Robert Burnett

For other people named Robert Burnett, see Robert Burnett (disambiguation).

Sir Robert Burnett
File:Rear Admiral Sir Robert L Burnett, November 1942 TR416.jpg Rear Admiral Sir Robert Burnett sitting at his desk on board the HMS Tyne
Born	22 July 1887 Old Deer, Buchan, Aberdeenshire
Died	2 July 1959 116 Pall Mall, Westminster, London
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1902–1950
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	10th Cruiser Squadron South Atlantic Station Plymouth Command
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John

Admiral Sir Robert Lindsay Burnett GBE KCB DSO CStJ (22 July 1887 – 2 July 1959) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Naval career

Educated at Eastman's Royal Naval Academy and Bedford School, Burnett joined the Royal Navy in 1902. He served on the China Station from 1904 and then with the Atlantic and Mediterranean Fleets from 1908. He became an instructor at the Navy Physical Training Schools in 1911.

He served in the First World War and saw action at the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914 and at the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 and served in destroyers in the Grand Fleet. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander in April 1918, commander in December 1923 and captain in December 1930.

In 1933 he was made Director of Physical Training and Sports. He was promoted rear-admiral in January 1941 and appointed flag officer of minelayers, and from March 1942 flag officer of the Destroyer Flotillas of the Home Fleet. From January 1943 he was flag officer of the 10th Cruiser Squadron and was promoted to vice-admiral in that role on 9 December 1943. Flying his flag in HMS Belfast, he saw action in the North Sea and in the Arctic Ocean off the coast of Norway in convoy escort duty, particularly on 26 December at the Battle of North Cape, where he played a major role in the sinking of the Scharnhorst (in most accounts of the battle he is described as a Rear Admiral). He was Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station from 1944.

File:Burnett, Alexander and Tovey on HMS Belfast June 1942 IWM A 13926.jpg

Burnett, left, with First Lord of the Admiralty A. V. Alexander and Admiral Sir John Tovey, C.-in-C. Home Fleet, on board HMS Belfast in January 1943

He became Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1947 and retired from active service in May 1950. He then served as the first director of the White Fish Authority, from its foundation in 1951 until his retirement in November 1954.

Family

In 1915 he married Ethel Constance Shaw; they had no children. He was the younger brother of Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Burnett.

External links

• RL Burnett at unithistories.com

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Campbell Tait	Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic Station 1944–1946	Succeeded by Sir Clement Moody
Preceded by Sir Henry Pridham-Wippell	Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth 1947–1950	Succeeded by Sir Rhoderick McGrigor