The Flag Officer, Third Flotilla was the senior Royal Navy appointment in command of the Third Flotilla from 1979 to 1992.
| Flag Officer, Third Flotilla | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1979 – 1992 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Size | Flotilla |
| Part of | Commander-in-Chief Fleet |
| Garrison/HQ | HMNB Portsmouth |
| Commanders | |
| First | Rear-Admiral Peter G.M. Herbert |
| Last | Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Nicholas J. Hill-Norton |
The Western Fleet and Far East Fleet were merged into the single Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1971. He had three new seagoing subordinates: Flag Officer First Flotilla, Second Flotilla and Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) each commanded by a rear admiral.[1] In December 1979 the post of FOCAS was re-named Flag Officer, Third Flotilla (FOF3).[2]
From 1981-1992 the Flag Officer Third Flotilla commanded the aircraft carriers; amphibious Ships; the Fleet Training Ship; and destroyers not allocated to First or Second Flotillas.[3]
In April 1992, the Third Flotilla was abolished, and the remaining two flotilla commanders became Flag Officer, Surface Flotilla[4] - responsible for operational readiness and training and Commander United Kingdom Task Group (COMUKTG), who would command any deployed task group.
| Flag Officer, Third Flotilla (FOF3) | |
|---|---|
 Ensign of the Royal Navy | |
| Navy Department, Ministry of Defence | |
| Reports to | Commander-in-Chief, Fleet |
| Nominator | Secretary of State for Defence |
| Appointer | Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council |
| Term length | Not fixed (typically 1–4 years) |
| Inaugural holder | Rear-Admiral Peter G.M. Herbert |
| Formation | 1979-1992 |
Flag Officers commanding
editIncluded:[5]
- Rear-Admiral Peter G.M. Herbert: November 1979-December 1979
- Vice-Admiral Sir John M.H. Cox: December 1979 – 1981
- Vice-Admiral Sir John M.H. Cox: December 1981-March 1982
- Rear-Admiral Derek R. Reffell: March 1982-August 1983
- Vice-Admiral Sir Richard G.A. Fitch: August 1983-October 1985
- Vice-Admiral Sir J.Julian R. Oswald: October 1985-April 1987
- Rear-Admiral Hugo M. White: April 1987-October 1988
- Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Grose: October 1988-March 1990
- Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Nicholas J. Hill-Norton: March 1990-April 1992
Notes
edit- ^ Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 9781848320437.
- ^ Tailyour, Ewen Southby (1990). Reasons in Writing A Commandos View of the Falklands War. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. p. 113. ISBN 9781844150144.
- ^ Smith.2015.
- ^ Watson, Graham; Smith, Gordon (12 July 2015). "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. G. Smith. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Mackie, Colin (August 2018). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865". gulabin.com. C. Mackie. p. 217. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
- ^ Smith.2015.
References
edit- Mackie, Colin (2018). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Scotland, UK.
- Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848320437.
- Smith, Gordon (2015). "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013: Fleet Organisation, 1981-2002".