Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (United Kingdom)

Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Incumbent
Vice-Admiral Martin Connell
since 14 January 2022
Ministry of Defence
AbbreviationDCNS
Member ofBoard of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board
Reports toFirst Sea Lord
NominatorFirst Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for Defence
AppointerPrime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term lengthNot fixed
(typically 1–3 years)
Formation1917–1968, 2013–current
First holderVice Admiral Henry Oliver

The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Navy currently held by the Second Sea Lord.[1] The incumbent is usually a three-star rank and had a NATO ranking code of OF-8, but the position has previously been held by an acting two-star ranked officer and a four-star ranked officer.

First and Second World Wars

The position was originally established in 1917 on the Board of Admiralty. It essentially replaced the position of Chief of the Admiralty War Staff.[2]

The first incumbent was Vice Admiral Henry Oliver, the Chief of the Admiralty War Staff, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on 31 May 1917.[3] The duties of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, were shared with the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff and with the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.[2]

In September 1917 the new post of Deputy First Sea Lord was created to meet the demand of wartime operational requirements. The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff then reported to the Deputy First Sea Lord until 1919 when that post was abolished. The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff then resumed his previous role and reported to the First Sea Lord until 1941. Duties as of 1917 included:[4][2][5]

  1. Relieve the First Sea Lord of all the routine matters dealt with by sections under his immediate direction
  2. Fleet Movements
  3. All operations in the North Sea, the White Sea, the Baltic, and the Dover Area, except British coastal measures for the protection of trade
  4. Offensive measures in the Mediterranean and abroad generally
  5. The protection of trade in the North Sea, except the coastal trade on the East Coast of Great Britain. North Sea trade includes the Dutch trade, trade between Scandinavian countries and Great Britain, and Baltic trade, but not convoy from Lerwick, Southward
  6. All questions relating to foreign stations, except protection of trade against submarine and mine attack
  7. Policy of blockade and all questions relating thereto and to contraband of war
  8. Organisation, movements and protection of troop transports and other vessels against attack by surface vessels; Atlantic convoys other than troop convoys being under the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff

This remained in place until 1939. Duties after 1939 included:[5]

  1. Operations of War: All large Questions of Naval Policy and Maritime Warfare
  2. Fighting and Sea-going Efficiency of the Fleet and its Organisation
  3. Distribution and Movements of all Ships in Commission and in Reserve
  4. Superintendence of the Naval Staff and the Hydrographic Department
  5. Administering Naval communications
  6. Superintendence of the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
  7. Superintendence of the Director of the Naval Intelligence Division

In 1941 the DCNS post was renamed Vice Chief of the Naval Staff; this continued until 1946. After the Second World War the title was changed back to DCNS, and continued until 1968.

From 2013

In 2013 the office was brought back once more and the current Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff became both a member of the Admiralty Board and a member of the Navy Board of the Ministry of Defence.

Duties circa March 2014 included:[6]

  • Full command of all deployable Fleet units including the Royal Marines
  • Responsible for providing ships, submarines, aircraft and Royal Marine units ready in all respects for any operations that the UK Government requires
  • Responsible for the delivery of the Naval Service's current and future personnel, equipment and infrastructure

Deputy Chiefs of the Naval Staff

Incumbents include:[7]

