Broadlands

Lord Mountbatten Highlights of his Life

Lord Mountbatten was born at Frogmore House, next door to Windsor Castle on 25th June 1900, the younger son of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria who was the young infant 's Godmother and held him at his christening.

His father was First Sea Lord from 1912 until October 1914 and his elder brother George was also in the Navy. He followed in their footsteps and joined the Royal Navy in 1913, and served 2 years at sea in World War 1.

His family changed their name in 1917 when his father became the first Marquess of Milford Haven, and it was as Lord Louis Mountbatten that he went up to Cambridge for a shortened post-war course. On leaving The University he accompanied his cousin Edward, Prince of Wales, on his tour of Australia and New Zealand, and again when the Prince visited India, Japan and the Far East.

It was he New Delhi his second tour that Lord Louis (as he was known) became engaged to Edwina Ashley, daughter of Lord Mount Temple and granddaughter of Sir Ernest Cassel. They were married in London in 1922 and spent part of their honeymoon in America where they visited Hollywood. They stayed with Charlie Chaplin who made a short film called "Nice and Friendly" starring Lord and Lady Louis, Charles Chaplin and Jackie Coogan.

As a young Naval Officer Lord Louis showed powers of intellect, imagination and ingenuity Which forecast his brilliant career to come. He specialised in wireless, was the inventor of various devices adopted by the Royal Navy, and wrote two handbooks for the Navy on wireless telegraphy. He retained his interest in electronics and in July 1964 became the Founder Chairman of the National Electronics Council. He held this important appointment for 13 years, and on his retirement he was asked to remain as President of the Council.

Lord Louis showed great prowess as an oarsman, winning every single boat race in which he took part, but his main sporting activity was Polo. He was Captain of various teams, including the Navy Polo Team, and had a long series of successes in the 1930s, winning 110 cups. He wrote a book on polo which is still an international best seller.

Before the Second World War he commanded the Destroyers DARING and WISHART and for two years he served in the Naval Air Division of the Admiralty. On the outbreak of war he was in command of the 5th Destroyer Flotilla and of the Flotilla Leader KELLY. In a war full of stirring individual exploits the KELLY became a legend and Noel Coward's film 'In Which We Serve' was largely based on her adventures.

HMS KELLY was mined off the Tyne in 1939 butfairly quickly repaired. In May 1940 she was torpedoed in the North Sea but Lord Louis brought her home after 92 hours in tow under repeated air attacks. This time it took 6 months to repair her during which time Lord Louis led his flotilla from other destroyers. In a night action with enemy JAVELIN had her bow and stern blown off by a salvo of torpedoes, but he got her back under tow to Plymouth. A year later the KELLY went down with her guns firing during the Battle of Crete in 1941 after turning right over at full speed while being attacked by 24 Stuka dive-bombers. Less than half her crew survived but the spirit of the ship has remained on through the Reunion Association which was formed by the survivors.

In 1941 Lord Louis was appointed to command the aircraft carrier ILLUSTRIOUS, then under repair in the USA, but Churchill sent for him to take over Combined Operations. In March 1942, while still a fairly junior Captain he was made Chief of Combined Operations with the honorary rank ofLieutenant General and Air Marshal. He was also made the fourth member of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, who were responsible for the military conduct of the war. In Combined Operations he used the experience he had gained in the Vaagso, Bruneval and St. Nazaire raids, and the reconnaissance in force at Dieppe, to help plan the big invasions of the war in North Africa, Italy and finally France.

The Military Planners wanted the Channel landing in the Calais area, but Lord Louis stood out for Normandy. Then Hitler moved 25 Divisions to Calaisthat settled it and the invasion was mounted for Normandy. In June 1944 with the vital support of the Mulberry artificial mobile harbours and the famous PLUTO (Pipeline Under The Ocean) initiated by his headquarters, a successful landing was made.