The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer currently to serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments. Originally titled Second Naval Lord in 1830, the post was restyled Second Sea Lord in 1904. They are based at Navy Command Headquarters.
Contents
History
In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were assigned to each of the 'Naval' Lords, who were described as 'Professional' Lords, leaving to the 'Civil' Lords the routine business of signing documents. The Second Naval Lord was the second most senior Naval Lord on the Board of Admiralty and as Chief of Naval Personnel was responsible for handling all personnel matters for the Royal Navy. In 1917 the title was changed to the Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel by an order in council dated 23 October.
The posts of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command (CINCNAVHOME) were amalgamated in 1994 in the reductions of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War. The original post of Commander-in-Chief, Naval Home Command had been created on 1 July 1969, as a result of the merger of the posts of Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth.
2SL is based in Portsmouth in a combined headquarters with the Fleet Commander on Whale Island. Until October 2012, he flew his flag from HMS Victory, the world's oldest commissioned warship, which is preserved in dry dock in Portsmouth. The right to use HMS Victory as a flagship came from his position as CINCNAVHOME, who in turn acquired it from the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth. Since October 2012, distinct Commander-in-Chief posts have been discontinued and full command responsibility is vested in the First Sea Lord, who now flies his flag from Victory; this change formed part of the Levene reforms which were implemented at that time.
In 2016 the post was retitled Second Sea Lord & Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff and defined as "responsible for the delivery of the Naval Service’s current and future personnel, equipment and infrastructure".
Second Naval Lords, 1830–1904
Second Naval Lords include:
Rear Admiral George Dundas, 1830–1834
Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, 1834
Vice-Admiral Sir John Beresford, 1835–1841
Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, 1835–1841
Rear Admiral Sir Edward Troubridge, 1841
Vice-Admiral Sir William Gage, 1841–1846
Vice-Admiral Sir James Dundas, 1846–1847
Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Prescott, 1847
Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley, 1847–1852
Vice-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, 1852
Vice-Admiral Sir Phipps Hornby, 1852–1853
Vice-Admiral Sir Maurice Berkeley, 1853–1854
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1854–1855
Vice-Admiral Henry Eden, 1855–1857
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1857
Vice-Admiral Henry Eden, 1857–1858
Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Dundas, 1858–1859
Rear Admiral Frederick Pelham, 1859–1861
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Eden, 1861–1866
Second Sea Lords, 1904–1917
Second Sea Lords include:
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Drury, 1903–1907
Admiral Sir William May, 1907–1909
Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Bridgeman, 1909–1911
Vice-Admiral Sir George Egerton, 1911
Vice-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg, 1911–1912
Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, 1912–1914
Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Hamilton, 1914–1916
Vice-Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe, 1916
Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, 1916–1917
Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel 1917–1995
Admiral Sir Rosslyn Wemyss, 1917
Vice-Admiral Sir Herbert Heath, 1917–1919
Admiral Sir Montague Browning, 1919–1920
Admiral Sir Henry Oliver, 1920–1924
Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 4th Baronet, 1924–1925
Vice-Admiral Sir Hubert Brand, 1925–1927
Admiral Sir Michael Hodges, 1927–1930
Admiral Sir Cyril Fuller, 1930–1932
Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, 1932–1935
Admiral Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith, 1935–1938
Admiral Sir Charles Little, 1938–1941
Admiral Sir William Whitworth, 1941–1944
Admiral Sir Algernon Willis, 1944–1946
Admiral Sir Arthur Power, 1946–1948
Admiral Sir Cecil Harcourt, 1948–1950
Admiral Sir Alexander Madden, 1950–1953
Admiral Sir Guy Russell, 1953–1955
Admiral Sir Charles Lambe, 1955–1957
Vice-Admiral Sir Deric Holland-Martin, 1957–1959
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief Naval Home Command, 1995–2012
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief include:
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, 2015–present
See: Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
Departments under the office
As of September 2020:
2017–2020
Director People and Training, previously the Naval Secretary
Director Development, previously the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Capability)
Office of the Assistant Chief (Policy)
Office of the Director of Personnel and Training & Office of the Naval Secretary
Director Navy Acquisition
Former
Included:
Admiralty Interview Board
Naval Careers Service
Naval Education Service
Office of the Medical Director-General (Naval)
Royal Navy Medical Service
Royal Naval Hospital
Office the Director Naval Nursing Service
Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service
Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Marines Reserve
Department of the Director Combined Operations Personnel
Department of the Director Naval Education
Britannia Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Royal Naval College (Portsmouth)
Royal Naval War College
Department of the Engineer Rear Admiral Assistant
Department of the Paymaster Director General
Department of the Director General Medical Services
Department of the Director General Supply & Secretariat Branch