Maurice Mansergh

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Sir Maurice Mansergh
Birth nameMaurice James Mansergh
Born14 October 1896
Ealing, Essex, England
Died29 September 1966(1966-09-29) (aged 69)
London, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service1914–1954
RankAdmiral
Commands heldHMS Gambia
15th Cruiser Squadron
3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron
Plymouth Command
Battles/warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Admiral Sir Maurice James Mansergh KCB CBE (14 October 1896 – 29 September 1966) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

Mansergh was born in Ealing, Essex, the second son of civil engineer Ernest Lawson Mansergh and grandson of James Mansergh. He was educated at a school near Nuneaton before entering Royal Naval College, Osborne in 1909 as a naval cadet.[1]

Naval career[edit]

Mansergh joined the Royal Navy in 1914 at the start of World War I.[2] He served on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet from 1934 and then became executive officer on the battleship HMS Rodney from 1936.[2] In 1939 he became director of the Trade Division at the Admiralty where his main role was the protection of shipping.[3]

He served in World War II as deputy assistant chief of the Naval Staff (Trade) and then, from 1941, as captain of the cruiser HMS Gambia.[2][4] He was made deputy chief of staff and subsequently chief of staff to the Allied naval commander-in-chief for the Normandy Invasion Expeditionary Force in 1943.[2]

After the war, he became commodore commanding 15th Cruiser Squadron and then, from 1946, he became Naval Secretary.[2] He was appointed commander of the 3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron in 1948 and Fifth Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Air) in 1949,[2] with promotion to vice admiral on 30 September 1949.[5] His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1951.[2] He retired in 1954.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Obituary: Admiral Sir Maurice Mansergh". The Times. 3 October 1966. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Sir Maurice James Mansergh Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
  3. ^ B. B. Schofield. The Defeat of the U-Boats during World War II. Journal of Contemporary History 16 (1) The Second World War: Part 1 (Jan., 1981), 119-129. Sage Publications, Ltd.
  4. ^ "The Imperial Theme": HMS Gambia
  5. ^ "No. 38751". The London Gazette. 1 November 1949. p. 5204.
Military offices
Preceded by Naval Secretary
1946–1948
Succeeded by
Preceded by Fifth Sea Lord
1949–1951
Succeeded by
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth
1951–1953
Succeeded by