Hugh Balfour
| Hugh Balfour CB LVO | |
|---|---|
| Born |
29 April 1933 Malta |
| Died | 29 June 1999 (aged 66) |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1951–90 |
| Rank | Rear-Admiral |
| Commands held |
HMS Sheraton HMS Whitby HMY Britannia HMS Phoebe HMS Exeter Royal Navy of Oman |
| Battles/wars | Falklands War |
| Awards |
Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order Companion of the Order of the Bath Order of Oman |
| Other work | Communications consultant |
Rear-Admiral Hugh Maxwell Balfour CB, LVO (29 April 1933 – 29 June 1999) was a senior Royal Navy officer.[1]
Education
Hugh Balfour was born in Malta and educated at Ardvreck School, Crieff and Kelly College, Tavistock.[2][1]
Navy
Balfour joined the Royal Navy in 1951 and qualified as a signal officer in 1959.[3] He served on HMS Rothesay (F107) from 1960-1962 before gaining his first command in 1963 as a lieutenant on the Ton-class minesweeper, HMS Sheraton.[4]
Between 1965-1967 he served as staff officer operations and senior communications officer to the senior naval officer West Indies (Snowi).[2] He then went on to command HMS Whitby (F36), and took part in the Beira Patrol off the coast of Mozambique.[4]
Balfour's next appointment was as commander (communications) at HMS Dryad, the Royal Navy Tactical School.[2] He then became commander of HMY Britannia from 1972-1974.[2] In 1974 he was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.[5][2]
In 1976 he was appointed captain of HMS Phoebe (F42) and in 1977 he commanded Operation Journeyman, a small task force of ships that succeeded in deterring the Argentines from invading the Falkland Islands.[3][2]
On his return to the United Kingdom (UK) he became deputy director of command, control and communications. He then served as chief signals officer from 1979 to 1981.[2]
Balfour was serving as captain of HMS Exeter (D89) when the Argentines invaded the Falkland Islands on 2 April 1982.[4] The ship was on duty in the Caribbean, acting as a guardship for British troops protecting Belize from Guatemalen territorial claims.[4] Whilst waiting for orders he prepared his ship for battle with a series of exercises.[4]
Following the loss of HMS Sheffield (D80), Balfour received orders to sail for the Falkland Islands on 5 May.[4] On the way, Exeter had a secret meeting with the tanker British Esk.[2] Balfour had a tactical briefing from Sam Salt, the captain of HMS Sheffield, who was returning with his surviving crew to Britain.[4]
Exeter reached the task force on 22 May, two days after the amphibious assault to retake the Islands had started.[2] Her main role was to protect the task force and provide early warning of incoming aircraft and missiles using the Type 1022 radar.[4] During the conflict, Exeter shot down three Argentine aircraft (two A-4C Skyhawks on 30 May, and a Learjet 35A on 7 June; all with Sea Dart missiles).
From 1983-1985 Balfour was director of the Maritime Tactical School and promoted to Rear-Admiral.[2] Between 1985-1990 he was commander of the Royal Navy of Oman and awarded the Order of Oman on his retirement.[2] In 1990 he was also appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.[6]
On his retirement from the Royal Navy he became a communications consultant.[2]
References
- 1 2 Balfour, Rear-Adm. Hugh Maxwell. Who Was Who. 2016 (November 2015 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Rear-Admiral Hugh Balfour". The Independent. 22 August 1999. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- 1 2 "Rear Admiral Hugh Balfour". The Herald (Glasgow). 7 August 1999. Retrieved 24 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hugh Balfour". The Guardian. 2 August 1999. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46310. p. 6796. 7 June 1974. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 52173. p. 2. 15 June 1990. Retrieved 26 March 2016.