Arthur Christian
Born(1863-08-31)31 August 1863
Lowndes Square, London
Died20 August 1926(1926-08-20) (aged 62)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1876–1919
RankAdmiral
Commands held7th Cruiser Squadron (1914)
HMS Temeraire (1910–11)
Royal Naval College, Osborne (1908–10)
HMS Duke of Edinburgh (1906–08)
HMS Highflyer (1902–03)
Battles/warsFirst World War
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Member of the Royal Victorian Order

Admiral Arthur Henry Christian, CB, MVO (31 August 1863 – 20 August 1926) was a senior Royal Navy officer.

Early life

Born on 31 August 1863 at 13 Lowndes Square, London, Christian was the fourth son of George Christian and his wife Sarah Mary Christian (née Bainbrigge).[1][2] He was educated at Twyford School, then an all-boys Private preparatory school.[3]

Christian entered the Royal Navy in July 1876.[4] He was promoted to lieutenant on 31 December 1885,[5] to commander on 1 January 1896 "for services on the West and East Coasts of Africa",[6][7] and to captain on 31 December 1901.[8] In June 1902, he was appointed in command of the protected cruiser HMS Highflyer, and as flag captain to Rear-Admiral Charles Carter Drury on his appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station.[9] He was Captain of the Royal Naval College, Osborne, from 16 July 1908 to 5 October 1910.

Christian was appointed Naval Aide-de-Camp to King George V on 30 April 1910 and,[10] on 24 July, was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.[11] He relinquished the appointment of ADC on 21 August 1911,[12] when he was promoted to rear admiral.[13]

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Christian was appointed to command Southern Force. He was appointed Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron in July 1915 and, in August, was wounded during the Suvla Bay landings of the Gallipoli Campaign.[14][15] He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1916 as part of "honours awarded in recognition of services rendered by Officers of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron between the time of the landing in the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915, and the evacuation in December 1915 – January 1916".[16]

Personal life

In 1911, Christian married Geraldine Diana Monsell. Together they had one son and two daughters.[1] One of his daughters, Mary Diana Christian, was married to General Victor FitzGeorge-Balfour.

References

  1. 1 2 "CHRISTIAN, Admiral Arthur Henry". Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  2. ↑ Lundy, Darryl. "Admiral Arthur Henry Christian". ThePeerage.com. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Old Twyfordians – Biographies". Twyford School. Archived from the original on 24 February 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  4. ↑ "Admiral Christian". The Times. No. 44357. 23 August 1926. p. 15.
  5. ↑ "No. 25545". The London Gazette. 1 January 1886. p. 7.
  6. ↑ "No. 26694". The London Gazette. 31 December 1895. p. 7532.
  7. ↑ "No. 26696". The London Gazette. 3 January 1896. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "No. 27393". The London Gazette. 3 January 1902. p. 3.
  9. ↑ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36758. London. 3 May 1902. p. 14.
  10. ↑ "No. 28363". The London Gazette. 6 May 1910. p. 3163.
  11. ↑ "No. 28403". The London Gazette. 2 August 1910. p. 5584.
  12. ↑ "No. 28526". The London Gazette. 29 August 1911. p. 6372.
  13. ↑ "No. 28525". The London Gazette. 25 August 1911. p. 6306.
  14. ↑ "Rear-Admiral Wounded". Aberdeen Daily Journal. No. 18933. 10 September 1915. p. 5.
  15. ↑ "Births, Deaths, Marriages and Obituaries". Dundee Courier and Advertiser. No. 22844. 23 August 1926. p. 4.
  16. ↑ "No. 29507". The London Gazette. 14 March 1916. p. 2869.
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