Thomas John Spence Lyne

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Rear-Admiral SIR Thomas John Spence Lyne, K.C.V.O., C.B., D.S.O., Royal Navy, Retired (25 September, 1869 – 25 December, 1955) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He was the first man in over half a century to rise from the lower deck to reach the rank of Captain, and the first to attain Flag Rank, albeit on the Retired List.

Early Life & Career

Lyne entered the service as a Boy, Second Class on 15 December, 1884.[1]

Lyne was made Gunner on 16 February, 1898.[2]

Lyne was specially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 26 June, 1902.[3]

Lyne was appointed in command of the tug/special service vessel Traveller from 28 June, 1902 to 22 May, 1903.

On 1 September, 1912, the First Lord, Winston Churchill, wrote to Prince Louis of Battenberg:

I hear of an admirable Lieutenant promoted from warrant rank about 10 years ago - Lieutenant Lyne. Commander Willis of the Harwich Flotilla spoke to me with great enthusiasm of his work which he had seen for a long time in the Hebe, and which he said was of the highest character. The First Sea Lord also knows him and speaks very well of him.
It has occurred to me that when the first batch of promotions from the lower deck come out we should at the same time promote a man who has risen from the lower deck to be Commander and thus indicate quite clearly that the road is open for all who are worthy to tread it. Please let me know what you think.[4]

Battenberg evidently agreed. On 28 September the first promotions to the rank of Acting Mate were announced.[5] Lyne's promotion to the rank of Commander was dated the same day.[6]

Lyne was awarded a D.S.O. in November, 1918 for service with the Harwich Minesweeping Force. Hewas specially promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January, 1919.[7]

On 25 August, 1925, Lyne was appointed a Companion in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).[8] On the same day, his fifty-fifth birthday, he was placed on the Retired List for age.[9] He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 3 April, 1931.[10]

In the King's Birthday Honours of 1935, Spence Lyne was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (K.C.V.O.) on 3 June.[11] He was knighted by the King at an investiture held at Buckingham Palace on 9 July.[12]

Bibliography

  • "Rear-Adml. Sir Thomas Lyne" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 28 December, 1955. Issue 53413, col C, pg. 11.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
William Platt 		Captain of H.M.S. Traveller
30 Jun, 1902[13] – 22 May, 1903 		Succeeded by
Michael John Ahern
Preceded by
Robert W. Dalgety 		Captain of H.M.S. Snipe
Nov, 1904 – Nov, 1906 		Succeeded by
Sydney H. Tennyson
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M. T.B. 11
11 May, 1907[14] – 27 Jul, 1908 		Succeeded by
Charles G. Ramsey
Preceded by
Sydney H. Tennyson 		Captain of H.M.S. Kinsha
28 Jul, 1908 – Aug, 1911 		Succeeded by
Clive C. H. Maitland-Addison
Preceded by
Reginald Henniker-Heaton 		Captain of H.M.S. Sharpshooter
8 Jan, 1912 – Jun, 1912 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Arthur T. Blackwood 		Captain of H.M.S. Ringdove
4 Jun, 1912[15] – late 1912 		Succeeded by
Longuet M. Darbyshire
Preceded by
Wilfred Henderson 		Captain of H.M.S. Assistance
20 Apr, 1920 – 10 Jan, 1921 		Succeeded by
Ronald E. Chilcott
Preceded by
Charles P. Beaty-Pownall 		Inspecting Captain of Mechanical Training Establishments
10 Jan, 1921 – Nov, 1922 		Succeeded by
Horace W. Longden
Preceded by
Charles P. Beaty-Pownall 		Captain of H.M.S. Indus
11 Jan, 1921[16] – 15 Aug, 1922 		Succeeded by
Station Shut Down
Preceded by
Lawrence L. Dundas 		Captain of H.M.S. Blenheim
1 Nov, 1922[17] – 22 Aug, 1924 		Succeeded by
Benjamin W. Barrow
Preceded by
Berwick Curtis 		Captain of Training Ship H.M.S. Impregnable
22 Aug, 1924 – 25 Aug, 1925 		Succeeded by
Niel O'Neill

 

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Lyne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91/31. f. 31.
  2. ↑ Lyne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91/31. f. 31.
  3. ↑ Lyne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/91/31. f. 31.
  4. ↑ Churchill Papers. Cambridge Archives Centre. CHAR 13/13/2.
  5. ↑ "Petty Officers and Commissioned Rank." The Times. 28 September, 1912. p. 7.
  6. ↑ Lyne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/180.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 31112. p. 364. 7 January, 1919.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33078. p. 5627. 25 August, 1925.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33079. p. 5968. 28 August, 1925.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33706. p. 2332. 10 April, 1931.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34166. p. 3600. (Supplement) 3 June, 1935.
  12. ↑ "Court Circular" (Court and Social). The Times. Wednesday, 10 July, 1935. Issue 47112, col B, p. 17.
  13. ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 308a.
  14. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1908). p. 400a.
  15. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 368.
  16. ↑ "Captains' New Commands." The Times (London, England), Monday, January 10, 1921, Issue 42614, p.15.
  17. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.

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