{{Short description|Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet (1913–1970)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Admiral of the Fleet | name = Sir Michael Le Fanu | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|DSC}} | image = Mlefanu.jpg | caption = Then Rear Admiral Michael Le Fanu | birth_date = {{birth date|1913|08|02|df=y}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1970|11|28|1913|08|02|df=y}} | birth_place = Lindfield, England | death_place = London, England | nickname = "Dry Ginger" | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = Royal Navy | service_years = 1926–1970 | rank = Admiral of the Fleet | unit = | commands = First Sea Lord<br/>Middle East<br/>{{HMS|Eagle|R05|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Ganges|shore establishment|6}}<br/>{{HMS|Relentless|H85|6}} | battles = Second World War * Norwegian campaign * Battle of the Mediterranean Aden Emergency | awards = Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath<br/>Distinguished Service Cross<br/>Mentioned in Despatches<br/>Legion of Merit (United States) | other_work = }} Admiral of the Fleet '''Sir Michael Le Fanu''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|DSC}} (2 August 1913 – 28 November 1970) was a Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Second World War as gunnery officer in a cruiser operating in the Home Fleet during the Norwegian campaign and the Battle of the Mediterranean and then as gunnery officer in a battleship operating in the Eastern Fleet before becoming liaison officer between the British Pacific Fleet and the United States Third Fleet. After the War he commanded a frigate, a training establishment and an aircraft carrier. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in the late 1960s. In that role, in the face of economic difficulties, he worked hard to reshape the Navy as an anti-submarine force operating primarily in the Atlantic Ocean.
==Early life== Born the son of Captain Hugh Barrington Le Fanu RN (of Huguenot descent) and Georgiana Harriott Le Fanu (née Kingscote),<ref name=odnb>{{cite ODNB|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/34475?docPos=3|title=Michael Le Fanu|year=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/34475 |access-date=9 September 2012}}</ref> Le Fanu was educated at Bedford School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.<ref name=heath153>Heathcote, p. 153</ref>
==Naval career== Le Fanu joined the Royal Navy as a cadet in 1926 and was posted to the cruiser {{HMS|Dorsetshire|40|6}} in the Atlantic Fleet before being promoted to midshipman on 1 September 1931 and being posted to the cruiser HMS ''York''.<ref name=heath153/> Promoted to sub-lieutenant on 1 May 1934,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34143|date=19 March 1935|page=1904}}</ref> he joined the destroyer HMS ''Whitshed'' in the Mediterranean Fleet in March 1935 and was promoted to lieutenant on 1 June 1935.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34211|date=25 October 1935|page=6698}}</ref> He was posted to the destroyer HMS ''Bulldog'' in the Home Fleet in September 1936 before training as a gunnery specialist during 1938 and then being posted to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet.<ref name=heath154>Heathcote, p. 154</ref>
thumb|left|The battleship {{HMS|Howe|32|6}} in which Le Fanu served as gunnery officer during the Second World War Le Fanu served in the Second World War being posted to the cruiser {{HMS|Aurora|12|6}} operating in the Home Fleet as gunnery officer in December 1939.<ref name=heath154/> While aboard ''Aurora'', he was mentioned in despatches for his services during the Norwegian campaign in Spring 1940<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=34953|date=26 September 1940|page=5710|supp=y}}</ref> and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in November 1941 when an Italian convoy was destroyed during the Battle of the Mediterranean.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35466|date=24 February 1942|page=901|supp=y}}</ref>
thumb|left|The aircraft carrier {{HMS|Eagle|R05|6}} which Le Fanu commanded in the late 1950s Promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 June 1942,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=35817|date=8 December 1942|page=5353}}</ref> Le Fanu joined the gunnery staff of the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet that month and then transferred to the battleship {{HMS|Howe|32|6}} operating as part of the Eastern Fleet as gunnery officer in March 1944.<ref name=heath154/> Promoted to commander on 31 December 1944,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=36880|date=5 January 1945|page=230}}</ref> he was posted as liaison officer between the British Pacific Fleet and the United States Third Fleet in January 1945 and was awarded the United States Legion of Merit for his actions.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=37805|date=3 December 1946|page=5912|supp=y}}</ref> He was also invited to attend the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender in the USS ''Missouri'' on 2 September 1945.<ref name=heath154/>
