John Eaton (Royal Navy officer)

Royal Navy Vice Admiral (1902–1981)

Sir John Willson Musgrave Eaton

Born| (1902-11-03)3 November 1902
Bulawayo, Rhodesia
Died| 21 July 1981(1981-07-21) (aged 78)
Kelvedon, Essex
Allegiance| United Kingdom
Service / branch| Royal Navy
Years of service| 1916–1958
Rank| Vice Admiral
Commands| America and West Indies Station (1955–56)
Reserve Fleet (1954–55)
HM Australian Fleet (1951–53)
HMS St Vincent (1945–47)
HMS Sheffield (1945)
HMS Eskimo (1942–43)
HMS Somali (1942)
HMS Mohawk (1939–41)
HMS Venetia (1939)
HMS Boreas (1936–39)
HMS Westminster (1935–36)
Battles / wars| First World War
Second World War
Awards| Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (2)

Vice Admiral Sir John Willson Musgrave Eaton, KBE, CB, DSO, DSC (3 November 1902 – 21 July 1981[1]) was a Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief America and West Indies Station from 1955 to 1956.

## Naval career

[edit]

Eaton joined the Royal Navy in 1916 and served in the First World War.[2] After the war he served in destroyers and then in submarines.[2]

Eaton served in the Second World War and commanded the destroyers HMS Venetia, HMS Mohawk, HMS Somali and HMS Eskimo.[2]

After the war he became Captain of the cruiser HMS Sheffield and then Captain of the training school HMS St Vincent.[2] He was appointed Director at the Royal Navy Staff College, Greenwich in 1949, Flag Officer commanding HM Australian Fleet in 1951 and Flag Officer commanding the Reserve Fleet in 1954.[2] His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic in 1955; he took part in Operation Strikeback (a major NATO training exercise) in 1957 and retired in 1958.[2]

His life is commemorated by an inscription at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Kelvedon in Essex.[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Vice-Admiral Sir John Eaton". The Times. No. 60987\. 23 July 1981. p. 16.
2. ^ a b c d e f Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives
3. ^ Monumental inscriptions Essex Record Office

Military offices

Preceded by

Sir John Stevens

|  Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station
1955–1956  | Succeeded by

Sir Wilfrid Woods
as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic

Preceded by

Sir Ian Campbell

|  Commander-in-Chief, Reserve Fleet
1954–1955  | Succeeded by

Sir Peter Cazalet

Preceded by

John Eccles

|  Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet
1951–1953  | Succeeded by

Roy Dowling

* v
* t
* e

Fleet Commanders of the Royal Australian Navy

Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Fleet|

* Sir George Patey
* Sir William Pakenham
* Arthur Leveson
* Sir Lionel Halsey
* John Dumaresq
* Albert Addison
* Thomas Wardle

Rear Admiral Commanding HM Australian Squadron|

* George Hyde
* Edward Evans
* Leonard Holbrook
* Robin Dalglish
* Wilbraham Ford
* Richard Lane-Poole
* Wilfred Custance
* Wilfrid Patterson
* John Crace
* Victor Crutchley
* John Collins
* Charles Nichols
* Harold Farncomb
* John Collins
* Harold Farncomb

Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet|

* John Eccles
* John Eaton
* Roy Dowling
* Henry Burrell
* David Harries
* Henry Burrell
* Galfry Gatacre
* Hastings Harrington
* Alan McNicoll
* Otto Becher
* Thomas Morrison
* Victor Smith
* Richard Peek
* Gordon Crabb
* David Stevenson
* William Dovers
* David Stevenson
* William Dovers
* Anthony Synnot
* David Wells
* Geoffrey Gladstone
* Neil McDonald
* James Willis
* David Leach
* Peter Doyle
* John Stevens
* Michael Hudson
* Geoffrey Woolrych
* Ian Knox
* Peter Sinclair

Maritime Commander Australia|

* Peter Sinclair
* Ian MacDougall
* Ken Doolan
* Robert Walls
* Donald Chalmers
* Chris Oxenbould
* Chris Ritchie
* John Lord
* Geoffrey Smith
* Raydon Gates
* Rowan Moffitt
* Davyd Thomas

Commander Australian Fleet|

* Davyd Thomas
* Nigel Coates
* Steve Gilmore
* Tim Barrett
* Stuart Mayer
* Jonathan Mead
* Mark Hammond
* Jonathan Earley

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