The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in the British Army was the Staff College, Camberley, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell.
History The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was founded by an Order in Council dated 16 January 1873, and replaced most of the functions previously carried out by the Royal Naval Academy at Portsmouth. The establishment of its officers consisted of a president, who was always a flag officer; a captain, Royal Navy; a director of studies; and professors of mathematics, physical science, chemistry, applied mechanics, and fortification. It was to take in officers who were already sub-lieutenants and to operate as "the university of the Navy".J. R. Hill, Bryan Ranft, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Navy (2002), p. 269 The director of studies, a civilian, was in charge of an academic board, while the captain of the college was a naval officer who acted as chief of staff.Geoffrey Till, Bryan Ranft, The Development of British Naval Thinking (2006)
The Royal Naval War College, which had been established at Greenwich in November 1900 before being removed to first Devonport and then Portsmouth, transferred its activities to the college at Greenwich in 1914.Hazell's Annual 1914, p. 143 During World War I the Royal Naval College was requisitioned as a barracks and for scientific experiments. The training of officers was not resumed until 1919.Kevin Littlewood, Beverley Butler, Of Ships and Stars: Maritime Heritage and the Founding of the National Maritime Museum (1998), p. 43
On 30 October 1939 the college began to train officers of the Women's Royal Naval Service.Marjorie H. Fletcher, The WRNS: A History of the Women's Royal Naval Service (1989), p. 115 During the Second World War, the college increased the number of officers of both sexes trained for an expanded Navy. Its major task was the training of fighting officers, and around 35,000 men and women graduated during that period. In 1943, the beautiful Admiral's House on the north wing of King Charles Court was damaged by a direct hit from a German bomb; another bomb hit the front of the building.The Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College
The Navy's Department of Nuclear Science and Technology opened on the college premises in 1959, and JASON, the department's research and training reactor, was commissioned in the King William building in 1962.Jason casts a cloud over naval college sale in The Independent dated 22 October 1995
In 1967 Queen Elizabeth II knighted Francis Chichester on the river steps of the college, honouring his achievement in circumnavigating the world as a solo yachtsman, using the old route of the clippers, becoming the first to do so. His was also the fastest such circumnavigation, taking nine months and one day.1967: Sir Francis Chichester sails home at BBC.co.uk
The Royal School of Naval Architecture, which had been part of the college since 1873, transferred to University College London in 1967.J. R. Parkinson, The Economics of Shipbuilding in the United Kingdom (2011), p. 5 The Royal Naval College continued to train women until 1976, when their courses were transferred to the Britannia Royal Naval College.
From 1983 the relocated Joint Services Defence College also occupied much of the King Charles building. With a shrinking Royal Navy, the decision was taken to close RNC Greenwich in 1998. All initial officer training is now carried out at the Britannia Royal Naval College,Robert Shannan Peckham, Rethinking Heritage: Cultures and Politics in Europe (2003), p. 18 and the new Joint Services Command and Staff College, created in 1997, took over the staff college functions.Ian F. W. Beckett, Discovering British Regimental Traditions (Osprey Publishing, 2007), p. 58
Buildings
The college was established in buildings designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1696 and 1712, then intended to serve as the Greenwich Hospital, a home for disabled sailors. This closed in 1869, when the pensioners were transferred to other places, leaving the buildings available for a new use.Ann Stewart Balakier, James J. Balakier, The Spatial Infinite at Greenwich in Works by Christopher Wren (1995), p. i The site of the former hospital had once been occupied by the medieval Palace of Placentia, or "Palace at Greenwich", begun by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in 1428.Guy McDonald, England (2004), p. 125
After the Royal Navy departed in 1998 the buildings were opened to the public as the Old Royal Naval College.
