John Durnford

For the English cricketer, see John Durnford (cricketer).

Admiral Sir John Durnford GCB, DSO
Born	6 February 1849
Died	13 June 1914 (1914-06-14) (aged 65)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Admiral
Commands	HMS Vernon Cape of Good Hope Station Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Battles / wars	Third Anglo-Burmese War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order

Admiral Sir John Durnford, GCB, DSO (6 February 1849 – 13 June 1914) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station.

Naval career

Educated at Eton College and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Durnford joined the Royal Navy in 1862 and served in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885 to 1886 for which he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the DSO.[1] Promoted to captain in 1888, he commanded the torpedo school HMS Vernon from 1895 to 1899.[1] In October 1899 he was appointed in command of the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Jupiter, serving in the Channel Fleet, and in December the following year he was appointed to Algiers for the Medway steam reserve.[2]

Durnford became Junior Naval Lord in February 1901 and was promoted to rear-admiral on 1 January 1902.[3] He served as Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station from 1904 to 1907.[1] He was President of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich from 1908 to 1911 and retired in 1913.[1]

He lived at Elmshurst in Fareham.[4]

Family

In 1881 he married Mary Louisa Eleanor Kirwan; they had one son and three daughters.[1]

References

1. "Anglo-Boer War". Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
2. "Royal Navy senior appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
3. "No. 27393". The London Gazette. 3 January 1902. p. 3.
4. Obituary: Admiral Sir John Durnford, The Times, 15 June 1914

External links

• The Dreadnought Project: John Durnford

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Arthur Moore	Junior Naval Lord 1901–1903	Succeeded by Sir Frederick Inglefield (As Fourth Sea Lord)
Preceded by Sir Arthur Moore	Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station 1904–1907	Succeeded by Sir Edmund Poë
Preceded by Sir Arthur Fanshawe	President, Royal Naval College, Greenwich 1908–1911	Succeeded by Sir Frederic Fisher