Percy W. Nelles
Percy Walker Nelles | |
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Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 1940. | |
Born | Brantford, Ontario, Canada | 7 January 1892
Died | 13 June 1951 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | (aged 59)
Allegiance | Canada |
Service/ | Royal Canadian Navy |
Rank | Admiral |
Commands held | Chief of the Naval Staff |
Battles/wars |
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Awards |
Admiral Percy Walker Nelles, CB (7 January 1892 – 13 July 1951) was a flag officer in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and the Chief of the Naval Staff from 1 January 1934 to 15 January 1944. He oversaw the massive wartime expansion of the RCN and the transformation of Canada into a major player in the Battle of the Atlantic. During his tenure U-boats raided the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canadian Northwest Atlantic command was created, and the RCN provided up to 40% of all escort forces in the North Atlantic. His handling of the RCN's war effort had its opponents however, and he was removed from his post as Chief of the Naval Staff in January 1944. He was sent to London as Overseas Naval Attaché, coordinating RCN operations for Operation Overlord. He retired in January 1945 as a full admiral.
Early life
Nelles was born in
In 1910, Nelles transferred to the nascent RCN and became a midshipman aboard Canada's new cruiser HMCS Niobe.[1][2] Over the next ten years he would rise from the rank of sub-lieutenant to the rank of captain as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff.[2] Due to the small size of the RCN, Canadian officers were sent to train on larger ships of the British Royal Navy to gain experience. In December 1911, Nelles joined the battleship HMS Dreadnought. In early 1914, Nelles transferred to the cruiser HMS Suffolk, which was assigned to the North America and West Indies Station based at Bermuda. In early 1914 Suffolk was sent to protect British interests in Mexico during the civil war. With the breakout of the First World War, Suffolk was ordered to protect transatlantic shipping routes, then later patrolled between Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nelles remained aboard the British cruiser until April 1917, when he was recalled to Ottawa, Ontario.[3] There, he served as flag lieutenant to the first head of the RCN, Admiral Sir Charles Kingsmill. In 1920, Nelles entered the Royal Naval College, was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1922 and served in several Royal Navy establishments over the next two years before returning to Canada in 1925.[2]
In August 1925 Nelles returned to Canada and was promoted to
Nelles returned to Canada in 1931, reverting to the rank of commander.
World War II
In 1940,
In November 1940, the Hatley Park and grounds was purchased by the Royal Canadian Navy for $75,000 to house a Naval Training Establishment, later Royal Roads Military College, now Royal Roads University. Nelles was promoted to vice admiral.[2] In 1942, at the official opening of the Royal Roads Military College, Vice-Admiral Percey Nelles, Chief of the Naval Staff said:
"While you are here, work hard and play hard, and make yourself tougher than any enemy you will ever meet."[6]
In the 1943 New Year Honours, King George VI appointed Nelles as a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[2] Nelles was the highest-ranking officer in the Royal Canadian Navy until January 1944, at which point he was relieved of his duties by the Minister of National Defence for the Naval Service, Angus Lewis Macdonald, following numerous conflicts regarding the management and training of Canadian naval officers.[7] Rather than being publicly dismissed from duty, Nelles was transferred to Great Britain and given the post of Senior Canadian Flag Officer Overseas (SCFO(O)), a largely administrative position with little involvement in naval operations.[7] Upon his retirement from the RCN, Nelles was promoted to admiral.[2]
Private life
Nelles retired to Victoria, British Columbia. In 1946, Nelles was awarded the Legion of Merit with the rank of commander by the United States. In May 1951, Nelles became ill and died on 13 June. He was survived by his wife and two sons. He was buried at sea by HMCS Sault Ste. Marie.[2]
Legacy
Royal Canadian Sea Cadets Corps 'ADMIRAL NELLES' was formed in 1940 to honour the Chief of the Naval Staff. This cadet unit, located in Brantford, and is currently under the command of Lieutenant(N) S, Downey, CD with approximately 55 cadets.[8] Additionally, the barracks at Naden, CFB Esquimalt, is named in his honour, called Nelles Block.[9] Cadets at Royal Roads Military College were awarded the Nelles Trophy for athletics (running).[6]
Awards and decorations
Nelles's personal awards and decorations include the following:[10]
Ribbon | Description | Notes |
Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) |
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1914-15 Star |
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British War Medal |
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Victory Medal (United Kingdom) |
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Defence Medal (United Kingdom) |
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Canadian Volunteer Service Medal |
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War Medal 1939–1945 |
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King George V Silver Jubilee Medal |
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King George VI Coronation Medal |
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Commander of the Legion of Merit |
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Legion of Honour |
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Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with palm | ||
Order of St. Olav |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Admiral Percy Walker Nelles". Beginnings. CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Admiral Percy Walker Nelles". The Crowsnest. Vol. 3, no. 10. King's Printer. August 1951. p. 8.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-55002-580-4.
- ^ Milner, Marc. "Nelles, Percy Walker". Biography: Diplomats & Ambassadors. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-7735-1506-2.
- ^ a b Holland, Sarah Elizabeth (March 2010). "Inspired by the Olympic Games: A Very Brief History of Sport at Hatley Park". InRoads Magazine. Royal Roads University. Archived from the original on 13 June 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ a b Mayne, Richard Oliver (1999). Behind the scenes at Naval Service headquarters: Bureaucratic politics and the dismissal of Vice-Admiral Percy W. Nelles (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University
- ^ "135 ADMIRAL NELLES RCSCC". 21 August 2009. Retrieved 20 February 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "NELLES, Percy Walker, Vice Admiral". Awards to the Royal Canadian Navy. Commander (rtd) John Blatherwick. 20 July 2001. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ CB "For services as Chief of the Naval Staff of Canada from 1934 to the present time, during which period, the Royal Canadian Navy has expanded from a few hundred officers and ratings to upwards of 45,000."
- ^ "For the exceptionally meritorious services to the Government of the United States from 1940 to 1944. As Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Canadian Navy, Admiral Nelles was untiring in his efforts to strengthen the ties of friendship and co-operation between Canada and the United States; to prepare the Royal Canadian Navy for immediate co-operation with the United States Navy in the event that the United States should abruptly enter the war; and, after December 7, 1941, to establish and plan the co-operation between the two Navies which resulted in final victory."
- ^ "For services as Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Canadian Navy, throughout World War Two."