Sydney Robert Fremantle

Admiral SIR Sydney Fremantle, G.C.B., M.V.O., Royal Navy (16 November, 1867 – 29 April, 1958) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War. He is chiefly remembered for his command of the First Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet at the time of the Scuttling of the High Sea Fleet in 1919.

Family Background

Sydney Robert Fremantle's great-grandfather was Admiral Sir Thomas Francis Fremantle (1765-1819), a friend of Nelson who had commanded Neptune, third ship in the weather division at Trafalgar. Sir Thomas died in 1819 while in command of the Mediterranean Fleet at Naples. Fremantle's grandfather was Thomas Francis Fremantle, First Baron Cottesloe (1798-1890), a leading Tory politician who in retirement settled at Swanbourne, Bucks. Admiral Sir Thomas Fremantle had bought a property later known as "The Old House" in Swanbourne, which had passed on his death to the First Baron Cottesloe. Cottesloe then built a large house (now Swanbourne House School). A third house in the village known as "The Cottage" was the home of Fremantle's great-uncle Stephen who had retired from the Royal Navy in 1860 with the rank of Captain. Upon Stephen's death The Cottage passed to Fremantle's father, Edmund Robert Fremantle, then serving on the Australian Station in the Navy.

Captain

He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 7 December, 1913, vice Keppel. He was forty-six years old when promoted to Flag Rank.

Retirement

Having stood down at Portsmouth, Fremantle decided to settle in his London flat so as to be near to his father, then in his ninetieth year. His wife Leila, who was in poor health, remained at their home in Cosham. Being only fifty-eight years old, but with no prospect of further service in the Navy, the Admiralty put pressure on him to retire. Fremantle presented himself to the First Lord of the Admiralty, then Sir William Bridgeman, and informed him that he did not wish to retire from the Service in the possible event of war, and also that he wished to equal the example of his father and of his great-uncle, who both reached the top of the Admirals' list. Upon the death of Admiral of the Fleet John de Robeck, and the subsequent elevation of Henry Oliver to Admiral of the Fleet, the Admiralty sent Fremantle an advance copy of The Navy List showing him at the head of the list of Admirals. His goal reached, he expressed his wish to retire, but for it to be announced as being "at his own request" and not in order to further the advancement of junior officers. He was placed on the Retired List on 5 April, 1928.

In 1949 Fremantle published his memoirs, My Naval Career: 1880—1928. Naval historian Arther Marder, with whom Fremantle corresponded in his later years, wrote of the memoirs, "One of the more informative of naval autobiographies, with excellent descriptions of leading personalities."

Mention in Despatches

FREMANTLE Sydney R MVO Rear Admiral RN 78A019

Commanding 2nd Cruiser Sqdn. C-in-C Grand Fleet 18.04.19 Gazetted

Action between H.M.S. Achilles & German Raider Mentioned in Despatches

That the Raider was intercepted and brought to action is the result of much patient work under trying conditions. Much credit is due to Rear Admiral Sydney R. Fremantle for his conduct of the Second Cruiser Squadron Patrol.

Who was Who

FREMANTLE, Admiral Sir Sydney Robert GCB, 1929 (KCB, 1919; CB 1917); MVO 1909

Born 16 Nov. 1867; e s of late Admiral Hon. Sir E. R. Fremantle, GCB, GCVO; m 1st, 1896, Leila Hope (d 1930), d of late Lieut David Delvin Fremantle, RN; two s two d; 2nd, 1931, Geraldine, widow of Lt-Col J. S. FitzGerald and d of Col Cooke-Collis, CMG, DL; died 29 April 1958

CAREER Entered RN 1881; Lieut 1887; Comdr 1899; Capt. 1903; Rear-Adm. 1913; Vice-Adm. 1919; Adm. 1922; served Dardanelles, 1915 (despatches); Commanded 9th Cruiser Squadron, 1916; 2nd Cruiser Squadron, 1917; Ægean Squadron, 1917–18; Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, 1918–19; Vice-Admiral commanding First Battle Squadron, 1919–21; Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth Station, 1923–26; retired list, 1928; is a Commander of Legion of Honour, Commander of the Order of the Redeemer of Greece, a Commander of the Order of St Maurice and St Lazarus of Italy, and has the 2nd Class of the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan, and the US of America Distinguished Service Medal; awarded Beaufort Testimonial, 1888; Goodenough Gold Medal, 1888

PUBLICATIONS My Naval Career, 1880–1928, 1949; part author Nautical Terms and Phrases in French and English; article on Naval Ordnance in Ency. Brit.; Magazine and Press articles on Naval subjects

RECREATIONS Golf, dowsing

CLUB Naval and Military

ADDRESS 30 Bullingham Mansions, Church Street, Kensington, W8 Western 2071

Bibliography

• "Adml. Sir Sydney Fremantle" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 30 April, 1958. Issue 54138, col B, pg. 14.
• Fremantle, Admiral Sir Sydney Robert (1949). My Naval Career: 1880–1928. London: Hutchinson & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
• Parry, Ann (1971). The Admirals Fremantle: 1788-1920. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN 070111603X.

Service Record

• The National Archives. ADM 196/42