Charles Little (Royal Navy officer)

Sir Charles Little

Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Little in 1937, Commander-in-Chief of the China Station
Born 14 June 1882
Died 20 June 1973 (1973-06-21) (aged 91)
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Years of service 1897–1945
Rank Admiral
Commands held HMS Fearless
HMS Cleopatra
HMS Iron Duke
China Station
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire

Admiral Sir Charles James Colebrooke Little GCB GBE (14 June 1882 – 20 June 1973)[1] was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.

Naval career

Little joined the Royal Navy at the Royal Naval College Dartmouth in 1897.[2] He served in World War I and commanded the cruiser HMS Fearless and the Grand Fleet Submarine Flotilla from 1916 to 1918.[2]

After the War he commanded the cruiser HMS Cleopatra in the Baltic Sea and then, in 1920, became Director of the Trade Division at the Admiralty.[2] He was appointed Captain of the Fleet for the Mediterranean Station in 1922 and then became a Senior Staff Officer at the Royal Naval War College in 1924.[2] He became Captain of the battleship HMS Iron Duke in 1926 and Director of the Royal Naval Staff College in 1927.[2] He became Commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron in 1930 and Rear Admiral Submarines in 1931.[2] He was appointed Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in 1932 and Commander-in-Chief of the China Station in 1936.[2] In 1938 he became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel.[2] In this capacity he was instrumental in establishing the Admiralty Torpedo, Mining and Electrical Training Establishment at Roedean School in Brighton.[3]

He served in World War II becoming Head of British Joint Staff Mission to Washington D. C. in 1941 and Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth in 1942.[2] He retired in 1945.[2]

He lived at Thakeham in West Sussex.[4]

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Martin Dunbar-Nasmith
Rear-Admiral Submarines
1931–1932
Succeeded by
Noel Laurence
Preceded by
Sir Frederic Dreyer
Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
19331935
Succeeded by
Sir William James
Preceded by
Sir Frederic Dreyer
Commander-in-Chief, China Station
19361938
Succeeded by
Sir Percy Noble
Preceded by
Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith
Second Sea Lord
1938–1941
Succeeded by
Sir William Whitworth
Preceded by
Sir William James
Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
1942–1945
Succeeded by
Sir Geoffrey Layton
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