Admiral Henry Loftus Tottenham, C.B., (7 August 1860 – 24 February 1950)
Life and Career
For services rendered during the operations in Egypt, Tottenham was specially promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with seniority of 18 November 1882.
Tottenham was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June 1895, aged thirty-four years, ten months, and twenty-three days.
Captain
Tottenham was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 January 1901.
In December 1903, he assumed command of the second class protected cruiser Furious.
He was appointed in command of the battleship Repulse in January 1905. In March, however, he was made Captain of Lancaster.
Tottenham served as captain of battleship Mars from March 1906 until July of the following year.
He was appointed Captain of the Dockyard and King's Harbour Master at Portsmouth on 1 July 1907.
He served as captain of Implacable from March 1909 to May of the following year.
Flag Rank
On 30 April 1910, Tottenham was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral.
He was appointed Rear-Admiral in the Devonport Division of the Home Fleet on 5 January 1912, hoisting his flag in King Alfred. He struck his flag on 4 January 1913.
Tottenham was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 1 January 1914. He was considered for the position of Admiral of the Training Service in January, but the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, told the First Sea Lord, Second Sea Lord, and Naval Secretary:
Upon reflection, I feel many doubts about Admiral Tottenham's personal qualifications for the command of the training service. Sympathy, broad-mindedness, and knowledge of social conditions, and other special qualities, are required for this important post, on which the happiness and well-being of thousands of boys and youths and the general system of naval training for the lower deck so largely depend. Would not Admiral Hood be a more suitable man? Admiral Tottenham, though a competent sea officer, has always seemed to me to be soured in tempter, rough in manners, and with a very limited outlook. Admiral Limpus also might be better suited to the training service, in which case Admiral Tottenham could be considered available for Turkey.
In July it was announced that Tottenham would succeed Rear-Admiral Sackville H. Carden as Admiral-Superintendent of Malta Dockyard.
The Great War
On 1 August, 1914 Tottenham hoisted his flag in Albion as Rear-Admiral in the Seventh Battle Squadron. On 5 September he was given command of Cruiser Force E with his flag in the Sutlej. He transferred to Juno on 17 February 1915, and to Isis on 10 March. He struck his flag on 5 April.
He was appointed to Minotaur as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Seventh Cruiser Squadron in the Grand Fleet on 6 April. His Flag Captain in Minotaur, Captain Edward B. Kiddle, later remembered Tottenham as "a sour pessimist who disliked us all and his appointment. Luckily a few months saw him promoted and he left unregretted and Rear Admiral Heath hoisted his flag." On 16 June, Jellicoe had written to the First Sea Lord, Sir Henry B. Jackson, suggesting that, "Tottenham might also be moved [from his command] when promoted." He was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 24 October 1915, and struck his flag on 25 October.
Tottenham was placed on the Retired List on 26 October 1918, in accordance with the provisions of the Order in Council of 9 March 1914. He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 1 January 1919.