Edward Kennedy (Royal Navy officer)
Captain Edward Coverley Kennedy | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | K |
Born | 31 August 1879 |
Died | 23 November 1939 (aged 60) First World War
Second World War
|
Relations | Ludovic Kennedy (son) |
Other work | Political Agent |
Edward Coverley Kennedy (31 August 1879 – 23 November 1939) was a Royal Navy officer who is remembered as the captain of the armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi who engaged the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.[1]
Early life and background
Edward Coverley Kennedy was born 31 August 1879, only son (there were two daughters) of Edward Briggs Kennedy (1842-1914), of Deanyers, Hall Lane,
Early career
Edward Coverley Kennedy entered the Royal Navy as a naval cadet in 1892.[11]
Beginning his career in
In 1912, Kennedy was promoted to commander and early in 1913 became the executive officer in HMS Antrim. Antrim was the flagship of Rear Admiral William Pakenham, commander of the Third Cruiser Squadron.[11]
First World War and later career
During the
From the Angora he was placed in command of the Sixth Light cruiser Squadron's Cassandra. In this period he was present to witness the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet. He commanded the Cassandra as part of the Allied Intervention in Russia. It was during this operation that she was sunk on 5 December 1918 by a sea mine in the Baltic with the loss of 11 of her crew.[11][12] The wreck of HMS Cassandra was discovered in 2010 by the Estonian Navy.[12]
In the period 1919–1920 he returned to the America and West Indies Station to command the light cruiser Constance.[11] On 7 July 1919 riots broke out in Kingston, Jamaica. Constance landed armed personnel and restored order following a confrontation on 18 July.[13] During the hand-to-hand fighting five or six sailors from the ship were injured.[14]
Kennedy and Constance also took part in quelling disturbances in Belize.[11] Tuesday 22 July 1919 saw veterans from the British Honduras Contingant, recently returned from service in the Middle East, march through the Belize Town. They smashed the plate glass of the ten largest merchant stores before cutting the power to the town. This triggered a night of looting and violence. British officials telegraphed Constance for assistance.[15] On Friday 25 July, Claude Smith had called a public meeting to discuss labour demands. The meeting was broken up when local police and Royal Marines from Constance arrived to arrest him.[15]
Kennedy also saw service on land, commanding a battalion of naval reservists at Newport during a 1921 strike.[11] Kennedy was placed on the retired list in 1921. This was done as part of economies recommended by the Geddes Committee. The committee was chaired by Sir Eric Geddes and the cuts dubbed the Geddes Axe.[11][16] In retirement Kennedy worked for the Conservative Party. He was a political agent in Hemel Hempstead and in 1929 for the Wycombe Division in Buckinghamshire.[11]
Second World War and HMS Rawalpindi
With the outbreak of the
The Rawalpindi served as part of the Northern Patrol enforcing the blockade of Germany. On 23 November 1939 at 15.30 the ship was sailing to the south-east of Iceland when an enemy ship was sighted. Kennedy is described as examining the scene through his binoculars and saying, "It's the Deutschland all right". Initial reports attributed the sinking of the Rawalpindi to the German ship Deutschland.[17] However, these reports were later corrected to state that it was actually the battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.[1] Despite being hopelessly outgunned, Captain Kennedy decided to fight, rather than surrender as demanded by the Germans. He was heard to say "We’ll fight them both, they’ll sink us, and that will be that. Good-bye".
Smoke floats were deployed with a view to the Rawalpindi making good an escape. However, a second German ship came into view to the starboard side. They called on the Rawalpindi to stop; when this was rejected they fired a shot across her bow. When the British ship continued the Germans engaged with their large guns and the Rawalpindi fired her six-inch guns in reply. The third salvo knocked out the Rawalpindi's electric system (which stopped the ammunition winches) and was followed by a salvo destroying the bridge and wireless room. After 30 to 40 minutes of bombardment, all guns were out of action and the Rawalpindi was well ablaze. She remained afloat until 20.00 when the ship capsized and sank with the loss of 263 men. Around 30 survivors were reported as being taken prisoner but 11 men were rescued by the armed merchant cruiser HMS Chitral.[17][18]
For his gallantry Captain Kennedy was posthumously mentioned in despatches.[19]
Personal life
In 1918, Kennedy married Rosalind Margaret Innes Grant (1893-1977), daughter of Sir Ludovic Grant, 11th Baronet.[20] They had two daughters and a son, Ludovic Kennedy who became a celebrated journalist.[11][18] He was a keen hunter, known to be a crack shot and a fine fisherman. His friend R. B. noted in his obituary that 'with a dog at his heels, or with a rod in his hand he was in his element'.[11]
References
- ^ a b Stephen Roskill : The War at Sea 1939–1945 Vol I (1954), p.82. ISBN (none)
- ^ The Bengal Civil Service Gradation List, 1845-46, E. Edmond, Thacker & Co., 1845, p. 22
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 106th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1999, p. 41
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2071
- ^ Harrow School Register 1845-1925, second series, ed. J. H. Stogdon, Harrow School, 1925, p. 105
- ^ The Secret War- A True History of Queensland's Native Police, Jonathan Richards, University of Queensland Press, 2008, p. 242
- ^ https://www.altonrifleclub.co.uk/history/
- ^ "Capt E C Kennedy Rn". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 106th edition, vol. 1, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1999, p. 41
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 2071
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Captain E. C. Kennedy". The Times. No. 48477. 1 December 1939. p. 11.
- ^ a b Wainwright, Martin (23 August 2010). "British warships sunk 90 years ago found off Estonian coast". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- )
- OCLC 495438074.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8032-3242-6.
- ^ "Geddes Axe – Oxford Reference". Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Rawalpindi Sunk By Deutschland". The Times. No. 48474. 28 November 1939. p. 6.
- ^ a b Steel, David (19 October 2009). "Sir Ludovic Kennedy obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
- ^ "Mention in Despatches (Posthumous)". Edinburgh Gazette. No. 15725. 16 July 1940. p. 447.
- ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 2003, p. 1632
External links