Howard Kelly (Royal Navy officer)
| Sir Howard Kelly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1873 |
| Died | 1952 |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1886 - 1944 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held |
HMS Gloucester 8th Light Cruiser Squadron British Adriatic Force 1st Battle Squadron 2nd Cruiser Squadron 1st Battle Squadron China Station |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Member of the Royal Victorian Order |
Admiral Sir (William Archibald) Howard Kelly GBE KCB CMG MVO (1873–1952) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.
Naval career
Kelly joined the Royal Navy in 1886.[1] He was posted as a lieutenant to the protected cruiser HMS Spartiate in late March 1902,[2] went to Somaliland in 1902 and became naval attaché in Paris in 1911.[1]
He served in the First World War as commanding officer of HMS Gloucester, taking part in the pursuit of Goeben and Breslau (his brother John Kelly was commanding officer of Gloucester's sister ship Dublin during the same engagement). From 1917 he was commander of the 8th Light Cruiser Squadron.[1] In 1918 he was given command of the British Adriatic Force.[1]
After the war he was appointed head of British Naval Mission to Greece.[1] He became Commander of the 1st Battle Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet in 1923 and commander of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron in 1925.[1] He went on to be Admiralty representative to the League of Nations in 1927 and commander of the 1st Battle Squadron and second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1929.[1] His last appointment was intended to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station in 1931.[1] He was on board the minesweeper HMS Petersfield when it ran aground in November 1931 - all aboard were rescued.[3] Then, following the 28 January Incident, he used his influence to seek a ceasefire between the Chinese and Japanese forces.[4] He retired in 1936.[1]
He was recalled in 1940, during the Second World War, to be British Naval Representative in Turkey; he retired again in 1944.[1]
References
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Arthur Waistell |
Commander-in-Chief, China Station 1931–1933 |
Succeeded by Sir Frederic Dreyer |