Henry Mackay Burrell KBE CB (1904 - 1988)

Born 13 Aug 1904 in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Isabel (MacKay) Burrell — married 27 Dec 1933 (to 1941) in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Died 15 Feb 1988 at age 83 in Woden, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

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Biography

Henry Burrell KBE CB is Notable.

Vice Admiral Sir Henry Burrell KBE CB was a Royal Australian Navy officer whose illustrious 44-year career culminated in appointment as Chief of the Navy Staff.

Formative years

Henry Burrell KBE CB was born in New South Wales, Australia

Henry Mackay Burrell was born on 13th August 1904 in Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia. He was the only son and third of five children of Thomas Burrell, an English-born schoolteacher, and Victorian-born Eliza Mackay. ^[1] His home environment was one of patriotism and service to the community, his father, although aged 55, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force during the First World War and served in Egypt. ^[2]

Early naval career

Henry Burrell KBE CB is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Royal Australian Navy 1918-1962
retired as a Vice Admiral

Upon graduation from Parramatta High School, Henry entered the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay, Federal Capital Territory (now Jervis Bay Territory) on 1st January 1918, aged seventeen years. He graduated in 1921 and was subsequently commissioned as a Midshipman in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). ^[3][2]

Henry was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in April 1925 and Lieutenant in July 1926. He served in a number of RAN and Royal Navy ships in Australian and European waters in the 1920s before specialising as a navigator in Britain in 1930. During the 1930s he was navigating officer in, successively, a minesweeper, HMS Pangbourne; two destroyers, HMAS Tattoo and HMAS Stuart; a cruiser, HMAS Brisbane; and, after qualifying from an advanced navigation course in 1935, two cruisers, HMS Coventry and HMS Devonshire. ^[2]

Henry married Margaret MacKay on 27th December 1933 in Scots Church, Melbourne. ^[4] They were divorced in November 1941.

Henry was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in July 1934. He completed the course at the RN Staff College, Greenwich, England, in 1938 and was posted to Navy Office, Melbourne, as staff officer (operations). ^[2]

Second World War

Henry was promoted to Commander in June 1940. Later that year he was posted to Washington DC to join the Australian delegation at secret talks between Britain and the United States of America on the strategic situation in the Pacific. In January-April 1941 he served as the first Australian naval attaché in Washington. He took command of the new 'N'-class destroyer HMAS Norman at Southampton, England, in September 1941. The ship’s first duty was to convey a British Trade Union Congress delegation to northern Russia before joining the British fleet in the Indian Ocean. ^[2]

In February 1943 Henry was Mentioned in Despatches, equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry, for bravery and resource during operations off Madagascar. ^[5][6] In September 1943 he was again at Navy Office, Melbourne, as Director of Plans. Much of his work at Navy Office involved planning for the use of British Commonwealth forces in the closing stages of the war against Japan and the basing of the British Pacific Fleet in Australia. ^[2]

Henry married a second time, to Ada Theresa Weller, a mica specialist also known by the surname Coggan, on 21st April 1944 in Melbourne. ^[7]

In May 1945 he took command of the new Tribal-class destroyer HMAS Bataan. The ship joined the US Seventh Fleet and was in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender ceremony in September, later assisting in the recovery of RAN prisoners of war from Sendai. ^[2]

Latter naval career

Promoted to Captain in June 1946, Henry was appointed Deputy Chief of Naval Staff in October. A major focus of his work for the next two years was to form the Fleet Air Arm and to introduce carrier aviation in the RAN. For twelve months from October 1948 he commanded the RAN’s flagship, the heavy cruiser HMAS Australia. He completed the 1950 course at the Imperial Defence College, London, then became the assistant Australian defence representative in London. In December 1952 he assumed command of the light fleet carrier HMAS Vengeance. ^[2] He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year Honours 1955. ^[8][9]

In February 1955 Henry was promoted to acting Rear Admiral (made substantive in July) and made Flag Officer commanding HM Australian Fleet (FOCAF). In September that year he became second naval member of the Naval Board (chief of naval personnel). He returned to the position of FOCAF in January 1958, flying his flag in HMAS Melbourne. ^[2] He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the New Year Honours 1959 for his service in 1958 as Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet. ^[10][11]

On 24th February 1959 he was promoted to Vice Admiral and made Chief of Naval Staff in Canberra. As CNS, Henry won favourable decisions for the RAN from the government, including approval to acquire Oberon-class submarines, Ton-class minesweepers, the survey ship HMAS Moresby and Wessex anti-submarine helicopters, and to commission the fleet tanker HMAS Supply. Arguably, his greatest successes were to convince the government to reverse its 1959 decision to disband the Fleet Air Arm (at least as far as helicopters were concerned) and to buy three Charles F Adams-class guided-missile destroyers from the USA.

In the Queen's Birthday Honours 1960 Henry was created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). ^[12][13]

VADM Sir Henry Burrell's chamois lined black oilskin sword case

Post naval life

Following an illustrious career spanning 44 years he retired from the RAN on 23rd February 1962 with the rank of Vice Admiral. ^[3]

He gained much satisfaction from his farm, Illogan Park, on the Shoalhaven River near Braidwood, New South Wales. ^[2]

Diagnosed with heart problems soon after retirement, he suffered a major heart attack in 1980. Ada passed away in August 1981.

He published his memoirs, Mermaids Do Exist, in 1986. ^[2]

Aged 83 years, Sir Henry passed away on 9th February 1988 in Woden Valley Hospital, Canberra, and is buried in Gungahlin Cemetery. He was survived by the two daughters and son of his second marriage. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #22994/1904; registered at Katoomba
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11} Bateman, Sam. 'Burrell, Sir Henry Mackay (1904–1988)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2007; accessed online 1 Apr 2024
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: Vice Admiral Henry Mackay Burrell; accessed 1 Apr 2024
4. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #11584/1933
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: Mentioned in Despatches; accessed 1 Apr 2024
6. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards (recommendation): Mentioned in Despatches; accessed 1 Apr 2024
7. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #246/1944
8. ↑ Australian Honours: CBE; accessed 1 Apr 2024
9. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: CBE; accessed 1 Apr 2024
10. ↑ Australian Honours: CB; accessed 1 Apr 2024
11. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: CB; accessed 1 Apr 2024
12. ↑ Australian Honours: KBE; accessed 1 Apr 2024
13. ↑ Australian War Memorial honours and awards: KBE; accessed 1 Apr 2024

See also

• Bateman, Sam. 'Burrell, Sir Henry Mackay (1904–1988)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2007; accessed online 1 Apr 2024.