No. Portrait Deputy Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Sir Henry Oliver
Oliver, HenryVice Admiral
Sir Henry Oliver
(1865–1965)		July 1917January 19186 months.
2
Sir Sydney Fremantle
Fremantle, SydneyActing Vice Admiral
Sir Sydney Fremantle
(1867–1958)		January 1918May 19191 year, 4 months.
3
Sir James Fergusson
Fergusson, JamesRear Admiral
Sir James Fergusson
(1871–1942)		May 1919August 19193 months.
4
Sir Osmond Brock
Brock, OsmondVice Admiral
Sir Osmond Brock
(1869–1947)		August 1919November 19212 years, 3 months[8]
5
Sir Roger Keyes
Keyes, RogerVice Admiral
Sir Roger Keyes
(1872–1945)		November 1921May 19253 years, 6 months[8]
6
Sir Frederick Field
Field, FrederickVice Admiral
Sir Frederick Field
(1871–1945)		May 1925May 19283 years[8]
7
Sir William Wordsworth Fisher
Fisher, WilliamVice Admiral
Sir William Wordsworth Fisher
(1875–1937)		May 1928June 19302 years, 1 month[9]
8
Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer
Dreyer, FredericAdmiral
Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer
(1878–1956)		June 1930January 19332 years, 7 months[10]
9
Sir Charles J. C. Little
Little, CharlesVice Admiral
Sir Charles J. C. Little
(1882–1973)		January 1933October 19352 years, 9 months[11]
10
Sir William Milbourne James
James, WilliamVice Admiral
Sir William Milbourne James
(1881–1973)		October 1935October 19383 years[12]
11
Sir Andrew B. Cunningham
Cunningham, AndrewVice Admiral
Sir Andrew B. Cunningham
(1883–1963)		October 1938May 19397 months[13]
12
Sir Tom S. V. Phillips
Phillips, TomVice Admiral
Sir Tom S. V. Phillips
(1888–1941)		June 1939October 19412 years, 5 months[14]
Note: Post is renamed 1941 to 1946 its responsibilities are taken over by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
No. Portrait Deputy Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Robert Don Oliver
Oliver, RobertRear Admiral
Robert Don Oliver
(1895–1980)		April 1946April 19471 year.
2
Sir Edward Evans-Lombe
Evans, EdwardVice Admiral
Sir Edward Evans-Lombe
(1901–1974)		December 1950January 19532 years, 1 month.
3
Sir Geoffrey Barnard
Barnard, GeoffreyRear Admiral
Sir Geoffrey Barnard
(1901–1974)		January 1953April 19541 year, 3 months[15]
4
Sir Eric Clifford
Clifford, EricVice Admiral
Sir Eric Clifford
(1900–1964)		April 1954September 19573 years, 5 months[16]
Note: From 1957 to 1965 the post was held jointly by the Fifth Sea Lord
No. Portrait Deputy Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Sir Manley Power
Power, ManleyVice Admiral
Sir Manley Power
(1904–1981)		October 1957February 19591 year, 4 months.
2
Admiral Sir Laurence Durlacher
Durlacher, LaurenceAdmiral
Admiral Sir Laurence Durlacher
(1904–1986)		February 1959January 19622 years, 11 months[17]
3
Sir Peter Gretton
Gretton, PeterVice Admiral
Sir Peter Gretton
(1912–1992)		January 1962January 19631 year[18]
4
Sir Frank Hopkins
Hopkins, FrankVice Admiral
Sir Frank Hopkins
(1910–1990)		January 1963March 19663 years, 2 months[19]
5
Sir Richard B. Janvrin
Janvrin, RichardVice Admiral
Sir Richard B. Janvrin
(1915–1993)		March 1966October 19682 years, 7 months[citation needed]
Note: Post was vacant from 1969 to 2012; it was re-established in 2013. From 2013 to 2015 it was held by the Fleet Commander and from 2016 it was held by the Second Sea Lord
No. Portrait Deputy Chief Took office Left office Time in office Ref.
1
Sir Philip Jones
Jones, PhilipVice Admiral
Sir Philip Jones
(born 1960)		30 November 20128 April 20163 years, 130 days[20][21]
2
Jonathan Woodcock
Woodcock, JonathanVice Admiral
Jonathan Woodcock
(born 1962)		8 April 201627 March 20181 year, 353 days[22]
3
Tony Radakin
Radakin, TonyVice Admiral
Tony Radakin
(born 1965)		27 March 201826 April 20191 year, 30 days[23]
4
Nick Hine
Hine, NicholasVice Admiral
Nick Hine
(born 1966)		26 April 201912 January 20222 years, 261 days[24]
5
Martin Connell
Connell, MartinVice Admiral
Martin Connell
(born 1968)		12 January 2022Incumbent2 years, 317 days[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Secretary of State announces new Senior Appointments in the Armed Services". www.gov.uk. Ministry of Defence, 29 January 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Deputy Chief of Naval Staff". dreadnoughtproject.org. Dreadnought Project, 1 September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  3. ^ Oliver Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. p. 319.
  4. ^ "War Staff Duties." Jellicoe Papers. British Library. Add. MS. 48992. ff. 94–95.
  5. ^ a b "Deputy Chief of Naval Staff – The Dreadnought Project,"War Staff Duties." Jellicoe Papers. British Library. Add. MS. 48992. ff. 94–95". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Navy Command senior, as of March 2014". gov.uk. MOD, Updated 29 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  7. ^ Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy – Senior Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  8. ^ a b c "The Admiralty British Government Department, 1920s". warwick.ac.uk. University of Warwick, 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  9. ^ Stewart, William (2009). Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. McFarland. p. 126. ISBN 9780786482887.
  10. ^ Bevand, Paul. "Biography: Admiral Sir Frederick Charles Dreyer". HMS Hood Association, 6 May 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  11. ^ McKercher, Brian J. C. (1999). Transition of Power: Britain's Loss of Global Pre-eminence to the United States, 1930–1945. Cambridge University Press. p. 191. ISBN 9781139425063.
  12. ^ "Vice-Admiral Sir William Milbourne James (1881–1973)". rmg.co.uk. Royal Museums Greenwich, Collections, 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  13. ^ Brown, [G.A. Titterton]. Vol. 1, September 1939 – October 1940 / with an introduction by David (2002). September 1939 – October 1940 ([New ed.]. ed.). London [u.a.]: Whitehall History Publ. in assoc. with Frank Cass. p. 3. ISBN 9780714651798.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Hunter, Brian Farrell & Sandy (2002). Sixty years on : the fall of Singapore revisited. Singapore: Eastern Univ. Press. p. 146. ISBN 9789812102027.
  15. ^ Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Routledge. p. 13. ISBN 9781136509612.
  16. ^ "Adm. Eric Clifford, Headed U.N. Units Off Korea in '52". The New York Times. 10 September 1964. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  17. ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael A.; Rubinstein, Hilary L., eds. (2011). The Palgrave dictionary of Anglo-Jewish history. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 235. ISBN 9781403939104.
  18. ^ Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. 85: Routledge. ISBN 9781136509612.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  19. ^ Dyndal, Gjert Lage (2016). Land Based Air Power Or Aircraft Carriers?: A Case Study of the British Debate about Maritime Air Power in the 1960s. Routledge. p. 96. ISBN 9781317108405.
  20. ^ "Senior organogram". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Senior Appointments". March 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. MOD, UK, 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  24. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy.
  25. ^ "New Second Sea Lord officially welcomed to role". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2023.

Attribution

Primary source for this article is by Harley, Simon and Lovell, Tony, (2016) Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, The Dreadnought Project, http://dreadnoughtproject.org.

Sources

  • Rodger. N.A.M., (1979) The Admiralty (offices of state), T. Dalton, Lavenham, ISBN 978-0900963940.
  • Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy at The National Archives. ADM 234/434.
  • Mackie, Colin, (2010–2014), British Armed Services between 1860 and the present day — I Royal Navy – Senior Appointments, http://www.gulabin.com/.