Ernest Gaunt

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox military person Admiral Sir Ernest Frederick Augustus Gaunt, Template:Post-nominals (25 March 1865 – 20 April 1940)<ref>GAUNT, Adm. Sir Ernest Frederick Augustus, Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014).</ref> was an Australian-born Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches.

Naval career

Gaunt was born in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia, the son of William Henry Gaunt and Elizabeth Mary Palmer.<ref name=adb>Template:Cite book</ref> Gaunt joined the Royal Navy in 1878 at the age of 13.<ref name=adb/>

In 1881, he was a midshipman in HMS Wolverine, by 1891 he was a lieutenant on Belleisle, and by 1896 he was 1st Lieutenant on the armoured cruiser HMS Narcissus.<ref name=adb/> Promoted to Commander on 30 June 1898,<ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> Gaunt was, in 1898 and 1899, 1st Commissioner for Weihawei and Administrator for Liukungtao, China. In 1900, he was Commissioner and Superintending transport officer Weihawei, China, at the time of the Boxer Rebellion.<ref name=adb/>

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 1902 Coronation Honours list on 26 June 1902 for his services during the rebellion.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref><ref>Template:London Gazette</ref> In August 1901, he was appointed in command of the cruiser HMS Scout,<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> which served with the Mediterranean Fleet and in June 1902 replaced HMS Harrier as special service vessel at Constantinople.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> The vessel visited Constanța, the main seaport of Romania, in October 1902,<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> then travelled on the Danube to Galați.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref>

He transferred to HMS Mohawk in January 1903, as she replaced Scout on the Mediterranean station.<ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref><ref>Template:Cite newspaper The Times</ref> In December 1903, he commanded a landing party from Mohawk at Durbo, on the coast of Italian Somaliland, where he was wounded.<ref name=adb/><ref>"The Durbo Engagement". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania. Wednesday, 9 December 1903. p. 5.</ref> In 1905, as commander of Template:HMS, he took possession of the Ashmore Islands in the Indian Ocean on behalf of the United Kingdom.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1913, he became Commodore of the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, England, and in 1913 and 1914, he was aide-de-camp to King George V. In 1916, during World War I, he served as second-in-command of the 1st Battle Squadron at the Battle of Jutland as Rear Admiral;<ref name=adb/> his flagship was Colossus. From 1917 to 1919 he was Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, and from 1921 to 1922 he was Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches. In 1925 he retired,<ref name=adb/> and was knighted. He died in Chelsea, London.

Family

In 1899, he married Louise Geraldine Martyn of Gregans Castle, near Ballyvaughan in County Clare, Ireland.<ref name=adb/>

His brother, Guy Gaunt, was also an Admiral of the Royal Navy, and later became a Conservative Member of Parliament.<ref name=adb/> Their sister, Mary Gaunt, was a well-known author in Australia and wrote several travel books.Template:Cn

External links

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