34 Facts About Ernest Troubridge

Ernest Troubridge too embarked on a career in the navy, rising through the ranks during the late Victorian period, and commanding ships in the Mediterranean.

Ernest Troubridge served as a naval attache to several powers, including the Empire of Japan during the Russo-Japanese War.

Ernest Troubridge spent some time immediately before the outbreak of the First World War as a staff officer and assisted in the drawing up of strategic plans to be adopted in the event of war, though these were later rejected.

Ernest Troubridge returned to seagoing service just prior to the outbreak of war, and commanded a cruiser squadron in the Mediterranean with the rank of rear-admiral.

Ernest Troubridge was court-martialled, and although he was acquitted, his reputation was damaged.

Ernest Troubridge never had another seagoing command, but did command naval detachments and flotillas on the Danube during the Balkan campaigns, winning the respect of Serbian Crown Prince Alexander.

Ernest Troubridge spent several years as president of the commission, retiring in 1924 and dying in 1926.

Ernest Troubridge married twice; his second wife, the sculptor Margot Elena Gertrude Taylor, left him to begin a relationship with the writer Marguerite Radclyffe-Hall.

Ernest Troubridge was born in Hampstead, London, on 15 July 1862, the third son of Sir Thomas Troubridge, 3rd Baronet, and his wife Louisa Jane.

Thomas Ernest Troubridge had served in the army during the Crimean War, and had lost his right leg and left foot at the Battle of Inkerman.

Ernest Troubridge was more distantly related to the distinguished admirals Alexander Cochrane and Thomas Cochrane, Lord Cochrane.

Ernest Troubridge briefly attended Wellington College before joining the Royal Navy in 1875.

Ernest Troubridge trained aboard the Britannia at Dartmouth as a naval cadet, and by 1884 had been promoted to lieutenant.

Ernest Troubridge was promoted to captain on 17 July 1901 and went on to serve as a naval attache to several powers, based at first in Vienna and from 1902 in Madrid.

Ernest Troubridge became a naval attache in Tokyo later in 1902, and served as such until 1904.

Ernest Troubridge was promoted to flag rank in March 1911 with his promotion to rear-admiral, and in 1912 he became chief of the War Staff.

Churchill arranged for Ernest Troubridge to leave office at the end of the year, replacing him with Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Jackson.

Churchill had intended this to mean the Austro-Hungarian and Italian fleets, but Ernest Troubridge took it to include the Germans.

From his experiences in the Russo-Japanese War, Ernest Troubridge was aware that modern naval ordnance could devastate his squadron and that the Goebens 11-inch guns considerably outranged his own, which consisted of 9.2-inch and 7.5-inch guns.

Ernest Troubridge was still unaware of German intentions, and feared they might double back to the north-east and effect a junction with the Austro-Hungarian fleet.

Ernest Troubridge resolved to intercept the German squadron and headed southwards to do so, but his flag captain, Fawcet Wray, argued against seeking battle.

Ernest Troubridge was reluctant to do so anyway, knowing that his ships would be both outranged and attacking in daylight, but felt it was the only honourable option.

Wray argued that it would be suicide for the squadron to fight the bigger and longer-ranging guns of the Goeben and, as Wray had a particular reputation in the fleet as an expert on gunnery, Ernest Troubridge allowed himself to be persuaded.

In tears, Ernest Troubridge ordered the chase to be abandoned, a decision that caused Wray to say 'Sir, this is the bravest thing you have ever done.

Ernest Troubridge, having been promoted to vice-admiral in June 1916, went out to Salonika to join the reformed Serbian armies.

Ernest Troubridge remained in the Balkans throughout the campaigns of the next two years, which culminated in the final collapse of Bulgaria in September 1918.

The French commander-in-chief in the area, Louis Franchet d'Esperey, appointed Ernest Troubridge admiral commanding on the Danube.

Ernest Troubridge quickly requested the formation of a new naval brigade, to be supported with artillery and torpedo gear in order to prosecute the Danube campaign, but this was rejected by the Admiralty in favour of a gunboat flotilla.

Ernest Troubridge remained in the Balkans for several months after the end of the war, and returned to Britain in early 1919, having been promoted to admiral in January 1919.

Ernest Troubridge's actions brought questionable results, and he remained out of favour with the Admiralty.

Ernest Troubridge was replaced by a representative favoured by the Foreign Office on the establishment of the permanent international Danube commission, but when this representative, and a representative favoured by the Admiralty both departed, Troubridge was recalled in June 1920.

Ernest Troubridge had been created a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in June 1919.

The couple had one surviving son, Thomas Hope Ernest Troubridge, who followed his father into the navy and eventually became a vice-admiral.

Sir Ernest Troubridge died suddenly in Biarritz on 28 January 1926, and was buried there.