Second Sea Lord

The Chief of Naval Personnel & Training and Second Sea Lord, commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord (2SL), is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy after the First Sea Lord and the Fleet Commander (until 2012, the Commander-in-Chief Fleet), and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.

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.

The posts of Second Sea Lord and the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (CINCNAVHOME) were amalgamated in 1994 following the rationalisation of the British Armed Forces following the end of the Cold War. (The 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.)

Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty

The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised command over the Royal Navy.

Officially known as the Commissioners for Exercising the Office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland &c. (or of England, Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, depending on the period), the Lords Commissioners only existed when the office of Lord High Admiral was in commission, i.e. not held by a single person. During the periods when an individual Lord High Admiral was appointed, there was a Council of the Lord High Admiral which assisted the Lord High Admiral and effectively performed many of the duties of the Board of Admiralty.

History

The office of Lord High Admiral was created in around 1400 to take charge of the Royal Navy. It was one of the Great Officers of State. The office could be exercised by an individual (as was invariably the case until 1628), by the Crown directly (as was the case between 1684 and 1689), or by a Board of Admiralty.

Sea Lord (novel)

Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake in the USA) is a 1989 thriller novel by the British author Bernard Cornwell, one of a series of sailing-based thrillers. It was published by the Penguin Group.

Synopsis

John Rossendale is the current Earl of Stowey. After the death of Johnny's father (some time before the book begins), the family had to sell almost everything, to pay the death duties on the estate. Johnny's mother's only goal being to hold on to the family seat, at Stowey Manor.

Johnny having grown up with boats and not wanting to be involved in family affairs, left to sail the world with his best friend Charlie. Four years before our story beings, Johnny and Charlie, had got as far as Australia before bad news demanded their return to England. So after selling their boat they flew home. Johnny's elder brother, unable to cope with the stress from constantly fighting creditors in an attempt to hold on to the family home, had committed suicide. John had inherited the Earldom of Stowey, with all its troubles.