Geoffrey John Audley Miles

Admiral Sir Geoffrey John Audley Miles, KCB, KCSI (2 May 1890 – 31 December 1986) was a senior Royal Navy admiral who served as Deputy Naval Commander, South East Asia Command under Lord Mountbatten during the Second World War, as the Senior British Representative on the Tripartite Naval Commission and as the last Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy of the unified Royal Indian Navy.

Early life Miles was born in Chelsea, London, the third son of Audley Charles Miles (1855–1919) and Eveline Frances Cradock-Hartopp (1856–1946). He was the great-grandson of Philip John Miles and thus related to Philip Napier Miles, Frank Miles and Sir William Miles, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Bedford School, aboard HMS Britannia, and joined the Royal Navy in 1905 as a midshipman. Specialising as a navigation officer, he first served aboard the ships HMS Victorious (1906–1908) and HMS King Edward VII (1908–1910). he was also appointed the Squadron Navigating Officer (Destroyers) in the Mediterranean Fleet. He was then assigned to the operations staff of the 3rd Battle Squadron in the Mediterranean (1925–1926) and then to the staff of the Vice-Admiral Commanding 1st Battle Squadron & Vice-Admiral Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet. He served in this capacity aboard the battleship HMS Barham from 1926 to 1927. From 1931 to 1932, he commanded the minesweeper HMS Pangbourne, then served as assistant director and acting director of the RN Staff College at Portsmouth from 1933 to 1935. Appointed as Captain (D) 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) and as Commanding Officer, HMS Codrington in 1935, Miles served in this capacity until July 1937, when he was assigned to the RN Tactical School at Portsmouth aboard HMS Victory. He first served there as assistant director (1937–1938) and subsequently as director (1938–1939). and also appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour by the French government for his service in the Mediterranean.

Miles retired in April 1948 with the rank of admiral. He was chairman of the naval charity, the Royal Navy Club of 1765 and 1785 (United 1889), in 1953. He died on New Year's Eve, 1986 at Holyport, Maidenhead, Berkshire, aged 96.

Personal life On 22 February 1918, Miles married Alison Mary Cadell (13 October 1898 – 20 May 1981), the daughter of Henry Moubray Cadell (1860–1934), geologist and geographer, and Elinor Simson (1868–1943). The couple had two sons: Lieutenant-Commander Peter Tremayne Miles, RN (1920–1995) and Lieutenant Archibald Geoffrey Miles, Royal Artillery (1922–1993).

Honours (ribbon bar, as it would look today)