Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (United Kingdom)

Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff

Ensign of the Royal Navy

Incumbent
Vice-Admiral Martin Connell

since 14 January 2022

Ministry of Defence
Abbreviation| DCNS
Member of| Board of Admiralty, Admiralty Board, Navy Board
Reports to| First Sea Lord
Nominator| First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer| Prime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length| Not fixed
(typically 1–3 years)
Formation| 1917–1968, 2013–current
First holder| Vice Admiral Henry Oliver

The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) is a senior appointment in the Royal Navy currently held by the Second Sea Lord.[1] The incumbent is usually a three-star rank and had a NATO ranking code of OF-8, but the position has previously been held by an acting two-star ranked officer and a four-star ranked officer.

## First and Second World Wars

[edit]

The position was originally established in 1917 on the Board of Admiralty. It essentially replaced the position of Chief of the Admiralty War Staff.[2]

The first incumbent was Vice Admiral Henry Oliver, the Chief of the Admiralty War Staff, who was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on 31 May 1917.[3] The duties of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, were shared with the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff and with the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff.[2]

In September 1917 the new post of Deputy First Sea Lord was created to meet the demand of wartime operational requirements. The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff then reported to the Deputy First Sea Lord until 1919 when that post was abolished. The Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff then resumed his previous role and reported to the First Sea Lord until 1941. Duties as of 1917 included:[4][2][5]

1. Relieve the First Sea Lord of all the routine matters dealt with by sections under his immediate direction
2. Fleet Movements
3. All operations in the North Sea, the White Sea, the Baltic, and the Dover Area, except British coastal measures for the protection of trade
4. Offensive measures in the Mediterranean and abroad generally
5. The protection of trade in the North Sea, except the coastal trade on the East Coast of Great Britain. North Sea trade includes the Dutch trade, trade between Scandinavian countries and Great Britain, and Baltic trade, but not convoy from Lerwick, Southward
6. All questions relating to foreign stations, except protection of trade against submarine and mine attack
7. Policy of blockade and all questions relating thereto and to contraband of war
8. Organisation, movements and protection of troop transports and other vessels against attack by surface vessels; Atlantic convoys other than troop convoys being under the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff

This remained in place until 1939. Duties after 1939 included:[5]

1. Operations of War: All large Questions of Naval Policy and Maritime Warfare
2. Fighting and Sea-going Efficiency of the Fleet and its Organisation
3. Distribution and Movements of all Ships in Commission and in Reserve
4. Superintendence of the Naval Staff and the Hydrographic Department
5. Administering Naval communications
6. Superintendence of the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
7. Superintendence of the Director of the Naval Intelligence Division

In 1941 the DCNS post was renamed Vice Chief of the Naval Staff; this continued until 1946. After the Second World War the title was changed back to DCNS, and continued until 1968.

## From 2013

[edit]

In 2013 the office was brought back once more and the current Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff became both a member of the Admiralty Board and a member of the Navy Board of the Ministry of Defence.

Duties circa March 2014 included:[6]

* Full command of all deployable Fleet units including the Royal Marines
* Responsible for providing ships, submarines, aircraft and Royal Marine units ready in all respects for any operations that the UK Government requires
* Responsible for the delivery of the Naval Service's current and future personnel, equipment and infrastructure

## Deputy Chiefs of the Naval Staff

[edit]

Incumbents include:[7]

No. | Portrait  | Deputy Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Oliver, HenryVice Admiral
Sir Henry Oliver
(1865–1965)| July 1917| January 1918| 6 months| .

| Fremantle, SydneyActing Vice Admiral
Sir Sydney Fremantle
(1867–1958)| January 1918| May 1919| 1 year, 4 months| .

| Fergusson, JamesRear Admiral
Sir James Fergusson
(1871–1942)| May 1919| August 1919| 3 months| .

| Brock, OsmondVice Admiral
Sir Osmond Brock
(1869–1947)| August 1919| November 1921| 2 years, 3 months| [8]

| Keyes, RogerVice Admiral
Sir Roger Keyes
(1872–1945)| November 1921| May 1925| 3 years, 6 months| [8]

| Field, FrederickVice Admiral
Sir Frederick Field
(1871–1945)| May 1925| May 1928| 3 years| [8]

| Fisher, WilliamVice Admiral
Sir William Wordsworth Fisher
(1875–1937)| May 1928| June 1930| 2 years, 1 month| [9]

| Dreyer, FredericAdmiral
Sir Frederic Charles Dreyer
(1878–1956)| June 1930| January 1933| 2 years, 7 months| [10]

| Little, CharlesVice Admiral
Sir Charles Little
(1882–1973)| January 1933| October 1935| 2 years, 9 months| [11]
10|

| James, WilliamVice Admiral
Sir William James
(1881–1973)| October 1935| October 1938| 3 years| [12]
11|

| Cunningham, AndrewVice Admiral
Sir Andrew Cunningham
(1883–1963)| October 1938| May 1939| 7 months| [13]
12|

| Phillips, TomVice Admiral
Sir Tom Phillips
(1888–1941)| June 1939| October 1941| 2 years, 5 months| [14]