Presidents See also :Category:Admiral presidents of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich The president of the college was a full-time post until 1982 when it became an honorary role held by the Second Sea Lord (and from 1994 an honorary role held by the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff).Royal Navy Senior Appointments at gulabin.com, accessed 9 October 2013 Presidents included: Vice-Admiral Sir Astley Cooper Key (1873–1875) Admiral Sir Edward Gennys Fanshawe (1875–1878) Admiral Sir Charles Frederick Alexander Shadwell (1878–1881) Admiral Sir Geoffrey Phipps Hornby (1881–1882) Admiral William Garnham Luard (1882–1885) Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Brandreth (1885–1888) Admiral Sir William Graham (1888–1891) Admiral Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton (1891–1894) Admiral Sir Walter James Hunt-Grubbe (1894–1897) Admiral Sir Richard Tracey (1897–1900) Admiral Sir Robert More-Molyneux (1900–1903) Admiral Sir Robert Hastings Penruddock Harris (1903–1906) Admiral Sir Arthur Dalrymple Fanshawe (1906–1908) Admiral Sir John Durnford (1908–1911) Admiral Sir Frederic William Fisher (1911–1914) Vice-Admiral The Hon. Sir Alexander Edward Bethell (1914–1915) Vice-Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly (1915–1916) Admiral Sir Henry Bradwardine Jackson (1916–1919) Vice-Admiral Sir William Christopher Pakenham (1919–1920) Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Tudor (1920–1922) Rear-Admiral Herbert Richmond (1922–1923) Admiral Sir George Hope (1923–1926) Admiral Sir Richard Webb (1926–1929) Vice-Admiral John McClintock (1929) Vice-Admiral Sir William Henry Dudley Boyle (1929–1932) Vice-Admiral Sir Barry Domvile (1932–1934) Vice-Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin (1934–1937) Vice-Admiral Sir Sidney Bailey (1937–1938) Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Kennedy-Purvis (1938–1940) Vacant (1940–1943)Note: The duties of Admiral President would have carried out by the Captain of the College, Captain John Cecil Davis, during these War years Commodore Augustus Agar (1943–1946)'Agar, Captain Augustus Willington Shelton', in Who Was Who 1961–1970 (London: A. & C. Black, 1979 reprint, ) Vice-Admiral Sir Patrick Brind (1946–1948) Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Oliver (1948–1950) Admiral Sir Harold Kinahan (1950–1952) Vice-Admiral Sir Aubrey Mansergh (1952–1954) Admiral Sir William Andrewes (1954–1956) Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Barnard (1956–1958) Rear-Admiral David Cairns, 5th Earl Cairns (1958–1961)'Cairns, 5th Earl' in Who Was Who 1981–1990 (London: A. & C. Black, 1991, ) Rear-Admiral Sir Alexander Gordon-Lennox (1961–1962)'Gordon Lennox, Rear-Adm. Sir Alexander (Henry Charles)' in Who Was Who 1981–1990 (London: A. & C. Black, 1991, ) Rear-Admiral Morgan Morgan-Giles (1962–1964) Vice-Admiral Sir Ian Lachlan Mackay McGeoch (1964–1965)'McGeoch, Vice-Adm. Sir Ian (Lachlan Mackay)' in Who's Who 2007 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006) Rear-Admiral Patrick Bayly (1965–1967) Vice-Admiral Sir Horace Lyddon (1967–1968) Rear-Admiral Edward Gueritz (1968–1970) Rear-Admiral Martin Noel Lucey (1970–1972)'Lucey, Rear-Adm. Martin Noel' in Who Was Who 1991–1995 (London: A. & C. Black, 1996 ) Rear-Admiral Edward William Ellis (1972–1974)'Ellis, Rear-Adm. Edward William' in Who Was Who 2001–2005 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006, ) Rear-Admiral Derek Willoughby Bazalgette (1974–1976)'Bazalgette, Rear-Adm. Derek Willoughby' in Who's Who 2007 (London: A. & C. Black, 2006) Rear-Admiral Charles Weston (1976–1978) Rear-Admiral Anthony John Cooke (1978–1980)'Cooke, Rear-Adm. Anthony John', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Rear-Admiral John Hildred Carlill (1980–1982)'Carlill, Rear Adm. John