Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss

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Rosslyn Erskine-Wemyss
12 April 1864 – 24 May 1933
Image:Rwemyss.jpg Admiral of the Fleet Lord Wester Wemyss
Place of birth	Fife, United Kingdom
Place of death	Cannes, France
Allegiance	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Service/branch	Image:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg Royal Navy
Years of service	1877 - 1919
Rank	Admiral of the Fleet
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	GCB, CMG, MVO

Admiral of the Fleet Rosslyn Erskine Erskine-Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss GCB, CMG, MVO (12 April 1864-24 May 1933), usually known before his elevation to a peerage as Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, served in active naval command positions during World War I, with postings to the Mediterranean and Egypt, and was appointed First Sea Lord in December 1917.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Naval career 3 Retirement 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links

[edit] Early life

Wemyss was the son of James Hay Erskine-Wemyss and Millicent Anne Mary Erskine, a descendant of Archibald Kennedy, 1st Marquess of Ailsa. His paternal grandfather Rear-Admiral James Erskine Wemyss was the son of Lieutenant-General William Wemyss, elder son of the Hon. James Wemyss, third son of James Wemyss, 5th Earl of Wemyss. He married Victoria Morier (died 22 April 1945, daughter of Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Morier, on 21 December 1903. The couple had one daughter, Alice Elizabeth Millicent (born 1906, died 31 December 1994; married 11 February 1953 to Francis Henry Cunnack, died 5 January 1974). Wemyss lived in Wemyss, Fife, Scotland ^[1].

[edit] Naval career

Wemyss joined the training ship Britannia in 1877 and went to sea as a midshipman in 1879.

His war activity began with command of a cruiser squadron, followed in February 1915 he was despatched to Lemnos with a brief to prepare the harbour of Mudros for operations against the Dardanelles. Following command of a battle squadron working along the Gallipoli Front and its later evacuation, Wemyss was given command in January 1916, as head of the Egyptian Squadron where he aided operations on the Palestine Front. Wemyss was a supporter of the Arab Revolt under T. E. Lawrence, and is mentioned greatly in Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom.He was Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet between 1916 and 1917.

Returning to the Admiralty in 1917, Vice Admiral Wemyss was appointment as Deputy to Naval Minister Eric Geddes. In light of Geddes' decision to dismiss First Sea Lord Sir John Jellicoe due to his opposition to the adoption of naval convoys, Wemyss was appointed Jellicoe's replacement.

Although Wemyss enjoyed cordial relations with Geddes, he was regarded warily by colleagues given the nature of Jellicoe's ousting from office. Wemyss was in favour of the Zeebrugge raid that ultimately failed in April 1918 and also sponsored the Northern Barrage.

After representing Britain at the Armistice, Wemyss attended the Paris Peace Conference, 1919 as Britain's naval representative.

Wemyss resigned in November 1919 following persistent calls for Sir David Beatty to be given his job. the same month he was raised to the peerage as Baron Wester-Wemyss, of Wemyss in the County of Fife.

[edit] Retirement

In retirement he wrote his memoirs under the title "The Navy in the Dardanelles Campaign". He died at Cannes on 24 May 1933.

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• James Goldrick, Admiral Sir Rossyln Wemyss in Malcolm H. Murfett, The First Sea Lords (1995) ISBN 0-275-94231-7
• Andrew Gordon, The rules of the game - Jutland and British Naval Command ISBN 0-7195-5542-6
• Heathcote, T. A. (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 - 1995. Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0 85052 835 6

[edit] External links

• Entry at Janus
• Who's Who in the First World War
• Entry at The Peerage
• Coat of Arms
• Entry at the National Portrait Gallery
• Notes on the Armistice meeting

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Cecil Burney	Second Sea Lord 1917	Succeeded by Sir Herbert Heath
Preceded by The Earl Jellicoe	First Sea Lord 1917–1919	Succeeded by The Earl Beatty
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by New Creation	Baron Wester Wemyss 1919–1933	Succeeded by Extinct

v • d • e Image:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg First Sea Lords of the Royal Navy

The Earl Howe • Sir Peter Parker • Prince William, Duke of Clarence • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Thomas Hardy • The Hon. George Heneage Dundas • Charles Adam • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Charles Adam • Sir George Cockburn • Sir William Parker • Sir Charles Adam • James Whitley Deans Dundas • The Hon. Maurice FitzHardinge Berkeley • Hyde Parker • The Hon. Maurice FitzHardinge Berkeley • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • William Fanshawe Martin • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Sydney Dacres • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Hastings Yelverton • George Wellesley • Sir Astley Cooper Key • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Lord John Hay • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Sir Richard Vesey Hamilton • Sir Anthony Hoskins • Sir Frederick Richards • Lord Walter Kerr • Sir John A. Fisher • Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson • Sir Francis Bridgeman • Prince Louis of Battenberg • The Baron Fisher of Kilverstone • Sir Henry Jackson • Sir John Jellicoe • Sir Rosslyn Wemyss • The Earl Beatty • Sir Charles Madden, Bt • Sir Frederick Field • The Lord Chatfield • Sir Roger Backhouse • Sir Dudley Pound • The Lord Cunningham of Hyndhope • Sir John Cunningham • The Lord Fraser of North Cape • Sir Rhoderick McGrigor • The Earl Mountbatten of Burma • Sir Charles Lambe • Sir Caspar John • Sir David Luce • Sir Varyl Begg • Sir Michael Le Fanu • Sir Peter Hill-Norton • Sir Michael Pollock • Sir Edward Ashmore • Sir Terence Lewin • Sir Henry Leach • Sir John Fieldhouse • Sir William Staveley • Sir Julian Oswald • Sir Benjamin Bathurst • Sir Jock Slater • Sir Michael Boyce • Sir Nigel Essenhigh • Sir Alan West • Sir Jonathon Band •