Note: Post is renamed 1941 to 1946 its responsibilities are taken over by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
No. | Portrait  | Deputy Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Oliver, RobertRear Admiral
Robert Don Oliver
(1895–1980)| April 1946| April 1947| 1 year| .

| Evans, EdwardVice Admiral
Sir Edward Evans-Lombe
(1901–1974)| December 1950| January 1953| 2 years, 1 month| .

| Barnard, GeoffreyRear Admiral
Sir Geoffrey Barnard
(1901–1974)| January 1953| April 1954| 1 year, 3 months| [15]

| Clifford, EricVice Admiral
Sir Eric Clifford
(1900–1964)| April 1954| September 1957| 3 years, 5 months| [16]

Note: From 1957 to 1965 the post was held jointly by the Fifth Sea Lord
No. | Portrait  | Deputy Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Power, ManleyVice Admiral
Sir Manley Power
(1904–1981)| October 1957| February 1959| 1 year, 4 months| .

| Durlacher, LaurenceAdmiral
Sir Laurence Durlacher
(1904–1986)| February 1959| January 1962| 2 years, 11 months| [17]

| Gretton, PeterVice Admiral
Sir Peter Gretton
(1912–1992)| January 1962| January 1963| 1 year| [18]

| Hopkins, FrankVice Admiral
Sir Frank Hopkins
(1910–1990)| January 1963| March 1966| 3 years, 2 months| [19]

| Janvrin, RichardVice Admiral
Sir Richard Janvrin
(1915–1993)| March 1966| October 1968| 2 years, 7 months| [citation needed]

Note: Post was vacant from 1969 to 2012; it was re-established in 2013. From 2013 to 2015 it was held by the Fleet Commander and from 2016 it was held by the Second Sea Lord
No. | Portrait  | Deputy Chief | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|

| Jones, PhilipVice Admiral
Sir Philip Jones
(born 1960)| 30 November 2012| 8 April 2016| 3 years, 130 days| [20][21]

| Woodcock, JonathanVice Admiral
Jonathan Woodcock
(born 1962)| 8 April 2016| 27 March 2018| 1 year, 353 days| [22]

| Radakin, TonyVice Admiral
Tony Radakin
(born 1965)| 27 March 2018| 26 April 2019| 1 year, 30 days| [23]

| Hine, NicholasVice Admiral
Nick Hine
(born 1966)| 26 April 2019| 12 January 2022| 2 years, 261 days| [24]

| Connell, MartinVice Admiral
Martin Connell
(born 1968)| 12 January 2022| Incumbent| 3 years, 176 days| [25]

## See also

[edit]

* Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff
* Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
* First Sea Lord
* Second Sea Lord
* Third Sea Lord
* Fourth Sea Lord
* Fifth Sea Lord

