George Callaghan

Royal Navy admiral of the fleet

Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Astley Callaghan GCB, GCVO (21 December 1852 – 23 November 1920) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

During the Boxer Rebellion he served as commander of a naval brigade sent ashore to form an element of a larger expedition under Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee: the expedition entered Peking and rescued the legations which had been held hostage there.

He came to prominence again when, as Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet, he assisted with the provision of aid to survivors of the Messina earthquake, which had caused the loss of circa 123,000 lives.

Callaghan became Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet in November 1911 and was advised in December 1913 that his tenure would be extended for another twelve months.

With increasing international tension he started preparing his fleet for war.At the outbreak of the First World War in July 1914, Callaghan set sail in his flagship for his war station at Scapa Flow.

There he met his successor-designate Sir John Jellicoe who had received orders from First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to relieve the ageing Callaghan of command of his fleet.

Callaghan was bitterly disappointed not to command his fleet in the war he had completely readied it for.He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.

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