Wenceslao Benitez Inglott

The Most Excellent
Wenceslao Benítez Inglott
OAX
Personal details
Born30 April 1879
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Died22 December 1954 (aged 75)
San Fernando, Spain
SpouseMaria Luisa de Mesa y Ruiz-Mateos
EducationColegio de San Agustín Escuela Naval Militar
Military service
Allegiance Spain
Branch/serviceSpanish Navy
Years of service1893-1940
RankCounter Admiral

Wenceslao Benitez Inglott OAX (30 April 1879 – 22 December 1954) was a distinguished Spanish navy officer, scientist, and engineer.

Biography

He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 30 April 1879, son of the lawyer Eduardo Benítez González and of Maria del Pino Inglott Navarro.

Benitez Inglott's early years were spent in the prestigious Colegio de San Agustín in Las Palmas, where he demonstrated an early interest in mathematics and astrophysics.[1] When he was fourteen years of age he passed the entrance exams to enrol in the Spanish Navy with the highest marks.[2]

He was commissioned into several navy ships after training. Between 1922-1925 Benitez Inglott commanded Dédalo, the first Spanish seaplane carrier, in the context of the Rif War.[3] The ship sailed in 1924 towards Southampton to collect twelve Supermarine Sea Eagles flying boats purchased by the Spanish Navy to provide air support to the hard-pressed Spanish forces on the ground.[4] Dédalo was to play a fundamental role in supporting the Alhucemas landing in September 1925; the first time in history that an amphibious landing was assisted by naval aviation.[5][6]

On 19 October 1929 a Royal Order appointed Benítez Inglott director of the Spanish Naval Military Academy, position he would retain until immediately after the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931.[7][8] As the Academy's director Benítez Inglott was also appointed private tutor to the Infante Juan of Spain, son and heir to King Alfonso XIII of Spain, who was training there.[9] On 14 April, following the Republic's proclamation, Benítez Inglott personally ensured that Infante Juan safely joined the rest of his family in exile.[10]

In 1940, upon Benítez Inglott's retirement, the Minister of the Navy recommended him to become honorary Counter Admiral of the Spanish Navy for his scientific and military achievements.[11] He was also director (1940–1954) of the Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada, in San Fernando, where he had previously been deputy director.[12] He taught in the Escuela de Guardias Marinas, de la Aplicación and of the Hydrographic Engineers.[13] In April 1942 he was elected member of the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences with medal number 5.[14] His opening speech is entitled El Universo Sideral.[15]

Benítez Inglott passed away on 22 December 1955, age 75, in San Fernando (Cádiz).

Awards and honours

Cross (White Decoration, 1st class) of Naval Merit (1911)[16]

Cross (Red Decoration, 1st class) of Military Merit (1912)[17]

Cross (Red Decoration, 1st class) of Naval Merit (1913)[18]

Cross (White Decoration, 1st class) of Naval Merit (1919)[19]

Cross (White Decoration, 2nd class) of Naval Merit (1926)[20]

Grand Cross (White Decoration) of Naval Merit (1934)[21][22]

Grand Cross of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Hermenegild (1943)[23]

Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise (1955, posthumously)[24]

As a token of royal appreciation on 23 January 1931 King Alfonso XIII appointed Benítez Inglott a Gentilhombre de Cámara con Ejercicio (Gentleman of the Bedchamber), taking oath of loyalty to the King at the Royal Palace of Madrid on 9 April 1931.[25][26] It has been argued he was the last Gentilhombre of the Spanish Monarchy since this palatial honorary class was suppressed after the Second Spanish Republic was declared, being never re-created following the Restoration of the Spanish Monarchy in 1975.[27]

Benítez-Inglott's badge as a Gentleman of the Royal Bedchamber (1931).