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Secretary of State announces new Senior Appointments in the Armed Services". www.gov.uk. Ministry of Defence, 29 January 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
2. ^ a b c Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Deputy Chief of Naval Staff". dreadnoughtproject.org. Dreadnought Project, 1 September 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
3. ^ Oliver Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. p. 319.
4. ^ "War Staff Duties." Jellicoe Papers. British Library. Add. MS. 48992. ff. 94–95.
5. ^ a b "Deputy Chief of Naval Staff – The Dreadnought Project,"War Staff Duties." Jellicoe Papers. British Library. Add. MS. 48992. ff. 94–95". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
6. ^ "Navy Command senior, as of March 2014". gov.uk. MOD, Updated 29 January 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
7. ^ Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy – Senior Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 23 November 2016.
8. ^ a b c "The Admiralty British Government Department, 1920s". warwick.ac.uk. University of Warwick, 2011. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
9. ^ Stewart, William (2009). Admirals of the World: A Biographical Dictionary, 1500 to the Present. McFarland. p. 126\. ISBN 9780786482887.
10. ^ Bevand, Paul. "Biography: Admiral Sir Frederick Charles Dreyer". HMS Hood Association, 6 May 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
11. ^ McKercher, Brian J. C. (1999). Transition of Power: Britain's Loss of Global Pre-eminence to the United States, 1930–1945. Cambridge University Press. p. 191\. ISBN 9781139425063.
12. ^ "Vice-Admiral Sir William Milbourne James (1881–1973)". rmg.co.uk. Royal Museums Greenwich, Collections, 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
13. ^ Brown, [G.A. Titterton]. Vol. 1, September 1939 – October 1940 / with an introduction by David (2002). September 1939 – October 1940 ([New ed.]. ed.). London [u.a.]: Whitehall History Publ. in assoc. with Frank Cass. p. 3\. ISBN 9780714651798.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
14. ^ Hunter, Brian Farrell & Sandy (2002). Sixty years on : the fall of Singapore revisited. Singapore: Eastern Univ. Press. p. 146\. ISBN 9789812102027.
15. ^ Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. Routledge. p. 13\. ISBN 9781136509612.
16. ^ "Adm. Eric Clifford, Headed U.N. Units Off Korea in '52". The New York Times. 10 September 1964. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
17. ^ Rubinstein, William D.; Jolles, Michael A.; Rubinstein, Hilary L., eds. (2011). The Palgrave dictionary of Anglo-Jewish history. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 235\. ISBN 9781403939104.
18. ^ Cook, Chris (2012). The Routledge Guide to British Political Archives: Sources since 1945. 85: Routledge. ISBN 9781136509612.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location (link)
19. ^ Dyndal, Gjert Lage (2016). Land Based Air Power Or Aircraft Carriers?: A Case Study of the British Debate about Maritime Air Power in the 1960s. Routledge. p. 96\. ISBN 9781317108405.
20. ^ "Senior organogram". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
21. ^ "Senior Appointments". March 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
22. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. MOD, UK, 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
23. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
24. ^ "Navy Board". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy.
25. ^ "New Second Sea Lord officially welcomed to role". www.royalnavy.mod.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2023.

## Attribution

[edit]

Primary source for this article is by Harley, Simon and Lovell, Tony, (2016) Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, The Dreadnought Project, http://dreadnoughtproject.org.

## Sources

[edit]

* Rodger. N.A.M., (1979) The Admiralty (offices of state), T. Dalton, Lavenham, ISBN 978-0900963940.
* Naval Staff, Training and Staff Duties Division (1929). The Naval Staff of the Admiralty. Its Work and Development. B.R. 1845 (late C.B. 3013). Copy at The National Archives. ADM 234/434.
* Mackie, Colin, (2010–2014), British Armed Services between 1860 and the present day — I Royal Navy – Senior Appointments, http://www.gulabin.com/.

## External links

[edit]

* Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
* http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
* http://www.gulabin.com/Royal Navy – Senior Appointments
* http://www.naval-history.net/Royal Navy Organisation 1939 to 1945[permanent dead link]
* http://www.naval-history.net/British Admiralty and its functions 1914

* v
* t
* e

His Majesty's Naval Service

Leadership|

* Secretary of State for Defence
* Minister of State for the Armed Forces
* First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
* Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
* Fleet Commander
* Commander, Allied Maritime Command
* Commandant General Royal Marines
* Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces
* Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy
* Corps Regimental Sergeant Major

Components|

| Royal Navy|

* Surface fleet
* Fleet Air Arm
* Submarine Service
* Royal Navy Medical Service
* Nursing Service (QARNNS)
* Chaplaincy Service
* Navy Police
* Naval Careers Service

|

Royal Marines|

* UK Commando Force
* Royal Marines Band Service
* Royal Marines Reserve
* Royal Marines Police

Royal Naval Reserve|

* HMS Calliope
* HMS Cambria
* HMS Ceres
* HMS Dalriada
* HMS Eaglet
* HMS Ferret
* HMS Flying Fox
* HMS Forward
* HMS Hibernia
* HMS King Alfred
* HMS President
* HMS Scotia
* HMS Sherwood
* HMS Vivid
* HMS Wildfire

Special forces|

* Special Boat Service

History
and future|

* Admiralty in the 16th century
* Admiralty in the 17th century
* Admiralty in the 18th century
* Customs and traditions
* Historic forces and commands
* Future of the Royal Navy
* History of the Royal Navy (before 1707) (after 1707)
* History of the Royal Marines
* National Maritime Museum
* National Museum of the Royal Navy
* Naval Historical Branch

Operating forces|

* Fleet Commander
* Commander United Kingdom Strike Force
* Commander Operations
* Surface Flotilla
* Submarine Flotilla
* UK Commando Force

Fleet|

* List of active Royal Navy ships
* Royal Fleet Auxiliary
* Standing Royal Navy deployments
* List of fleets and major commands of the Royal Navy

