Charles Forbes

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Morton Forbes (22 November 188028 August 1960) was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War, seeing action in the Dardanelles campaign and at the Battle of Jutland. As captain of a cruiser, he was present at the surrender of the German fleet. During the Second World War, he served as Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet: his fleet suffered heavy losses including the aircraft carrier and nine destroyers during the Norwegian campaign in Spring 1940. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in May 1941 and in that capacity organised the defence of Plymouth from air attack, prosecuted attacks on enemy shipping using the harbour at Brest as well as other ports along the French coast, and also initiated the St Nazaire Raid in March 1942 before retiring in August 1943.

Naval career Early career Born in Ceylon, to James Forbes and Caroline Forbes (née Delmege). His father was a tea-broker, founder of the merchant brokerage house Forbes and Walker Ltd. Charles Forbes was educated at Dollar Academy and Eastman's Royal Naval Academy. He joined the training ship HMS Britannia as a cadet on 15 July 1894. He was promoted to midshipman on 15 July 1896 and posted to the battleship in the Channel Fleet in September 1896 and to the armoured cruiser on the Pacific Station in January 1898. Promoted to acting sub-lieutenant on 15 January 1900, he returned to the United Kingdom for his promotion courses. he was appointed to the battleship in the Mediterranean Fleet. After attending the gunnery school in 1903, he was assigned to Directing Staff at the gunnery school HMS Cambridge in June 1904. After joining the staff of the Inspectorate of Target Practice in October 1910, he became gunnery officer in the battleship in the Home Fleet in February 1911 and then, having been promoted to commander on 31 December 1912, he returned to the gunnery school HMS Excellent in early 1913. He moved on to become Flag Commander to Admiral Sir Charles Madden, Second-in-Command of the Grand Fleet, in the battleship in February 1917. Promoted to captain on 30 June 1917, he was given command of the cruiser in the Grand Fleet in July 1917 and was present at the surrender of the German fleet in November 1918. Promoted to rear admiral on 5 October 1928 and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 3 June 1929, he became Rear Admiral commanding the Destroyer Flotillas in the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag in the cruiser in August 1930 and Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy in March 1932. he became Vice Admiral commanding 1st Battle Squadron and Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet with his flag in the battleship HMS Revenge in April 1934. he re-deployed his fleet from Malta to Alexandria to avoid attack by the Italian Navy at the start of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War in October 1935. he became Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet with his flag in the battleship in April 1938.

Second World War

Forbes served in the Second World War as Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, in which role he transferred his flag to the battleship in December 1939. and advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath on 11 July 1940, he became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in May 1941. and the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. He died at the Queen Alexandra Military Hospital in London on 28 August 1960.