Ernest Troubridge

Admiral Sir Ernest Charles Thomas Troubridge, (15 July 1862 – 28 January 1926) was an officer of the Royal Navy who served during the First World War.

Troubridge was born into a family with substantial military connections, with several of his forebears being distinguished naval officers. He too embarked on a career in the navy, rising through the ranks during the late Victorian period, and commanding ships in the Mediterranean. He served as a naval attaché to several powers, including the Empire of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War. He spent some time immediately before the outbreak of the First World War as a staff officer and assisted in the drawing up of strategic plans to be adopted in the event of war, though these were later rejected. He returned to seagoing service just prior to the outbreak of war, and commanded a cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean with the rank of rear-admiral. Here his promising career was blighted by the events surrounding the pursuit of two German warships, and . Despite being outclassed by the German warships, Troubridge intended to engage them, but was convinced otherwise by his flag captain and allowed them to escape to Constantinople. He and his commanding officer were heavily criticised for their failure to intercept the German ships, particularly when it subsequently appeared that they became influential in the Turkish decision to enter the war. Troubridge was court-martialled, and although he was acquitted, his reputation was damaged.

Troubridge never had another seagoing command, but did command naval detachments and flotillas on the Danube during the Balkan campaigns, winning the respect of Serbian Crown Prince Alexander. After the war he served on the Danube Commission and was promoted to admiral, but remained out of favour with the Admiralty. He spent several years as president of the commission, retiring in 1924 and dying in 1926. He married twice; his second wife, the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor, left him to begin a relationship with the writer Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall.

Family and early life Ernest Troubridge was born in Hampstead, London, on 15 July 1862, the third son of Sir Thomas Troubridge, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Louisa Jane (daughter of Daniel Gurney and a niece of the Quaker and prison reformer Elizabeth Fry). Thomas Troubridge had served in the army during the Crimean War, and had lost his right leg and left foot at the Battle of Inkerman. and went on to serve as a naval attaché to several powers, based at first in Vienna and from 1902 in Madrid. Churchill arranged for Troubridge to leave office at the end of the year, replacing him with Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Jackson. After carrying out a shore bombardment, the Germans were observed to coal at Messina, causing Milne to send most of his force to wait west of Sicily, to prevent Souchon from interfering with French troop convoys. Troubridge and his force of four cruisers were sent to cruise west of Cephalonia in case Souchon should try to enter the Adriatic and join the Austro-Hungarian fleet. Troubridge was still unaware of German intentions, and feared they might double back to the north-east and effect a junction with the Austro-Hungarian fleet. Troubridge was reluctant to do so anyway, knowing that his ships would be both outranged and attacking in daylight, but felt it was the only honourable option. Wray argued that it would be suicide for the squadron to fight the bigger and longer-ranging guns of the Goeben and, as Wray had a particular reputation in the fleet as an expert on gunnery, Troubridge allowed himself to be persuaded. In tears, Troubridge ordered the chase to be abandoned, a decision that caused Wray to say 'Sir, this is the bravest thing you have ever done.' The chase abandoned, the Germans made it to Constantinople, and the ships were almost immediately turned over to the Turkish Navy.

Impressed with his services, Serbian Crown Prince Alexander requested Troubridge as his personal advisor and aide. Troubridge, having been promoted to vice-admiral in June 1916, went out to Salonika to join the reformed Serbian armies. He remained in the Balkans throughout the campaigns of the next two years, which culminated in the final collapse of Bulgaria in September 1918. Ernest remarried on 10 October 1908. His second wife was the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor, more commonly known as Una Vincenzo. Sir Ernest Troubridge died suddenly in Biarritz on 28 January 1926, and was buried there. Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle with Swords (Kingdom of Serbia) Grand Officer of the Order of Karageorge Star with Swords (Kingdom of Serbia) Commander of the Order of Karageorge Star with Swords (Kingdom of Serbia) Officer of the Order of Karageorge Star with Swords (Kingdom of Serbia) Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus (Kingdom of Italy) Grand Officer of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece) Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania Order of the Rising Sun (Japan) Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Companion of the Order of the Bath Member of the Royal Victorian Order Croix de Guerre (France) Royal Humane Society silver medal Czechoslovak War Cross (Czechoslovakia)