Henry Bertram Pelly

Admiral Sir Henry Bertram Pelly, (9 September 1867 – 27 December 1942) was a Royal Navy who rose to the tank of Admiral. He is chiefly known for commanding the battlecruiser during the First World War, including at the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 and the Battle of Jutland in 1916. He later held senior appointments at Portsmouth and Gibraltar, was promoted to vice admiral in 1922 and was advanced to Admiral on the retired list in 1926.

Career

Early life and naval career

Pelly was born on 9 September 1867, the son of Royal Navy Captain Richard Wilson Pelly and Katherine Jane Fry. His father was a younger son of Sir John Henry Pelly, 1st Baronet, placing Pelly within the wider Pelly family. He entered the training ship as a naval cadet in January 1881.

Pelly was promoted to lieutenant on 1 January 1891 and to commander on 31 August 1901. He had been appointed a Member, Fourth Class, of the Royal Victorian Order earlier in 1901. He was promoted to captain on 1 January 1906 and in March was appointed captain of the pre-dreadnought battleship . On 5 March 1907 Pelly became flag captain to Admiral Lord Charles Beresford and captain of the battleship . He remained associated with Beresford's command until March 1909, after which he went on half pay. Later that year he was employed at the Admiralty and became Captain Superintendent of Contract Built Ships. In August 1913 Pelly was appointed captain of the battlecruiser , retaining the command until shortly before the outbreak of the First World War.

First World War

On 3 August 1914 Pelly was appointed captain of the newly completed battlecruiser . Tiger joined Vice Admiral Sir David Beatty's battlecruiser force and Pelly commanded her during the Battle of Dogger Bank on 24 January 1915. During the battle Tiger became involved in confusion over the allocation of targets and her gunnery attracted criticism. Beatty subsequently sent Pelly a detailed memorandum reviewing the ship's performance, while making clear that he did not intend his comments as a formal censure..

Pelly remained in command of Tiger at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916. During the action the battlecruiser was repeatedly hit by German heavy gunfire but remained in the battle. In Beatty's recommendations following the engagement, he reported that Pelly had commanded and fought Tiger with "great skill and gallantry". Pelly was subsequently appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his service at Jutland, the award being dated from 31 May 1916.

Pelly left Tiger on 29 June 1916 and was appointed to the Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth, where he served for the remainder of the war. He was promoted to rear admiral on 17 May 1917.

Later career

In December 1920 Pelly became the senior naval officer at Gibraltar and Admiral Superintendent of Gibraltar Dockyard. He held the appointment from 17 December 1920 until 7 February 1922. He was promoted to vice admiral on 3 May 1922.

Pelly was appointed a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) on 1 January 1923. He retired from the Royal Navy at his own request on 18 January 1925 and on 8 November 1926 was promoted to the rank of admiral on the retired list.

In retirement Pelly served as a justice of the peace for Surrey. In 1938, he published his memoirs, 300,000 Sea Miles: An Autobiography, covering a naval career which had extended from the Victorian period to the aftermath of the First World War.

Personal life

Pelly married Lillian Katherine Hawkshaw Vincent, daughter of the Reverend Sir William Vincent, 12th Baronet, on 14 December 1904. They had four children. Pelly died on 27 December 1942, aged 75. There are several images of him in the National Portrait Gallery collection.

Works

Further reading

External links

• Private Papers of Admiral Sir Henry Pelly KCVO CB at the Imperial War Museums