Maurice Mansergh

Mansergh was born in Ealing, Essex, the second son of civil engineer Ernest Lawson Mansergh and grandson of James Mansergh. He was educated at a school near Nuneaton before entering Royal Naval College, Osborne in 1909 as a naval cadet.^[1]

Mansergh joined the Royal Navy in 1914 at the start of World War I.^[2] He served on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet from 1934 and then became executive officer on the battleship HMS Rodney from 1936.^[2] In 1939 he became director of the Trade Division at the Admiralty where his main role was the protection of shipping.^[3]

He served in World War II as deputy assistant chief of the Naval Staff (Trade) and then, from 1941, as captain of the cruiser HMS Gambia.^[2][4] He was made deputy chief of staff and subsequently chief of staff to the Allied naval commander-in-chief for the Normandy Invasion Expeditionary Force in 1943.^[2]

After the war, he became commodore commanding 15th Cruiser Squadron and then, from 1946, he became Naval Secretary.^[2] He was appointed commander of the 3rd Aircraft Carrier Squadron in 1948 and Fifth Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Air) in 1949,^[2] with promotion to vice admiral on 30 September 1949.^[5] His last appointment was as Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth in 1951.^[2] He retired in 1954.^[2]