Gerard Muirhead-Gould
| Gerard Muirhead-Gould | |
|---|---|
 Commodore Muirhead-Gould in May 1941 | |
| Born |
29 May 1889 London, England |
| Died |
26 June 1945 (aged 56) Wilhelmshaven, Germany |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1904–1945 |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held |
Flag Officer-in-Charge Wilhelmshaven (1945) Flag Officer-in-Charge Sydney (1940–44) HMS Devonshire (1936–39) HMS Active (1932–33) HMS Bluebell (1926–27) |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Mentioned in Despatches Legion of Honour (France) Order of the Redeemer (Greece) |
Rear Admiral Gerard Charles Muirhead-Gould DSC (29 May 1889 – 26 June 1945) was an officer of the Royal Navy.
Early life and career
Muirhead-Gould was born in London on 29 May 1889,[1] the son of Arthur Lewis Gould and Emily Gertrude Lilias Muirhead. He joined the Royal Naval Cadets in January 1904.[2] During World War I, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross, and was recognised as a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur and a Chevalier of the Order of the Redeemer.[2] Between 1933 and 1936 Muirhead-Gould was a member of the Naval Intelligence Division, assigned to the British Embassy in Berlin.[2] During this time he kept Winston Churchill informed of the German military buildup, particularly in relation to the Treaty of Versailles and the later Anglo-German Naval Agreement.[2]
Second World War
During the war, a heart condition prevented Muirhead-Gould from going to sea.[3] The sinking of British battleship HMS Royal Oak on 14 October 1939, while at anchor in Scapa Flow by German submarine U-47 resulted in an Admiralty Board of Inquiry into how a submarine could have penetrated the harbour's defences, and what could be done to prevent a recurrence.[4] Muirhead-Gould, then a Commander, was one of the three senior officers on the Board.[4]
In February 1940, Muirhead-Gould became the Naval Officer In Command of Sydney Harbour, a posting that lasted until September 1944, although he was not popular among the officers and sailors of the Royal Australian Navy under his command.[5] He was the senior Allied officer during the relatively unsuccessful Japanese midget submarine attack on Sydney Harbour. At some point Churchill considered Muirhead-Gould for the position of the Chief Director of the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), although nothing came of this.[5]
Muirhead-Gould's previous experience in Germany resulted in his transfer in May 1945 to the captured German naval base at Wilhelmshaven.[3] There he suffered a fatal heart attack on 26 June.[3] Gerard Charles Muirhead-Gould was the 13th and last laird of Bredisholm (Scotland).
Notes
References
- Grose, Peter (2007). A Very Rude Awakening. Crows Nest: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74175-219-9.
External links
- Richard Taylor, "The Royal Navy's Eyes and Ears in Nazi Berlin. The British war hero who shook Adm Raeder's hand", published in "The Review", journal of the Naval Historical Collectors & Research Association, Winter 2003.
- Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939–1945