Tyrwhitt was created a Baronet, of Terschelling and of Oxford, in 1919, and in 1934 he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet. Mount Tyrwhitt (9,430 ft) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was named after the admiral in 1918. It is situated at latitude 50°34'55" north in the province of Alberta near the headwaters of the Bow River and the Kootenay River. Commodore Sir Reginald Yorke Tyrwhitt (10 May 1870 - 30 May 1951) Son of late Rev. Richard St John Tyrwhitt Married (1903) Angela, daughter of late Matthew Corbally, JP, Rathbeale Hall, Swords one son, two daughters .......... He was one of the better British Commanders during the First World War.

Service biography

Entered RN - 15.07.1883 Lt, HMS Cleopatra, Nicuragua - 1894 Cdre in command of Destroyer Flotillas, 1 Fleet - 1913 World War I 1914-1918 Commanded Destroyer Flotillas at Heligoland Bight, Aug and Dec 1914 Dogger Bank - 1915 Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar - 1919 commanded 3 Light Cruiser Sqn, Mediterranean - 1921-1922 Commanding Officer, Coast of Scotland - 1923-1925 Commander-in-Chief, China Station - 1927-1929 Commander-in-Chief, The Nore - 1930-1933 First and Principal Naval ADC to the King - 10.10.1932 - 31.07.1934 Admiral of the Fleet - 1934 Retired - 1939 No active postings known, but borne on the Active List of the Royal Navy - 1940 - 1945

Tyrwhitt joined the RN as a cadet in 1883 - followed six months later by the better known David Beatty. In August 1912 he was appointed Captain (D) of the Second Flotilla of Torpedo Boat Destroyers, and then on 1 December 1913 he was promoted Commodore (Second Class), and put in command of all the destroyer flotillas of the Home Fleet - flying his flag in the light cruiser HMS Amethyst.

Tyrwhitt's war station was Harwich, and the force under his command was soon known as the Harwich Force - from whence his fame. His leadership was highly regarded, and he led his ships at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and in the Cuxhaven Raid in 1914, and in the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915. During the Battle of Jutland in 1916 the Admiralty held back Tyrwhitt's forces

From 1927 to 1929, Tyrwhitt was Commander-in-Chief of British naval forces in China during a period of disturbances and tension with the Nationalist Government. From 1930 to 1933, he served as commander in chief at the Nore.

Tyrwhitt was created K.C.B. in 1917, and in 1919 received a baronetcy, Baronet, of Terschelling and of Oxford - a grant of £10,000 and the thanks of Parliament - and in 1934 he was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet.

Decorations ..... Officer of Military Order of Savoy, 1917; Order of the Sacred Treasure 1st Class (Japanese); Commander, Legion of Honour (France, 15.09.1916); Croix de Guerre; Order of the Sacred Treasure, 1st class (Japan) Hon. DCL Oxon, 1919

Mount Tyrwhitt (9,430 ft) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains was named after the admiral in 1918. It is situated at latitude 50 34 55 north in the province of Alberta near the headwaters of the Bow River and the Kootenay River.

Sources

1. ↑ General Register Office, birth registration index online (https://www.gro.gov.uk/); accessed 22 July 2023: TYRWHITT, REGINALD YORKE; GRO Reference: 1870 Apr-Jun Quarter in HEADINGTON registration district; Volume 03A Page 613; mother's maiden name: YORKE
2. ↑ "Births", Jackson's Oxford Journal, 14 May 1870, page 5, column 4
3. ↑ England and Wales 1871 census (St Giles, Oxford, Oxfordshire): The National Archives of the UK: reference RG 10/1436 folio 112v: Ancestry Record uki1871 #13110934

• Temple Patterson, Alfred (1973). Tyrwhitt of the Harwich Force: The Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt. London: Macdonald and Jane's. ISBN 0-356-04530-7.