Admiral Sir Oliver Backhouse, C.B., (5 June, 1875 – 25 March, 1943)
Backhouse was appointed to Excellent on 12 January 1905 as Lieutenant (G) on the Senior Staff.
On 30 June, 1908, Backhouse was promoted to the rank of Commander.
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June 1914.
The Great War
Backhouse was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Victorian on 4 August. He was appointed to President additional on 17 August, and on the 21st he was appointed to Victory as a Commodore, Second Class in command of a Naval Brigade.
On 14 October 1915 he relieved Frederic Charles Dreyer in command of Orion. On 7 November he was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) for his service with the Royal Naval Division at Gallipoli. He was in command of Orion at the Battle of Jutland and wrote her report on the battle, in which he recorded firing 51 rounds throughout by director, suffering no damage.
On 14 December 1916, he took command of HMAS Australia, remaining in command until 1 September 1918. On 28 September 1918 he took command of the battleship Resolution.
Post-War
He was appointed in command of the battleship Ramillies on 6 April 1919 and then appointed the Naval Member of the Ordnance Committee on 15 September 1920 until superseded in February 1922.
He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 17 February 1925.
Backhouse was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 9 October 1929. He was placed on the Retired List on 10 October.
Tthe photo shows him in HMAS Australia, 1916-1918.