Ralph Alan Bevan Edwards

Edwards was born in 1901 and educated at Osborne and Dartmouth. He entered the Royal Navy in 1914 and served in the European War of 1914-18.

He was appointed successively Midshipman in 1917, Lieutenant in 1923, Commander in 1934, Captain in 1939, Rear-Admiral in 1948, Vice-Admiral in 1952, and Admiral in 1955.

He served in the Second World War of 1939-45 as Chief of Staff Eastern Fleet and Captain HMNZS Gambia. He later acted as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, 1948-50; Flag Officer Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet and Flag Officer (Air) Mediterranean, 1951-2; a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy, 1953-56; and Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Station and Allied Forces, Mediterranean, 1957.

He was made KCB in 1954. He died in February 1963.

Naval Career.

Dartmouth; Imperial Defence College 1914. Entered Royal Navy 1917.

Served European War 1918- 28.12.1922.

HMS Hood (battlecruiser) (Atlantic Fleet) 01.1925- 27.11.1926

Qualifying for signal duties, HM Signal School, Portsmouth [HMS Victory] 07.1927- 18.05.1928

Flag Lieutenant to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean [HMS Warspite (battleship)] 04.1930- 04.07.1930

Flag Lieutenant-Commander to Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station [HMS Delhi (cruiser)] 01.1932- 09.1932.

No appointment listed, 12.11.1932

First Lieutenant, HMS Guardian (net laying and target towing vessel) 01.1934-09.08.1934.

Executive Officer, Signal School (Experimental), Portsmouth [HMS Victory] 07.1935-

14.01.1936

Staff course, RN Staff College, Greenwich [HMS President] 02.1936-23.12.1936.

Commanding Officer, HMS Bagshot (twin screw minesweeper) (Mediterranean) 02.1937-03.1937.

Commanding Officer, HMS Sandwich (escort vessel) (China) 10.1938- 02.1939.

No appointment listed 04.1939-08.05.1939.

Tactical course, HM Dockyard, Portsmouth [HMS Victory] 08.1939- 18.10.1939.

Deputy Director of Operations Division, Admiralty [HMS President] 07.02.1941- 08.02.1941.

Director of Operations Division (Home), Admiralty [HMS President] 02.1941- 26.03.1942.

Chief of Staff to Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet [HMS Warspite (battleship), then HMS Tana (RN base, Kilindini, Kenya), then HMS Lanka (RN base, Ceylon)] 06.1944- 15.03.1945.

Commanding Officer, HMNZS Gambia (cruiser) 07.1945- 04.1946.

No appointment listed. 1946-1949.

A Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff [HMS President]1950- 1951.

Flag Officer Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet and Flag Officer (Air) Mediterranean 1952- 05.1953

A Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy [HMS President] 1956- 11.01.1957.

Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station and Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces, Mediterranean HMS St Angelo, Malta, RN base 11.11.1958.