Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet

Infobox Military Person
name =Sir Alexander Milne
lived=10 November 1806 – 29 December 1896


caption =Sir Alexander Milne
placeofbirth =
placeofdeath =
allegiance= flagicon|United Kingdom United Kingdom
branch=
serviceyears=1817 - 1876
battles=Crimean War
rank= Admiral of the Fleet
commands=
awards=GCB
relations=|
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne, 1st Baronet, GCB (10 November 1806 – 29 December 1896) was a Royal Navy admiral, the second son of the Scot Admiral Sir David Milne.

Naval career

He entered the Royal Naval College, 8 February 1817. In 1819 he was serving in his father's flagship HMS "Leander", on the North American station. Over the next few years he served in "Conway", "Ramillies", "Ganges" and "Albion". In June 1827 he was an acting Lieutenant in "Cadmus" on the Brazilian station, and was promoted to substantive Lieutenant on 8 September of that year. Promoted to Commander, 25 November 1830. Commander in "Snake", in the West Indies, 1836. Captain, 30 January 1839, commanding "Crocodile" in North America and the West Indies until November 1841, with a brief spell from November 1840 to March 1841 as Captain of "Cleopatra". He was Flag-captain in "Caledonia" to his father, the Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth from 27 April 1842 to April 1845 and Flag-captain to Sir Charles Ogle at Portsmouth from 7 October 1846 to December 1847.

A Commissioner of the Admiralty, he served as Fourth Naval Lord from 1847 to 1852, as Fifth Naval Lord from 1852 to 1853 and again as Fourth Naval Lord from 1853 to 1857, when he was in charge of British and French transports during the Crimean War. He served as Third Naval Lord from 1857 to 1859.

He was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 20 January 1858 and awarded KCB (civil) on 20 December 1858. He served as Fourth Naval Lord again from April to June 1859.

He became Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies on 13 January 1860 and continued in that post until 7 January 1894. He was awarded the KCB (military) on 20 February 1864 and was promoted to Vice-Admiral on 13 April 1865. He served as First Naval Lord from July 1866 to December 1868.

He served as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean from 28 April 1869 to 25 October 1870 and was promoted to Admiral on 1 April 1870. He was awarded the GCB on 24 May 1871. He served as First Naval Lord again from November 1872 to September 1876. He was created a Baronet on 1 November 1876 and placed on the retired list on 10 November 1876. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet on 10 June 1881.

Though never involved in a battle directly, he was one of the foremost naval administrators of the Victorian era.

Milne's papers have been published by the Navy Records Society, edited by Professor John Beeler.

Honours

The baronetage of Inveresk, East Lothian, Scotland, was created for Alexander Milne, see Milne Baronets.

Milne Bay, the easternmost inlet of the island of New Guinea, was named after him in 1873.

References

* [http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowBiog.php?id=68 Service record]

Further reading

* Beeler, John (ed.), "The Milne Papers: The Papers of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Alexander Milne, Bt., K.C.B. (1806-1896), Volume I (1820-1859)" Navy Records Society, volume 147. Burlington, Vermont: Ashgate, 2004.
* Courtemanche, Regis A., "No Need of Glory: The British Navy in American Waters 1860-1864." Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1977.