James Rivett-Carnac (Royal Navy officer)
Vice-Admiral James William Rivett-Carnac CB CBE DSC DL (12 February 1891 – 9 October 1970) was a Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Division.
James Rivett-Carnac | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 February 1891 |
| Died | 9 October 1970 (aged 79) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1910–1947 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Rodney Quartermaster (British Pacific Fleet) New Zealand Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Cross Mentioned in despatches |
Naval career
Born the younger son of Rev. Sir Clennel George Rivett-Carnac, 6th Baronet, Rivett-Carnac joined the Royal Navy in 1910[1] and served in World War I and was mentioned in despatches.[2] He became Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Division in December 1938.[3] He also served in World War II as Director of Training and Staff Duties at the Admiralty from April 1940[3] and as Commanding Officer of the battleship HMS Rodney from 1941 before becoming rear-admiral in charge of the Normandy beaches during the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944.[4] In March 1945 he was appointed Rear-Admiral Q British Pacific Fleet until June 1945, then made acting Vice-Admiral with the new title of Vice-Admiral Q British Pacific Fleet he was responsible for organising logistical support of the BPF, including logistic activities ashore and for the ships of the Fleet Train until April 1946.[5] He was mentioned in despatches twice during World War II.[2] He retired in 1947.[1]
In retirement he lived in Bury St Edmunds and became Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk.[2]
He is buried in the churchyard of St. Martin's parish church in Fornham St. Martin in Suffolk.[6]
Family
He married Isla Nesta Blackwood.[2]
References
- U-Boat.net
- The Peerage.com
- Senior Royal Navy Appointments Archived 2012-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
- Obituary: Canon Sir Nicholas Rivett-Carnac, Bt The Telegraph, 20 May 2004
- Houterman, Hans; Koppes, Jeroen. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - R - Rivett-Carnac, James William". www.unithistories.com. Netherlands: Houterman and Koppes. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
- "The Rivett-Carnac's of Fornham St Martin". Godfrey Dykes. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Irvine Glennie |
Commander-in-Chief, New Zealand Division 1938–1939 |
Succeeded by Henry Horan |