The Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. He was charged with the administration of the Orkney and Shetland Islands and operating and defending the fleet base at Scapa Flow that was the main anchorage for both the Home Fleet and Grand Fleet at various times.
History An Admiral Commanding for the Orkneys and Shetlands was appointed twice, on the outbreak of war, to provide for the defence and administration of the main base for the Home Fleet. The Admiral Commanding was responsible, under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, for administration of naval defences, naval establishments, and shore duties generally in Orkney and Shetland.
During the First World War and the Second World War the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow served under him, with a position similar to that of an Admiral Superintendent of a dockyard port. Directly under his orders were the Northern Patrol, Shetlands Patrols, the Officer Commanding Troops Orkney, the Officer Commanding Troops Shetlands, the Admiralty Port Officer Kirkwall, the Rear-Admiral commanding the local minefields and the officers responsible for the extended defences, the local defence flotilla and the Orkney Trawler Patrols.Grand Fleet Order 107. He was responsible for the patrolling of the area from Wick to Cape Wrath.Grand Fleet Order 136.
Shore establishments included HMS Pyramus (shore establishment) at Kirkwall; HMS Proserpine (shore establishment) at Lyness; and HMS Fox (shore establishment) at Lerwick.Watson. 2015
During the Second World War the Rear-Admiral, Scapa Flow continued to serve under him.
First World War Included:
Rank Flag Name Term Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetland1 Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville 7 September 1914 – 19 January 19162 Admiral Sir Frederic Edward Errington Brock 20 January 1916 – 11 March 19183 Admiral Sir Herbert E. King-Hall 28 January 1918 – 1 March 19194 Vice-Admiral Sir Robert John Prendergast 1 March 1919 – 9 January 1920
Subordinate commanders First World War Source:
Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa This officer's role was similar to that of Admiral Superintendent of a dockyard port.
Rank Flag Name Term Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa1 Rear-Admiral Francis Miller September 1914 – April, 1916 January 19162 Rear-Admiral Robert Prendergast May 1916 – September 1917 1918
Flag Officer Shetlands Rank Flag Name Term Flag Officer Shetlands1 Rear-Admiral Rear Admiral Clement GreatorexOctober 1917
Naval units, First World War Included:Watson. 2015 Unit Date Notes21st Minesweeper Flotilla 1918 Northern Patrol 1914–1918, 1939–1945 Operating within the Orkneys & Shetland Command under VAdm Comm NPScapa Local Defence Flotilla 1914–1918
Second World War Watson lists the 6th M/S Flotilla 7.41 – 12.42, which may have been under direct command of the Home Fleet, and the 15th M/S Flotilla 4.42 – 2.44 [Bangors] operated under the orders of the Admiral Commanding. The Admiral's flag was flown aboard HMS in Scapa Flow.
The Northern Patrol was based within the Orkney and Shetlands area, but was not responsible to the Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetlands.Watson 2015 Its ships were dispersed by 1941.
Admirals Commanding: Rank Flag Name Term Admiral Commanding Orkneys and Shetland1 Vice-Admiral Sir Wilfred Franklin French July 1939 – 20 December 19392 Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Binney20 December 1939 – 7 January 19423 Vice-Admiral Sir Lionel Wells 7 January – October 19434 Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Harwood April 1944 – March 1945
Flag Officer, Scapa Flow/Rear-Admiral Scapa
Rank Flag Name Term Flag Officer Scapa Flow/Rear Admiral Scapa1 Rear-Admiral Patrick Macnamara 1 September 1940 – March 1945
Admiral-superintendent Lyness Rank Flag Name Term Admiral Superintendent Lyness1 Rear-Admiral Patrick Macnamara 3 October 1940 – March 1945
Admiral-superintendent Orkney Rank Flag Name Term Admiral Superintendent Orkney1 Rear-Admiral Patrick Macnamara 1 May 1942 – March 1945
Notes
References
Harley, Simon and Lovell Tony, Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands (2015), http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org (main source for this article)