Robert Harris (Royal Navy officer)
Admiral Sir Robert Hastings Penruddock Harris KCB, KCMG (12 October 1843 – 25 August 1926) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station.
Sir Robert Harris | |
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Born | 12 October 1843 |
Died | 25 August 1926 82) | (aged
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | Cape of Good Hope Station Royal Naval College, Greenwich |
Battles/wars | Second Boer War |
Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George |
Naval career
Harris joined the Royal Navy in 1856.[1] Promoted to captain in 1879 and to rear-admiral in 1891, he commanded the Training Squadron from 1893 to 1895 before becoming Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1896.[1] He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station in 1898 and played an important role in the Second Boer War:[1] in October 1899 he formed a Naval Brigade and despatched the brigade to support General Frederick Forestier-Walker in defeating of the Boers at the Battle of Ladysmith - one of the guns surrendered by the Boers survives at Devonport today.[2] Promoted to vice admiral in 1901[3][4] he went on to serve as President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich in 1903 with promotion to admiral in 1904.[5][6]
He lived at a house called The Brake in Yelverton, Devon.[7][6]
References
- Anglo-Boer War Archived 31 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- HMS Doris GunMoseley, Brian (March 2007). "HMS Doris Gun". The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History. Plymouth Data. Archived from the original on 13 September 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
- "No. 27288". The London Gazette. 22 February 1901. p. 1350.
- Vice Admiral Sir Robert Harris Sydney Morning Herald, 23 February 1901
- Royal Navy Flag Officers, 1 June 1906
- 'HARRIS, Adm. Sir Robert Hastings', in Who Was Who 1916–1928 (London: A & C Black, 1992 reprint, ISBN 0-7136-3143-0)
- Admiral Sir Robert Hastings Penruddock Harris
External links
- The Dreadnought Project: Robert Harris
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Sir Harry Rawson |
Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station 1898–1900 |
Succeeded by Sir Arthur Moore |
Preceded by Sir Robert More-Molyneux |
President, Royal Naval College, Greenwich 1903–1906 |
Succeeded by Sir Arthur Fanshawe |