Murray Sueter

Rear-Admiral
Rear-Admiral
Battles/wars	World War I
Relations	Sir Andrew Clarke (father-in-law)
Other work	Developed Empire air mail postal services; Member of Parliament; Author

CB (6 September 1872 – 3 February 1960) was a Royal Naval officer who was noted as a pioneer of naval aviation and later became a Member of Parliament

(MP).

Naval career

Sueter was born in

submarines during this time.^[1]

He married Andrew Clarke's daughter, Elinor Mary "Nell" de Winton, in 1903, a year before his promotion to commander (he was made a captain in 1909). Elinor Sueter died on 15 December 1948.^[3]

Murray Sueter's technical skills saw him brought into the

Admiralty and in 1909 he supervised the construction of airship Mayfly, a new avenue of naval development.^[1] As inspecting captain of airships he oversaw the failure of the experiment but was nonetheless given command of the Navy's Air Department in 1912. In this role he oversaw the creation of the Royal Naval Air Service.^[1]

Sueter continued his aerial innovations during the early stages of World War I including the launching of torpedoes from aircraft and in 1915 he was promoted commodore first class and appointed superintendent of aircraft construction. He sat on the government's "Advisory Committee for Aeronautics", located at the National Physical Laboratory, under the chairmanship of Richard Glazebrook and presidency of John Strutt, Lord Rayleigh.^[4]

He promoted the use of armoured cars for the defence of airfields in France. After the stalemate of the trenches developed the cars were sent to Russia and Egypt.^[5] His interest in the armoured car led to involvement in tank development.

In 1917, he clashed with the Admiralty and was posted to command the RNAS in Italy. While in Italy, Sueter sent a letter to

rear-admiral.^[1]

After his naval service he worked with airmail provision and published a number of books, notably Airmen or Noahs (1928) an autobiography and critique of current naval practices and The Evolution of the Tank (1937). He was knighted in 1934.^[1]

Politics

After his naval service Sueter entered politics as a member of the

Nuremberg Rally.^[8] He died in Watlington, Oxfordshire

.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry
^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36748. London. 22 April 1902. p. 12.
^ London Gazette Issue 38503 published on 4 January 1949
^ Lanchester, Frederick William (1916). Aircraft in Warfare. London: Constable and company Limited. p. 163.
^ under Oliver Locker-Lampson and the Duke of Westminster respectively
^ see List of UK minor party and independent MPs elected
^ Martin Pugh, "Hurrah For the Blackshirts!" Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the War, Pimlico, 2006, p. 270
^ Richard Griffiths, Fellow Travellers on the Right, Oxford University Press, 1983, p. 225

External links

Military offices
New title Department established from the aviation responsibilities of C-in-C the Nore	Director of the Admiralty Air Department 1912 – 1915	Succeeded by C L Vaughan-Lee As Director of the Air Service
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Noel Pemberton Billing	Member of Parliament for Hertford 1921–1945	Succeeded by Derek Walker-Smith

[oxforddnb.com-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Oxford Dictionary of National Biography entry

[2] "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36748. London. 22 April 1902. p. 12.

[3] London Gazette Issue 38503 published on 4 January 1949

[4] Lanchester, Frederick William (1916). Aircraft in Warfare. London: Constable and company Limited. p. 163.

[5] under Oliver Locker-Lampson and the Duke of Westminster respectively

[6] see List of UK minor party and independent MPs elected

[7] Martin Pugh, "Hurrah For the Blackshirts!" Fascists and Fascism in Britain Between the War, Pimlico, 2006, p. 270

[8] Richard Griffiths, Fellow Travellers on the Right, Oxford University Press, 1983, p. 225

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[8]

Naval career

Politics

See also

References

External links