Fourth Sea Lord

{{Short description|Senior British naval officer in charge of logistics}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Office of the Chief of Materiel (Fleet)

| body =

| nativename =

| insignia = Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg

| insigniasize = 150px

| insigniacaption = Ensign of the Royal Navy

| image = RAdm Simon Williams and Chris Gardner (Gardner cropped 2).jpg

| imagesize = 180px

| incumbent = Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Gardner

| incumbentsince = 2019

| department = Department of the Admiralty, Ministry of Defence

| member_of = Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board

| reports_to = First Sea Lord

| nominator = First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for Defence

| appointer = Prime Minister

| appointer_qualified = Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council

| termlength = Not fixed (typically 1–3 years)

| inaugural = Captain George Barrington

| formation = 1830–1964, 1965–current

| website=

}}

The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies, originally known as the Fourth Naval Lord, was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty, which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The post is currently known as Chief of Materiel (Fleet). As of 2017, it is also known as Chief of Fleet Support, Chief of Materiel (Ships), then as of 2020, Director General Ships.

History

The origin of this appointment dates back to 1830 when the post of Fourth Naval Lord was created until 1868 when it was re-styled Junior Naval Lord; this title remained until 1904 when it was again re-styled Fourth Sea Lord until 1964 when the Admiralty Department abolished this post.Whitaker's Almanack 1965 The modern equivalent is titled the "Naval Member for Logistics", who is responsible for the logistical support and the supply chain of the navy.[http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/training-and-people/the-rn-today/organisation/*/changeNav/00h004001001/outputFormat/print/ Organisation: How the Royal Navy is managed] Ministry of Defence{{dead link|date=January 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Its functions along with two other departments of state were merged within a new Ministry of Defence. Following the merger a new post of Chief of Fleet Support was created, assuming the same responsibilities and duties until 2007 when it was renamed Chief of Materiel (Fleet). In around 2017, it was titled as Chief of Materiel (Ships) . In around August 2020, it was renamed as Director General Ships.

Duties

In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents.{{cite web|title=Sainty, JC, Lord High Admiral and Commissioners of the Admiralty 1660-1870', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 4: Admiralty Officials 1660-1870 (1975), pp. 18-31.|url=http://british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16652|access-date=4 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007025436/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=16652|archive-date=7 October 2014|url-status=dead}}

The Fourth Sea Lord as Chief of Naval Supplies was responsible for supplying the navy, and his responsibilities included transport, victualling (supplying food), and medical services.[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=276&CATLN=2&accessmethod=5&j=1 Division within ADM] National Archives

Fourth Naval Lords 1830–1868

Junior Naval Lords 1868–1904

Junior Naval Lords include:[http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf Senior Royal Navy Appointments] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315105247/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf |date=15 March 2012 }}

Fourth Sea Lords 1904–1917

Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies and Transport 1917–1964

Included:{{cite web|last1=Harley|first1=Simon|last2=Lovell|first2=Tony|title=Fourth Sea Lord - The Dreadnought Project|url=http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Fourth_Sea_Lord|website=www.dreadnoughtproject.org|publisher=Harley and Lovell, 11 August 2017|access-date=19 February 2018|language=en}}

Chiefs of Fleet Support 1964–2007

Chiefs of Materiel (Fleet)/Chief of Fleet (Support) 2007–2017

Chiefs of Materiel (Fleet) include:

Chief of Materiel (Ships) 2017–2020

Chief of Materiel (Ships) include{{cite web |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201865-.pdf |title=Royal Navy Senior Appointments 1865- |last=Mackie |first=Colin |date=31 December 2019 |website=gulabin.com |publisher=Colin Mackie |access-date=3 January 2020 |quote=Fourth Sea Lord: Vice-Admiral Christopher R.S. Gardner}}

Director General Ships 2020–present

  • Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Gardner 2020–present{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/907555/20200707_DE_S_Org_chart_July_2020_v3.pdf |title=DE&S Organisation Chart 2020 |author= |date=7 August 2020 |website=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |publisher=DE&S |access-date=3 November 2020 }}

Departments under the office

At various times included:{{cite web|last1=Archives|first1=The National|title=Records of the Surveyor of the Navy and successors|url=http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C712|website=discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk|publisher=National Archives, 1620-1979|access-date=2 June 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Hamilton|first1=Sir Vesey|title=Naval Administration - Part II. - Chapter II.|url=http://www.pdavis.nl/NA06.htm|website=pdavis.nl|publisher=Sir Vesey Hamilton, 1896|access-date=2 June 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.naval-history.net/xGW-RNOrganisation1939-45.htm#11|title=Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945|last1=Watson|first1=Graham|website=www.naval-history.net|publisher=Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015|access-date=2 June 2017}}{{cite book|last1=Domville-Fife|first1=Charles W.|title=The British Submarine Warfare How the German Submarine Menace was met and vanquished (1919)|date=2011|publisher=Europäischer Hochschulverlag|location=Bremen|isbn=9783845711683|page=5|edition=1. Aufl.}}{{cite web|title=Defence Equipment & Support organisation chart|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/529365/20160527-DESOrgChart.pdf|website=gov.uk|publisher=Ministry of Defence 2016|access-date=4 June 2017}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

{{Naval Service (British)|state=collapsed}}

{{Admiralty Department|state=collapsed}}

{{Board of Admiralty|state=collapsed}}

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Category:Royal Navy appointments

Category:Admiralty during World War II