Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area

Active| 1939-1942
Country|  United Kingdom
Branch|  Royal Navy
Type| Military command
Part of|

* East Indies Station (1939-1941)
* Mediterranean Fleet (1941-1942)

Garrison/HQ|

* HMS Stag, Ismailia, Egypt

Military unit

The Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area was an administrative appointment of the Royal Navy established during World war II who was responsible for the naval base HMS Stag at Ismailia, Egypt.[1] The SBNO was subordinate to the East Indies Station from 1939 to 1941[2] then the Mediterranean Fleet until 1942.[3]

Vice-Admiral Sir James M. Pipon KBE, CB, CMG, MMO, (ret.) was the only SBNO Suez Canal Area, serving from 14 December 1939 until August, 1942.[4][3][5]

## History

[edit]

The post of Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area was established on 14 December 1939, Vice Admiral Murray Pipon taking command on 7 January 1940. Pipon was shore based, at Ismailia in Egypt. He reported directly to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet.[3] In the Navy List for December 1940 Pipon is shown as borne on the books of Stag, 'additional, for various services.'[4] On 14 November 1941 the Senior Naval Officer-in-Charge, Suez who was based at Port Tawfik was placed under the command of the Flag Officer, Red Sea whilst the Senior British Naval Officer Suez Canal Area remained responsible for dealing with all British naval policy questions in regards to the Suez Canal Company.[6] In August 1942 further restructuring led to the creation of a new post, Flag Officer Commanding, Red Sea and Canal Area, who assumed Pipon's duties.

HMS Stag was the base for British naval personnel in Ismailia, Egypt during World War II.[4] First established at Port Said in December 1939. There were outposts at Adabya, Kabrit, and Generiffa. The station was closed in May 1949.

## Sub-commands

[edit]

### Naval Officer-in-Charge, Palestinian Ports

[edit]

| Rank | Flag | Name | Term | Notes/Ref

|
|
|
|
|

Naval Officer-in-Charge, Palestinian Ports
1 | Captain |  | G. O. Lydekker | 25 June 1940 – August, 1942 | in post till December 1943[3][5]

### Naval Officer-in-Charge, Port Said

[edit]

| Rank | Flag | Name | Term | Notes/Ref

|
|
|
|
|

Naval Officer-in-Charge, Port Said
1 | Captain |  | W.B. Hynes | 6 February 1940 – 20 March 1942 | retired[3]
2 | Captain |  | H.L.I. Kirkpatrick | 20 March 1942 – August, 1942 | ditto[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Warlow, Ben (20 March 2000). "6". Shore establishments of the Royal Navy : being a list of the static ships and establishments of the Royal Navy (2nd ed.). Cornwall, England: Maritime. ISBN 9780907771739.
2. ^ Brown, David (2013). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.II: November 1940-December 1941. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 27\. ISBN 9781136341274.
3. ^ a b c d e f Houterman, Jerome N..; Koppes, Jeroen (2004–2006). "Royal Navy, Mediterranean Fleet 1942-1945". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
4. ^ a b c Stationery Office, H.M. (December 1940). The Navy List. Edinburgh Scotland: National Library of Scotland. p. 1124.
5. ^ a b Stationery Office, H.M. (December 1940). "Flag Officers in Commission". The Navy List. Edinburgh Scotland: National Library of Scotland. p. 873.. See also http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/James_Murray_Pipon.
6. ^ Brown, David (2013). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.II: November 1940-December 1941. Cambridge, England: Routledge. p. 27\. ISBN 9781136341274.

## Sources

[edit]

* Brown, David (2013). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: Vol.II: November 1940-December 1941. Cambridge, England: Routledge. ISBN 9781136341274.
* Houterman, Jerome N..; Koppes, Jeroen (2004–2006). "Royal Navy, Mediterranean Fleet 1939-1945". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Koppes.
* Stationery Office, H.M. (December 1940). The Navy List. Edinburgh Scotland: National Library of Scotland.
* Warlow, Ben (2000). "6". Shore establishments of the Royal Navy : being a list of the static ships and establishments of the Royal Navy (2nd ed.). Cornwall, England: Maritime. ISBN 9780907771739.

* v
* t
* e

Historic fleets and naval commands of the Royal Navy

North and Irish Seas and English Channel|

* First Fleet
* Second Fleet
* Third Fleet
* Atlantic Fleet
* Battle Cruiser Fleet
* Channel Fleet
* Channel Squadron
* Coast of Ireland
* Coast of Scotland
* Devonport
* Dover
* Commander-in-Chief Fleet
* Grand Fleet
* British Naval Forces Germany
* Humber
* Home Fleet
* Irish Squadron
* Leith
* Nore
* North Sea Squadron
* Orkneys and Shetlands
* Plymouth
* Portsmouth
* Rosyth
* Reserve Fleet
* Western Approaches
* Western

* Naval Home Command

* Eastern
* English Channel
* Downs
* Channel Squadron (Navy Royal)
* Narrow Seas
* North
* North and West
* Western Squadron
* North Sea Fleet
* South
* West and Irish Sea
* West
* Yarmouth

Atlantic Ocean|

* Atlantic Fleet
* Barbadoes and Leeward Islands
* Good Hope
* Jamaica Division (1838-1905)
* Jamaica Station (to 1830)
* Leeward Islands
* Lisbon
* Newfoundland
* North America
* North America and West Indies
* North Atlantic
* Portugal
* South America Station
* South Atlantic and South America
* South Atlantic
* South East Coast of America
* West Africa Squadron
* Flag Officer, West Africa
* Senior Naval Officer, West Indies

Baltic, Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean Seas|

* Adriatic
* Aegean
* Baltic Fleet
* Black Sea and Caspian
* Caspian
* Coast of Spain
* Eastern Mediterranean
* Egypt and Red Sea
* British Naval Forces Germany
* Gibraltar
* Levant
* Levant and East Mediterranean
* Malta
* Mediterranean Fleet
* Portugal

Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean|

* Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf
* Commander-in-Chief, Australia
* Commander-in-Chief, China
* East Indies
* East Indies and China
* East Indies Fleet
* Eastern Fleet
* Far East Fleet
* Egypt and Red Sea
* Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area
* Middle East
* New Zealand
* New Zealand Naval Forces
* Pacific Fleet
* Pacific Station
* Red Sea and Canal Area/Red Sea
* South America Station
* Persian Gulf

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template