On Wednesday 13 February 2008, Admiral Sir James Eberle will lead a discussion meeting on the topic of "The Royal Navy in Global Security and National Defence" from 12.30 - 1.30 pm.
In 1941, he entered the Royal Naval College Dartmouth. He first went to sea on operational service in motor gunboats in the English Channel, and subsequently in the Indian Ocean and the British Pacific Fleet. At the end of World War II, he was serving in HMS Belfast as part of the US/UK Task Force to enter Shanghai. He returned to the UK in HMS Tuscan. From 1947 to 1949, he was in the Far East serving in HMS Cossack before returning to the UK and service in Coastal Forces at the Portsmouth Base at HMS Hornet. Subsequently, having specialised in Naval Gunnery, he again served in HMS Belfast in the Far East during the Korean War.
After early promotion to Commander and Captain, he once again returned to the Far East, firstly as the second in command of HMS Eagle and later as Captain of HMS Intrepid. After a period of study as a Defence Fellow at University College, Oxford, he was selected for promotion to Rear Admiral in 1971, one of the three youngest admirals of the twentieth century.
His Flag Rank appointments included Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Carriers and Amphibious ships and NATO Commander UK Atlantic Strike Group. He then served in Whitehall on the Naval Board of the Defence Council as Chief of Fleet Support. In 1979, he took Command of the British Fleet and as NATO Commander Eastern Atlantic and Allied Commander in Chief Channel. Following his Fleet Command, he served as Commander in Chief of the Naval Home Command during the South Atlantic war. He retired from active service in 1983.
In 1984, he was appointed as Director of the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House. In this position, he established high-level contacts with Moscow and Eastern Europe during the period of collapse of the Warsaw pact. He was the first to establish British contact with the Argentine Government following the ending of the Falklands War. He was also very active on the part of the Institute in Western Europe and the Asia Pacific region, particularly with Japan.
Sir James was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 1978. He served as Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom and as ADC to Her Majesty the Queen. He was awarded the Honorary position of Admiral in the Texan and Georgian Navies.
He is a Freeman of the City of London (1991) and of Bristol (1947). He holds an Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters at the Universities of Bristol (1989) and of Sussex (1992). He was Chairman of the Council of Clifton College from1974 to 1984.
This meeting will be Chaired by Colonel (ret’d) Christopher Langton, Senior Fellow for Conflict and Defence Diplomacy and will take place on the Fifth Floor at Arundel House, 13-15 Arundel Street, Temple Place, London WC2R 3DX.
If you would like to attend this meeting, please RSVP Kathleen James on james@iiss.org or Tel 020 7395 9109