An institute of secondary education in San Fernando is named after him and so are three streets: in his hometown, in San Fernando, and in Arinaga (Gran Canaria).[28]

References

  1. ^ Laforet Hernández, Juan José (2010). lmirantes Horiundos de Canarias: III Jornadas Marítimo-Navales. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Real Sociedad Económica de Amigos del País de Gran Canaria. pp. 73–74. ISBN 978-84-933042-8-7.
  2. ^ Ibidem.
  3. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Marina 07/01/1922, p. 30 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 7 January 1922. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  4. ^ Díaz-Bedia Astor, Luis, "Los Portaaviones Españoles: Un Siglo de Evolución con el Arma Aérea", Revista General de Marina, 271 (2016), p. 274.[1]
  5. ^ Laforet Hernández, Almirantes Orihundos, p. 74
  6. ^ Navy, Spanish. "A brief history of the Spanish Naval Aviation 1917-2017 - Historia de la Aviación Naval Española - Aircraft - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  7. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Marina 21/10/1929, p. 2038 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 21 October 1929. Retrieved 2020-09-23.
  8. ^ Laforet Hernández, Almirantes Orihundos, p. 75
  9. ^ Soriano y Benítez de Lugo, Alfonso (2015). Corte y Sociedad: Canarios al Servicio de la Corona. Vol. 2. Canary Islands: Gaviño de Franchy. p. 391. ISBN 978-84-606-6117-7.
  10. ^ Soriano y Benítez de Lugo, Corte y Sociedad. 2. p. 393.
  11. ^ "Boletin Oficial del Estado 31/05/1940, p. 3698 - boe.es Agencia Estatal, Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). 31 May 1940. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  12. ^ "Antecedentes - Información General - Real Observatorio de la Armada - Armada Española - Ministerio de Defensa - Gobierno de España". armada.defensa.gob.es. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  13. ^ "Real Academia De Ciencias Exactas, Físicas Y Naturales | Relación De Académicos Desde El Año 1847 Hasta El 2003" (PDF). 2005-12-29. Retrieved 2020-03-25.
  14. ^ "Académicos Históricos: Excmo. Sr. D. Wenceslao Benítez Inglott". Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  15. ^ "Discursos leídos en las sesiones públicas de recepción de los señores Académicos Numerarios". Real Academia De Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  16. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Marina 24/02/1911, p. 254 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 24 February 1911. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  17. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Guerra 20/02/1912, p. 250 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 20 February 1912. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  18. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Marina 22/03/1913, p. 449 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 22 March 1913. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
  19. ^ "Diario Oficial del Ministerio de Marina 02/08/1919, p. 1106 - Biblioteca Virtual de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa". 2 August 1919. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  20. ^ 'Información de Marina: Recompensas', La Opinión: Diario Independiente de la Mañana (1 March 1926), p. 1 col. 3. Retrieved 2020-04-04.
  21. ^ "Gaceta de Madrid 04/01/1934, p. 62 - boe.es Agencia Estatal, Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. 4 January 1934. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  22. ^ "Biblioteca Virtual del Ministerio de Defensa". Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  23. ^ "Boletin Oficial del Estado 03/04/1943, p. 2927 - boe.es Agencia Estatal, Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). 3 April 1943. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  24. ^ "Boletin Oficial del Estado 22/01/1955, p. 447 - boe.es Agencia Estatal, Boletín Oficial del Estado" (PDF). 22 January 1955. Retrieved 2020-04-01.
  25. ^ Soriano y Benítez de Lugo, Corte y Sociedad. 2. p. 391.
  26. ^ De Mayoralgo y Lodo, José Miguel. "Movimiento Nobiliario 1931-1940: Año 1931" (PDF). Real Academia Matritense de Heráldica y Genealogía. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  27. ^ See Soriano y Benítez de Lugo, Corte y Sociedad. 2. p. 393.
  28. ^ "Homepage IES Wenceslao Benitez". Retrieved 2020-04-01.
Preceded by
Honorato Castro y Bonel
Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences
Medal 5
1943-1954 		Succeeded by
Manuel Velasco de Pando