Alexander Buller
Sir Alexander Buller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 June 1834 |
| Died | 3 October 1903 Exford, Somerset |
| Allegiance |  Vereinigtes Königreich |
| Service/ |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1848 - 1899 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Modeste China Station |
| Battles/wars | Crimean War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
Admiral Sir Alexander Buller GCB (30 June 1834 – 3 October 1903) was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, China Station.
Naval career
Born the son of a clergyman, Buller joined the Royal Navy in 1848.[1] He served in the Black Sea during the Crimean War.[1] Promoted to Captain in 1869, he was given command of HMS Modeste in 1874.[2] Buller served in the Naval Brigade as part of the Perak expedition to Malaya in 1875.[1] He became Admiral-Superintendent of Malta Dockyard in 1889.[1]
He was appointed Commander-in-Chief, China Station in 1895.[2] Buller had to respond at this time to the Far Eastern Crisis of 1897/98 when the Russian Pacific Fleet was threatening to attack the Korean port of Chemulpo to back up Russia’s demands for a peacetime coaling station at Deer Island.[3] He dispatched eight warships to Korea and the Russian forces promptly retreated.[3] The fact that the Japanese Government had also put three battleships and ten cruisers at his disposal may have also influenced the outcome.[4] He retired in 1899.[1]
He lived at Erle Hall near Plympton in Devon[5] and died in 1903.[6]
Family
In 1870 he married Emily Mary Tritton.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f The Late Admiral Buller The Straits Times, 3 November 1903, Page 2
- ^ a b William Loney RN
- ^ a b British Imperial Defence Strategy and Russia: The Role of the Royal Navy in the Far East, 1878–1898
- ^ Japan's ships for Britain: A Fleet Placed at Admiral Buller's Disposal for Concerted Action Against Russia New York Times, 8 January 1898
- ^ Earl of Moray
- ^ Obituary: Admiral Sir Alexander Buller, The Times, 5 October 1903