Hildred' in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Admiral Sir Simon Cassels (1982–1986)'Cassels, Adm. Sir Simon (Alastair Cassillis)', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Admiral Sir Richard George Alison Fitch (1986–1988)'Fitch, Adm. Sir Richard (George Alison)', in Who Was Who 1991–1995 (London: A. & C. Black, 1996, ) Admiral Sir Brian Brown (1988–1991)'Brown, Adm. Sir Brian (Thomas)', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Admiral Sir Michael Livesay (1991–1993)Admiral Sir Michael Livesay The Telegraph, 9 October 2003 Admiral Sir Michael Henry Gordon Layard (1993–1994)'Layard, Adm. Sir Michael (Henry Gordon)', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Admiral Sir John Richard Brigstocke (1994–1995)'Brigstocke, Adm. Sir John (Richard)', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012) Vice-Admiral Sir Jeremy Joe Blackham (1995–1997)'Blackham, Vice-Adm. Sir Jeremy (Joe)', in Who's Who 2013 (London: A. & C. Black, 2012)
Directors of Studies The following individuals served as Director of Studies:
Order Officeholder Title Term began Term end Time in office Notes Thomas Archer Hirst Director of Studies 1873 1882 years Sir William Davidson Niven 1882 1903 years Captain William Harold Watts 1966 1969 years
Notable professors
William Burnside, Professor of Mathematics (1885–1919) Bernard Parker Haigh, Professor of applied mechanics, known for the Haigh diagram (appointed 1913)G. P. Sendeckyj, Int. Journal of Fatigue vol. 23 (2001), p. 347 Peter Stanley Lyons, Director of Music (1950–1954)Entry for Lyons, Peter S., Register of Twentieth Century Johnians, Volume I, 1900-1949. St John's College, Cambridge.Entry for Lyons, Peter S., The Eagle, St John's College, Cambridge, 2007, pp.258-259Obituary of Lyons, Peter S., Rutland and Stamford Mercury, Friday, 20 April 2007. John Knox Laughton, Head of Department of Meteorology and Marine Surveying (1873–1885) Christopher Lloyd, Professor of History (1962–1967)'Lloyd, Charles Christopher', in Who Was Who 1981–1990 (London: A. & C. Black, 1991, ) Bryan Ranft, Professor of History and International Affairs (1967–1977)'Professor Bryan Ranft: Historian of the Royal Navy', obituary in The Guardian dated 25 May 2001 Arnold William Reinold, Professor of Physics (1873–1908)'A. W. Reinold', obituary in Nature, issue 2687 dated 28 April 1921, vol. 107, p. 276
Notable students
Commodore Augustus Agar (1890–1968) Admiral of the Fleet David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty (1871–1936) George Richard Bethell (1849–1919), Royal Navy officer and Conservative politician Admiral Hugo Biermann (1916–2012), Chief of the South African Navy and the South African Defence Force Basil Charles Barrington Brooke (1895–1983), admiral and first-class cricketer Sir Henry Harvey Bruce (1862–1948), admiral Admiral of the Fleet Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope (1883–1963) Vice Admiral A. H. Asoka de Silva (1931–2006), Commander of the Navy of Sri Lanka from 1983 to 1986 Vice Admiral Henry George DeWolf (1903–2000), Canadian naval officer Admiral Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer (1878–1956) Admiral of the Fleet Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921–2021) Admiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher (1875–1937) Prince Charles, Count of Flanders, Prince-Regent of Belgium Rear Admiral Musharraf Hussain Khan (1932–2018), Chief of Bangladesh Navy Staff from 1973 to 1979 Admiral D. Basil Gunasekara (born 1929), Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1973 to 1979 Admiral Henry Perera, Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 1979 to 1983 Hugh Alfred Vernon Haggard (1908–1991), Royal Navy submariner Admiral of the Fleet Lord Hill-Norton (1915–2004) Vice Admiral Sir J. G. T. Inglis (1906–1972), Head of Naval Intelligence