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.
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.History in Portsmouth
2SL is based in Portsmouth in a combined headquarters with the Fleet Commander on Whale Island.Royal Navy Command and Organisation Until October 2012, he flew his flag from , the world's oldest commissioned warship, which is preserved in dry dock in Portsmouth.Oscar Makes 99th Commanding Officer for HMS Victory 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:Senior Royal Navy Appointments 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 Vice-Admiral Sir Sydney Dacres, 1866–1868 Vacant, 1868–1872 Vice-Admiral Sir John Tarleton, 1872–1874 Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby, 1874–1877 Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Hood 1877–1879 Admiral Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, 1879–1880 Admiral Lord John Hay, 1880–1883 Admiral Beauchamp Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester, 1883–1885 Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins, 1885–1888 Vice-Admiral Sir Vesey Hamilton, 1888–1889 Admiral Sir Henry Fairfax, 1889–1892 Admiral Sir Frederick Richards, 1892–1893 Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, 1893–1895 Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, 1895–1899 Admiral Lord Walter Kerr, 1899 Vice-Admiral Archibald Douglas, 1899–1902 Admiral Sir John Fisher, 1902–1903
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 Admiral Sir Sir St John Tyrwhitt, 2nd Baronet, 1959–1961 Admiral Sir Royston Wright, 1961–1965 Admiral Sir Desmond Dreyer, 1965–1967 Admiral Sir Peter Hill-Norton, 1967 Admiral Sir Frank Twiss, 1967–1970 Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Lewis, 1970–1971 Admiral Sir Derek Empson, 1971–1974 Admiral Sir David Williams, 1974–1977 Admiral Sir Gordon Tait, 1977–1979 Admiral Sir Desmond Cassidi, 1979–1982 Admiral Sir Simon Cassels, 1982–1986 Admiral Sir Richard Fitch, 1986–1988 Admiral Sir Brian Brown, 1988–1991 Admiral Sir Michael Livesay, 1991–1992 Admiral Sir Michael Layard, 1992–1995
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief Naval Home Command, 1995–2012
Second Sea Lords and Commanders-in-Chief include: Rank Name Image In office Admiral Sir Michael Boyce 1995–1997 Admiral Sir John Brigstocke 1997–2000 Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Spencer 2000–2003 Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent 2003–2005 Vice-Admiral Sir Adrian Johns 2005–2008 Vice-Admiral Sir Alan Massey 2008–2010 Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery 2010–2012
Second Sea Lords and Chiefs of Naval Personnel and Training, 2012–2015
Rank Name Image In office Vice Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery 2012 (and see above) Vice Admiral Sir David Steel 2012–2015
Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, 2015–present See: Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff
Rank Name Image In office Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan Woodcock 2SL: 2015–2018, Deputy CNS: 2016–2018 Vice Admiral Tony Radakin 2018–2019 Vice Admiral Nick Hine 2019–2022 Vice Admiral Sir Martin Connell 2022–2025 Vice Admiral Paul Beattie 2025–present
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 Department of the Director of Air Personnel Department of the Paymaster Director-General Department of the Director Physical Training & Sport Department of the Director of Personnel Services Department of the Director Welfare Conditions Department of the Director of Manning Department of the Director Recruiting Department of the Director Service Conditions Department of the Director of Training Directorate General Training, (1960–1969) Directorate-General Naval Manpower and Training (1972–1994) Department of the Engineer-in-chief, as regards personnel Medical Director-General of the Navy Dental Examining Board Medical Consultative Board Medical Examining Board Naval Intelligence Department, as regards mobilisation of the fleet Naval Mobilisation Department, as regards personnel Office of the Admiral Commanding, Coastguard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding Reserves, as regards personnel Office of the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Reserves, as regards personnel Office of the Adviser on Education Office of the Chief of Staff, Reserves Office of the Controller of the Coastguard Office of the Deputy Adjutant General Royal Marines Office of the Adjutant General Royal Marines Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet, as regards naval schools Office of the Engineer Rear Admiral for Personnel Duties Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Statistics Department
See also
First Sea Lord Third Sea Lord Fourth Sea Lord Fifth Sea Lord
References