William Henry May
Admiral of the Fleet Sir William Henry May, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., Legion d'honneur (31 July, 1849 – 7 October, 1930) was an officer of the Royal Navy during the First World War.
Early Life and Career
May was born at Liscard, Cheshire, on 31 July, 1849, the third son in the family of ten children of Job William Seaburne May and his wife, Anne Jane Freckleton. Since the seventeenth century the family had lived in the Netherlands, where an ancestor, John May, had been a naval architect. William Henry May's grandfather, an Admiral in the Dutch navy and reportedly at the same time captain in the British navy, had assisted in restoring Prince William of Orange to the throne of the Netherlands in 1813. His father left the Netherlands in 1840 and established himself on the stock exchange in Liverpool, where he was Netherlands consul.
In 1860 May entered the Royal Institution School, Liverpool, and in 1862, when he had decided to join the Royal Navy, he entered Eastman's naval academy, Southsea. He passed into the training ship Britannia twenty-second out of fifty in 1863, and a year later he passed out fourth, and embarked at once, aged fifteen, on the Victoria, flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet. After three years he was transferred to the frigate Liffey, in which he served the remaining eighteen months of his Midshipman's time. Having become a Sub-Lieutenant in 1869, May passed his examinations in that rank so well that, as a reward, he was appointed, after a few months in the Hercules, to the royal yacht Victoria and Albert. He was advanced to Lieutenant after two and a half years, gaining promotion before many of his seniors. After returning to the Hercules he served on her for two years (1872–4) and was then appointed to the gunnery-school ship Excellent to qualify as a specialist in gunnery. So far his career had been on the usual lines, but then an opportunity was presented of taking part in the Arctic expedition fitting out (1875) under Captain George Strong Nares. May at once volunteered, and was accepted as navigating officer of the Alert. He served on the expedition until its return in 1876, having taken part in the sledging expeditions to Lincoln Bay and in relief of the party led by Commander Albert Hastings Markham and in the search for a practicable overland route to Cape Prevost. He did much surveying, for which he was officially commended by Sir George Nares.
On his return from the Arctic expedition May joined the torpedo-school ship Vernon. There he played a prominent and important part in developing the Whitehead torpedo and an underwater discharging apparatus. After three and a half years (1877–80) in the Vernon and a few months in the frigate Inconstant he was promoted commander; he achieved this rank after only nine and a half years' service as Lieutenant. In 1878, while in the Vernon, May had married Kinbarra Swene, daughter of William John Marrow, merchant; they had two sons. In 1880 he was given command of the exceptional new torpedo-ram ship Polyphemus. He held this command for two and a half years (1881–4) and for the next three years was second in command of the Royal Yacht. Aged thirty-eight, he was promoted Captain.
In March 1888 May went to China as flag captain to Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon in the Impérieuse. On the voyage to the East he took possession, acting on secret orders, of Christmas Island. This earned him the nickname "Christmas" May to go with "Handsome Willie" May. He returned to England at the end of the commission in December 1890, and was appointed naval attaché to the European states. He served in this capacity for two and a half years, principally in France, Russia, and Germany, and then, without intermission, was appointed to the Admiralty as assistant director of torpedoes. In January 1895 he went as flag captain and chief of staff to Admiral Sir Michael Culme Seymour on the Mediterranean station, where he gave evidence of outstanding organizing ability. After two years' service in the Mediterranean he returned to England and was at once appointed flag captain to Admiral Sir Nowell Salmon, commander-in-chief at Portsmouth, acting as chief of staff during the 1897 jubilee celebrations. After this he went to the gunnery school Excellent, which he commanded until January, 1901. He was then appointed Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes.
Flag Rank
In April, 1901, aged fifty-one, May reached flag rank, having a month earlier been made Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. During the four years of his controllership many far-reaching changes in naval construction and dockyard administration took place. The dreadnought policy was initiated, though May was not a member of the Committee on Design appointed in October, 1904 to consider the characteristics of the new type; a greater sea-going capacity was given to the torpedo-boat destroyer class; the use of oil sprayed upon coal was introduced, and ships' machinery underwent great alterations. In February, 1905 May, who had been created K.C.V.O. in 1904, was appointed to command the recently formed Atlantic Fleet with his flag in the King Edward VII. In July he took the fleet to Brest, to make a naval demonstration of the entente cordiale. May's presence and personality, his knowledge of French, and his able handling of the fleet in entering and leaving Brest harbour created a very good impression on French naval officers.
After two years in command of the Atlantic Fleet, May returned to the Admiralty as Second Sea Lord. At this time (1907) great efforts were being made to cut down naval expenditure, and the Liberal government ordered a reduction of £1 million. When a further reduction of £750,000 was proposed, May, with the third and fourth sea lords, sent a memorandum to the First Sea Lord, Sir John (afterwards Lord) Fisher, intimating that if this was done they must resign; it was not.
In 1909 May was appointed to command the Home Fleet with his flag in the Dreadnought. This command included all the ships in home waters, and was, in May's opinion, too large. He concentrated on investigating the many tactical problems which the recent growth of the fleet in numbers and size, and the addition to the sea-going fleet of a fighting flotilla, had brought into existence. Gunnery, under the impulse of Percy Scott, had made great advances, though it was still far short of what came to be demanded of it in 1914. The torpedo had increased in both range and speed, and presented a new element in tactics. Many officers serving under May's command were dissatisfied with the existing tactical doctrines, and advocated new systems of handling the large and heterogeneous body of ships which formed a modern fleet command. May was open to receiving, discussing, and trying new ideas. He initiated an extensive series of tactical exercises of an enhanced scale and comprehensiveness; the cruising formations from which deployment into battle formation could most rapidly be made; the use of flotillas in a tactical offensive; the employment of fast squadrons in action; the alternative of squadronal command in place of the single line under one command—these were prominent among the tactical matters to which May devoted attention. A man of an essentially practical turn of mind, he submitted to trial new theories and suggestions ‘on the scale of twelve inches to the foot’. On hauling down his flag in March, 1911 May was appointed commander-in-chief at Devonport. He held this command until promoted Admiral of the Fleet in March, 1913, when his flag came down for the last time.
During the First World War May served on the Dardanelles Commission (1916–17) chaired by the Earl of Cromer; as chairman of the reconstruction committee which dealt, in anticipation, with the problems of post-war reductions; and on a subcommittee on fisheries. After his retirement he lived at Coldstream, Berwickshire, where he took an active part in local affairs. He died at his residence, Bughtrigg, Coldstream, on 7 October 1930.
