Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships

Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1970 to 1979. However, its antecedents date to 1931.

Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Admiralty, Ministry of Defence
Reports to	Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Nominator	Secretary of State for Defence
Appointer	Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–4 years)
Inaugural holder	Rear-Admiral Reginald G. H. Henderson
Formation	1970-1979

A Flag Officer with specific responsibilities for command of aircraft carriers within the Royal Navy was first established in September 1931 with the appointment of Rear-Admiral Reginald Henderson as Rear-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers.^[1] He was succeeded by Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Alexander R. M. Ramsay later Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers. The post was held by successive flag officers under the titles listed below. In June 1968 the post Rear-Admiral, Carriers was renamed to Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS). The post was renamed Flag Officer, Third Flotilla in December 1979.^[2]

The office holder reported to different senior flag officers during its existence including the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet,^[3] the Commander-in-Chief, Western Fleet and finally the Commander-in-Chief Fleet.

Rear-Admirals/Vice-Admirals Aircraft Carriers

Post holders included:^[4]

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
Rear-Admiral/Vice-Admiral (A), Aircraft Carriers
1	Rear-Admiral		Reginald G. H. Henderson	September 1931-September.1933
2	Rear-Admiral		the Hon. Sir Alexander R. M. Ramsay	September 1933-March 1936	(VAdm by 06/1936)
3	Vice-Admiral		Noel F. Laurence	March 1936-July 1937
4	Vice-Admiral		Guy C. C. Royle	July 1937-July 1939
5	Vice-Admiral		Lionel V. Wells	July 1939-July 1940
6	Rear-Admiral		Lumley Lyster	July 1940 - August 1940	Post renamed Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers in September 1940.[5]

Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers
1	Rear-Admiral		Lumley Lyster	September 1940 to 4 February 1941	office renamed FO/MAC 09.1040[5]
2	Rear-Admiral		Denis Boyd	February 1941 to January 1942
Post is re-established within the Home Fleet July 1942 till December 1943.

Admirals Commanding, Home Fleet Aircraft Carriers

Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Title / Remarks
Vice-Admiral		Lumley Lyster	July 1942 - 21 May 1943	Rear-Admiral, then Vice-Admiral, Home Fleet Aircraft Carriers, aboard HMS Indomitable[6]
Rear-Admiral		Reginald Henderson	21 May 1943 – 1 December 1943	Rear-Admiral, Home Fleet Aircraft Carriers

On hauling down his flag as Vice-Admiral, Home Fleet Aircraft Carriers, about 27 April 1943, Admiral Lyster was appointed Flag Officer Carrier Training and Administration at HMS Monck (HQ Combined Training, Largs), which was transferred from 1 June 1944 to HMS Faraway, a training establishment & HQ of Flag Officer Carrier Training, at Greenock. He served in that post until 17.03.1945.^[6]

Rear-Admiral Charles Woodhouse was listed as Rear-Admiral Aircraft Carriers, aboard HMS Implacable, March–April 1946.

Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers

Duties may have included (a) being responsible for the Fleet Air Arm afloat (b) ensuring the operational effectiveness of Carrier Task Groups.^[3] Probably referring to pre-1967 when Home Fleet still existed.

Admirals flying this flag included:^[7]

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers
1	Rear-Admiral		Walter T. Couchman	December 1953-December 1954	(as first Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers)[8]
2	Rear-Admiral		Arthur R. Pedder	December 1954-May 1956
3	Vice-Admiral		Manley L. Power	May 1956-October 1957
4	Rear-Admiral		Hector C. D. MacLean	October 1957-January 1958
5	Vice-Admiral		Sir Alexander N.C. Bingley	January 1958-January 1959
6	Vice-Admiral		Charles L.G. Evans	January 1959-March 1960
7	Rear-Admiral		Richard M. Smeeton	March 1960-January 1962
8	Vice-Admiral		Frank H.E. Hopkins	January 1962-January 1963
9	Rear-Admiral		Donald C.E.F. Gibson	January 1963-April 1964
10	Rear-Admiral		H. Richard B. Janvrin	April 1964-February 1966	Also Commander Carrier Striking Group Two, STRIKFLTLANT.[9]
11	Rear-Admiral		William D. O’Brien	February 1966-April 1967
12	Rear-Admiral		L. Derek Empson	April 1967-June 1970
13	Rear-Admiral		Michael F. Fell	June 1968 - July 1970

In July 1970 the post was renamed Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships.

Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships

Included:^[7]

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships
1	Rear-Admiral		Michael F. Fell	July 1970
2	Rear-Admiral		John D. Treacher	July 1970-May 1972
3	Vice-Admiral		Raymond D. Lygo	May 1972-January 1974
4	Rear-Admiral		Desmond Cassidi	January 1974-May 1975	Ordered to fly out to Cyprus 1974 to become Naval Deputy to Commander British Forces Near East, Air Marshal Aiken.[10]
5	Vice-Admiral		James H.F. Eberle	May 1975-March 1977
6	Vice-Admiral		William D.M. Staveley	March 1977-July 1978
7	Rear-Admiral		Peter G.M. Herbert	July 1978 – July 1979

Notes

1. Brown, David K. (2006). Nelson to Vanguard : warship development, 1923-1945 (Paperback ed.). London: Chatham. p. 201. ISBN 9781591146025.
2. Tailyour 1990, p. 113.
3. Beaver 1987, p. 38.
4. Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie, p.84. February 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
5. Polmar 2006, p. 540.
6. Royal Navy Officers 1939-1945: L
7. Mackie.pp.84.
8. "The Fighting Services". Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation News. 99: 636. 11 November 1960.
9. Appendix K to
10. Henn, F., 2004. A Business of Some Heat: The United Nations Force in Cyprus Before and During the 1974 Turkish Invasion. Casemate Publishers, 2004.

References

• Beaver, Paul (1987). Encyclopaedia of the Fleet Air Arm since 1945. Wellingborough, Northamptonshire: P. Stephens. ISBN 9780850597608.
• Brown, David K. (2006). Nelson to Vanguard : warship development, 1923-1945 (Paperback ed. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 9781591146025.
• Drucker, G. (2005). "Fleet Air Arm Service Records: Flag Officer Index". Fleet Air Arm Archive.
• Mackie, Colin. (2018) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Scotland, UK.
• Polmar, Norman (2006). Aircraft Carriers: A History of Carrier Aviation and Its Influence on World Events, Volume I: 1909-1945. Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: Potomac Books, Inc. ISBN 9781574886634.
• Tailyour, Ewen Southby (1990). Reasons in Writing A Commando's View of the Falklands War. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781844150144.
• The Fighting Services". (1960). Aeroplane and Commercial Aviation News. Volume 99.