After the War Le Fanu served on the experimental staff at the shore establishment HMS ''Excellent'' and in 1948 he became executive officer in the cruiser HMS ''Superb''.<ref name=heath154/> He was promoted to captain on 30 June 1949<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=38658|date=5 July 1949|page=3300}}</ref> and became Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord at the Admiralty.<ref name=heath154/> He was given command of the frigate {{HMS|Relentless|H85|6}} as Captain (F) of the Third Training Squadron in October 1951, and returned to the Admiralty to join the staff of the Chief Scientist in 1952.<ref name=heath154/> He attended the Imperial Defence College in 1953 and became commanding officer of the training establishment HMS ''Ganges'' at Harwich in December 1954.<ref name=heath154/> He was given command of the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Eagle|R05|6}} in February 1957 and was promoted to rear admiral on 7 July 1958<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=41516|date=7 October 1958|page=6110}}</ref> on appointment as Director-General, Weapons at the Admiralty.<ref name=heath154/> He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1960 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42051|date=11 June 1960|page=3974|supp=y}}</ref> He became Flag Officer Second in Command Far East Fleet in July 1960 and was promoted to vice admiral on 25 October 1961<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=42516|date=17 November 1961|page=8344}}</ref> on appointment as Controller of the Navy.<ref name=heath155>Heathcote, p. 155</ref> Advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 1963 Birthday Honours<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43010|date=31 May 1963|page=4794|supp=y}}</ref> and promoted to full admiral on 29 September 1965,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=43819|date=19 November 1965|page=10842}}</ref> he became Commander-in-Chief, Middle East in December 1965.<ref name=heath155/> In that role he served as Joint Commander of the three services in the Middle East during the evacuation of British Nationals during the Aden Emergency.<ref name=heath155/>
Advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in the 1968 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=44484|date=29 December 1967|page=2|supp=y}}</ref> Le Fanu became First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1968.<ref name=heath155/> In the face of economic difficulties he worked hard to reshape the Navy as an anti-submarine force operating primarily in the Atlantic Ocean.<ref name=heath155/> He was nominated for the post of Chief of the Defence Staff but never held the office because he was suddenly discovered to be terminally ill with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL).<ref name=heath155/> He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 3 July 1970,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45138|date=26 June 1970|page=7183|supp=y}}</ref> on his retirement, and died in London on 28 November 1970.<ref name=heath155/>
==Family== In 1943 Le Fanu married Prudence Grace Morgan, daughter of Admiral Sir Llewellyn Vaughan Morgan; they had two sons and a daughter.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_michael_lefanu.htm|title=Michael Le Fanu|publisher=Royal Naval Museum|access-date=9 September 2012}}</ref>
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite book |last=Heathcote |first=Tony |title=The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995 |publisher=Pen & Sword Ltd |year=2002 |isbn=0-85052-835-6}}
==Further reading== * {{cite book|last=Baker|first=Richard|title=Dry Ginger – The biography of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le Fanu|publisher=W.H. Allan|date=1977|isbn=0-491-01788-X}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box | title=Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy | before=Sir Peter Reid | after=Sir Horace Law | years=1961–1965}} {{succession box|title=First Sea Lord|before=Sir Varyl Begg|after=Sir Peter Hill-Norton|years=1968–1970}} {{s-end}}
{{First Sea Lord}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Fanu, Michael}} Category:1913 births Category:1970 deaths Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College Category:First Sea Lords and Chiefs of the Naval Staff Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Category:Lords of the Admiralty Category:People educated at Bedford School Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom) Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:Officers of the Legion of Merit Category:Royal Navy admirals of the fleet Category:People from Lindfield, West Sussex Category:Royal Navy officers of World War II Category:British military personnel of the Aden Emergency Category:Military personnel from West Sussex Category:Deaths from chronic lymphocytic leukemia Category:Deaths from leukemia in England