Ships|

* Aircraft carriers
* Escort carriers
* Seaplane carriers
* Amphibious warfare ships
* Battlecruisers
* Battleships
* Pre-dreadnought battleships
* Bomb vessels
* Corvette and sloop
* Cruisers
* Destroyers
* Fireships
* Frigates
* Gun-brigs
* Gunboat and gunvessels
* Hospital ships
* Ironclads
* Mine countermeasure vessels
* Monitors
* Ironclads
* Patrol vessels
* Royal yachts
* Ships of the line
* Submarines
* Support ships
* Survey vessels
* Royal Marines Boats
* Historic ships names

Administration|

* Defence Council
* Admiralty Board
* Navy Board
* Navy Command

Senior officers|

* Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Aviation, Amphibious Capability & Carriers)
* Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Capability)
* Director People & Training
* Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy)
* Director Naval Support
* Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training
* Chaplain of the Fleet
* Director General Ships
* Commandant General Royal Marines
* Commander Operations
* Commander United Kingdom Strike Force
* Commander Littoral Strike Group
* Commander United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group
* Commodore, Naval Staff
* Commodore RFA and Deputy Director Royal Navy Afloat Support
* Commander Maritime Reserves
* Naval Secretary
* Rear-Admiral, Fleet Air Arm
* Commodore Submarine Flotilla
* Commodore Surface Flotilla
* Serving senior officers
* Serving senior Royal Marines officers

Personnel
and training|

* Admiralty Interview Board
* Britannia Royal Naval College
* Commando Training Centre Royal Marines
* Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
* HMS Raleigh
* HMS Sultan
* Royal Corps of Naval Constructors
* University Royal Naval Unit

Equipment|

* Uniforms of the Royal Navy
* Uniforms of the Royal Marines
* Officer rank insignia
* Ratings rank insignia
* Cutlasses

Former
leadership|

* First Lord of the Admiralty
* Chief of the Admiralty War Staff
* Admirals of the Fleet
* Commander-in-Chief Fleet
* Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command
* Deputy First Sea Lord
* Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
* Third Sea Lord
* Fourth Sea Lord
* Fifth Sea Lord
* Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
* Judge Advocate of the Fleet

category

* v
* t
* e

Admiralty Board

Chairman|

* Secretary of State for Defence

Civilian|

* Minister of State for the Armed Forces
* Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans
* Minister for Reserves
* Under Secretary of State & the Lords Spokesman on Defence
* Finance Director (Navy)

Naval|

* First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
* Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
* Fleet Commander
* Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy)

* v
* t
* e

Navy Board

Naval|

* First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
* Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
* Fleet Commander
* Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy)

Civilian|

* Finance Director (Navy)
* Non Executive Director

* v
* t
* e

Board of Admiralty

Ministerial Lords|

* Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board (1628–1964)

Naval Lords|

* Senior Naval Lord (1689–1771)
* First Naval Lord (1771–1904)
* First Sea Lord (1904–1917)
* First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff (1917–1964)
* Second Naval Lord (1830–1869, 1872–1904)
* Second Sea Lord (1904–1917)
* Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel (1917–1964)
* Third Naval Lord (1832–1858)
* Controller of the Navy (1859–1869)
* Third Naval Lord and Controller (1869–1872)
* Controller of the Navy (1872–1882)
* Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy (1882–1904)
* Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy (1904–1912)
* Third Sea Lord (1912–1917)
* Controller of the Navy (1917–1918)
* Third Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Matériel (1918–1965)
* Junior Naval Lord (1868–1904)
* Fourth Sea Lord (1904–1917)
* Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Supplies and Transport (1917–1955)
* Fifth Sea Lord (1917)
* Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Air Service (1917–1956)

Staff Naval Lords|

* Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–1964)
* Deputy First Sea Lord (1917–1919)
* Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (1917–1964)
* Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (1941–1964)
* Deputy First Sea Lord (1942–1946)

Civil Lords|

* Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1830–1964)
* Accountant-General of the Navy (1832–1869)
* Controller of Victualling (1832–1869)
* Director-General of the Medical Department (1832–1869)
* Storekeeper-General of the Navy (1832–1869)
* Surveyor of the Navy (1832–1869)
* Controller of the Navy (1859–1869)
* Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1882–1885)
* Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty (1912–1917)
* Second Civil Lord (1918–1919)
* Third Civil Lord (1918–1919)
* Fourth Civil Lord (1918–1919)

Civil Secretaries|

* Secretaries to the Lords Admiral, Admiralty, Committees and Commissions (1625–1660)
* First Secretary to the Admiralty (1660–1763)
* First Secretary to the Admiralty (1763–1871)
* Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty (1871–1886)
* Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty (1886–1959)
* Joint-Deputy Secretary to the Admiralty (1702–1766)
* Second Secretary to the Admiralty (1783–1857)
* Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1869–1872)
* Naval Secretary to the Board of Admiralty (1872–1882)
* Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty (1882–1964)

*[No.]: Number
*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template