Michael Le Fanu


Sir Michael Le Fanu

Then Rear Admiral Michael Le Fanu
Nickname(s)"Dry Ginger"
Born(1913-08-02)2 August 1913
Lindfield, England
Died28 November 1970(1970-11-28) (aged 57)
London, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Navy
Years of service1926–1970
RankAdmiral of the Fleet
CommandsFirst Sea Lord
Middle East
HMS Eagle
HMS Ganges
HMS Relentless
Battles / warsSecond World War Aden Emergency
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Cross
Mentioned in Despatches
Legion of Merit (United States)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir Michael Le Fanu, GCB, DSC (2 August 1913 – 28 November 1970) was a Royal Navy officer. He fought in the Second World War as gunnery officer in a cruiser operating in the Home Fleet during the Norwegian campaign and the Battle of the Mediterranean and then as gunnery officer in a battleship operating in the Eastern Fleet before becoming liaison officer between the British Pacific Fleet and the United States Third Fleet. After the War he commanded a frigate, a training establishment and an aircraft carrier. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff in the late 1960s. In that role, in the face of economic difficulties, he worked hard to reshape the Navy as an anti-submarine force operating primarily in the Atlantic Ocean.