Admirals of the British Navy: Portraits in Colours with Introductory and Biographical Notes
History
Admirals of the British Navy: Portraits in Colours with Introductory and Biographical Notes
Admirals -- Great Britain; World War, 1914-1918 -- Biography
Admiral Burney retired from the post of Second Sea Lord in August, 1917,
and in October was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the East Coast of
Scotland in succession to the late Admiral Sir Frederick Hamilton.
III
ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES EDWARD MADDEN, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O.
ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES EDWARD MADDEN, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., C.V.O., became a
midshipman in October, 1877. As an Acting Sub-Lieutenant of H.M.S.
"Ruby," he served in the Egyptian War of 1882 and received the Egyptian
Medal and the Khedive's Bronze Star. He became a Lieutenant on July
27th, 1884.
As a young officer, Admiral Madden specialized in Torpedo work, and from
1893 to 1896 was First Lieutenant and Staff Officer of the "Vernon"
torpedo school ship.
On June 30th of the latter year he became Commander and was promoted
Captain on the same day of the same month in 1901.
From 1902 to 1904 Captain Madden was Flag Captain to Sir Wilmot Fawkes,
commanding the Cruiser Squadron in H.M.S. "Good Hope."
On February 7th, 1905, Captain Madden was appointed Naval Assistant to
the Controller of the Navy, becoming on December 20th of the following
year Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord.
On the occasion of King Edward's Review of the Home Fleet in the Solent
on August 3rd, 1907, he received the C.V.O.
Nine days later Captain Madden became Captain of H.M.S. "Dreadnought,"
and Chief of Staff, Home Fleet.
[Illustration: ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES E. MADDEN]
On December 1st, 1908, he was appointed Private Secretary to the First
Lord of the Admiralty, and from January 25th, 1910, to December, 1911,
was Fourth Sea Lord; from January, 1910, to April 12th, 1911, when he
was promoted to Rear-Admiral, Captain Madden was Aide-de-Camp to the
King.
From January 5th, 1912, to December 11th of the same year, he was
Rear-Admiral in the First Battle Squadron First Fleet, and from
December, 1912, to December, 1913, he commanded the Third Cruiser
Squadron. In the latter month he assumed the command of the Second
Cruiser Squadron, which command he held till July, 1914.
On the outbreak of War Rear-Admiral Madden was appointed Chief of the
Staff to Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, Commander-in-Chief of the Grand
Fleet, and was specially granted the acting rank of Vice-Admiral on June
11th, 1915. He was present at the Battle of Jutland and was appointed a
K.C.M.G. for his services on that occasion.
In his despatch, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe said of Vice-Admiral Madden,
"Throughout a period of twenty-one months of war his services have been
of inestimable value. His good judgment, his long experience in fleets,
special gift for organization, and his capacity for unlimited work, have
all been of the greatest assistance to me, and have relieved me of much
of the anxiety inseparable from the conduct of the Fleet during the war.
In the stages leading up to the Fleet action, and during and after the
action, he was always at hand to assist, and his judgment was never at
fault.
"I owe him more than I can say."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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