Charles Blois Miller
Vice-Admiral (retired) Charles Blois Miller, C.B. (15 July, 1880 – 14 July, 1926) was an officer in the Royal Navy with a flair for draughtsmanship and a somewhat harsh disciplinary style of command.
Life & Career
Miller gained five months' time on passing out of Britannia.
Miller was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant dated 1 October, 1890.[1]
Miller was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1903.[2]
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1908.[3]
Miller was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Edgar on 21 February, 1911. 17,000 undeclared cigarettes were discovered aboard the ship, and Miller was told that he was expected to exercise greater oversight of such dutiable goods.
Miller was appointed captain of H.M.S. Jupiter in September, 1911.
On 9 January, 1912, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Liverpool.[4] On 10 June 1912, he was hospitalised with scarlet fever. He was found fit on 5 August. In November, he was criticised by the Admiralty for his failure to adequately explain the "abnormal number of punishments" he meted out upon the crew of Liverpool. This was followed in December, however, by a favourable report on the state of discipline within the ship. In April, 1913, confidential books in Liverpool went missing.[5][6]
Miller was appointed in command of the light cruiser Nottingham on 9 July, 1913, and commanded her at the Battle of Jutland, where Admiral Beatty found he "commanded & fought ... with great skill & gallantry," for which Miller was awarded a C.B., gazetted 15 September, 1916.[7] Miller and was still in command of Liverpool when she was lost on 19 August, 1916.[8]
Miller was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Glorious in late August of 1916, and commanded her through the end of the war.[9]
In a Court Martial in mid-1917, Miller punished Lieutenant Haworth-Booth for being absent without leave – a finding the Admiralty found excessively harsh given the circumstances, which appear to involve the officer's wife being seriously ill.[10]
Post-War
Miller married on 19 August, 1919. He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 February, 1920.[11]
Miller retired at his own request on 23 May, 1924 and was subsequently promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 July, 1925.[12]
Miller was killed in a motoring accident at Berrick crossroads near Wallingford, Berkshire when the car he was driving struck a motorcycle. The motorcyclist was seriously injured in the accident.[13]
See Also
Papers
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by George H. Borrett |
Captain of H.M.S. Pioneer 9 Jan, 1907[14] – 19 Jan, 1909[15] |
Succeeded by William F. Blunt |
| Preceded by Louis C. S. Woollcombe |
Captain of H.M.S. Æolus 20 Sep, 1910[16] – 22 Nov, 1910[17] |
Succeeded by William W. Wilson |
| Preceded by The Hon. Algernon D. E. H. Boyle |
Captain of H.M.S. Edgar 21 Feb, 1911[18][19] – 22 Jul, 1911[20] |
Succeeded by Henry P. Ritchie |
| Preceded by Francis W. Caulfeild |
Captain of H.M.S. Royal Arthur 15 Aug, 1911[21] – 1 Sep, 1911[22] |
Succeeded by Basil H. Fanshawe |
| Preceded by Cole C. Fowler |
Captain of H.M.S. Jupiter 1 Sep, 1911[23] – 9 Jan, 1912[24] |
Succeeded by John Nicholas |
| Preceded by Charles H. Morgan |
Captain of H.M.S. Liverpool 9 Jan, 1912[25][26] – 9 Jul, 1913[27] |
Succeeded by Edward Reeves |
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. Nottingham 9 Jul, 1913[28] – 19 Aug, 1916[29] |
Succeeded by Vessel Lost |
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. Glorious 27 Aug, 1916[30] – 1919[31] |
Succeeded by Gerald W. Vivian |
Footnotes
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26093. p. 5268. 3 October, 1890.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 340.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Naval Operations. Vol. IV. pp. 35, 38.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 801.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/89/51. f. 51.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 307.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 340.
- ↑ Miller Service REcord. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ Miller Service REcord. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/382. f. 456.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 362.
- ↑ Naval Operations. Vol. IV. pp. 35, 38.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 801.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
