James Rivett-Carnac (Royal Navy officer)

James Rivett-Carnac
Rivett-Carnac (left) on board HMS Rodney, April 1943
Born12 February 1891
Died9 October 1970 (1970-10-10) (aged 79)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch Royal Navy
Years of service1910–1947
RankVice Admiral
CommandsHMS Rodney
Quartermaster (British Pacific Fleet)
New Zealand Division
Battles / warsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Cross
Mentioned in despatches

Vice-Admiral James William Rivett-Carnac CB CBE DSC DL (12 February 1891 – 9 October 1970) was a Royal Navy officer who became Commodore commanding the New Zealand Division.

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 the First World War and was mentioned in despatches.[2] Rivett-Carnac became Commodore commanding the New Zealand Division in December 1938.[3] He also served in the Second World War as Director of Training and Staff Duties at the Admiralty from April 1940 and as Commanding Officer of the battleship HMS Rodney from 1941 before becoming rear-admiral in charge of the Normandy beaches during the Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Europe, in 1944.[3][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 the war.[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

  1. ^ a b U-Boat.net
  2. ^ a b c d The Peerage.com
  3. ^ a b Senior Royal Navy Appointments Archived 2012-03-15 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Obituary: Canon Sir Nicholas Rivett-Carnac, Bt The Telegraph, 20 May 2004
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "The Rivett-Carnac's of Fornham St Martin". Godfrey Dykes. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
Military offices
Preceded by Commodore commanding the New Zealand Division
1938–1939 		Succeeded by