Hugo White

Admiral Sir Hugo Moresby White, GCB, CBE, DL (22 October 1939 – 1 June 2014) was a senior officer of the Royal Navy and subsequently Governor of Gibraltar.

For the musician Hugo White, see The Maccabees (band).

Sir

Hugo White
Born(1939-10-22)22 October 1939
Torquay, Devon
Died1 June 2014(2014-06-01) (aged 74)
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Navy
Years of service1960–97
RankAdmiral
Commands heldCommander-in-Chief Fleet
Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland
HMS Bristol
4th Frigate Squadron
HMS Avenger
HMS Salisbury
HMS Oracle
Battles/warsCod Wars
Falklands War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Other workGovernor of Gibraltar (1995–97)
Viceregal styles of
Sir Hugo White
(1995–1997)
Reference styleHis Excellency
Spoken styleYour Excellency

Early life

White was born at Torquay, Devon, son of Hugh Fortescue Moresby White (1891-1979), CMG, of the Colonial Office, Senior Resident in Nigeria, and Elizabeth ("Betty") Sophia Pennington Brandt, daughter of Captain Frank Brandt, killed at the Battle of Coronel in command of HMS Monmouth. He was a descendant of Admiral of the Fleet Fairfax Moresby.[1][2][3]

White was educated at the Dragon School in Oxford, and at the Nautical College, Pangbourne, where he distinguished himself as Chief Cadet Captain, Captain of Fencing, and playing on the rugby First XV.[4][5]

Military career

Having attended the Britannia Royal Naval College, White was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1960.[6]

He was appointed Commanding Officer of the submarine, HMS Oracle, in 1970 and then went to teach at the Britannia Royal Naval College in 1971.[6] He went on to be Commander Submarine Sea Training in 1973 and Commanding Officer of the frigate, HMS Salisbury, in 1975 during the Cod Wars.[6] He was made Captain Naval Plans in 1978 and Commanding Officer of the frigate, HMS Avenger, as well as Captain of the 4th Frigate Squadron in 1981 and served in the Falklands War.[6] He went to work for the Chief of Defence Staff in 1982 and became Commanding Officer of the destroyer, HMS Bristol, in 1985.[6]

He was appointed Flag Officer Third Flotilla and Commander of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Striking Force in 1987.[6] He became Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff in 1988 and Flag Officer, Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as Commander Northern Atlantic in 1991.[6] He went on to be Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1992.[7]

Later life

White was appointed Governor of Gibraltar in 1995.[8] He was also life president of the Type 21 Club Association.[9]

He suffered a serious head injury in a fall in 2002, from which he made a gradual recovery but which impacted his later years.[4][10] He died on 1 June 2014.[11]

Personal life

In 1966 he married Josephine Mary Lorimer Pedler, having met her on a P&O liner return journey from Australia; they had two sons.[6]

References
  1. White, Sir Hugo Moresby. Oxford Dictionary of Biography. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.108669. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  2. "Admiral Sir Hugo White: Commander who fought off Exocet attacks during the Falklands War and was later Governor of Gibraltar". The Independent. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. "Moresby-White, Elizabeth Sophia Pennington (Oral history)". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  4. The Old Pangbournian Record: Old Pangbournian Obituaries and Death Notices 1917-2016, p. 256
  5. "Admiral Sir Hugo Moresby White". Type 21 Club. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  6. Debretts People of Today 1994
  7. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2012.
  8. Whitaker's Almanack 1996
  9. "Type 21 Club Association". Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
  10. The Old Dragon, Dragon School, Oxford, issue 4, 2015, Obituaries, p.22
  11. "Former Governor, Sir Hugo White, dies aged 74". GBC News. 3 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
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