Geoffrey Layton


Sir Geoffrey Layton

Layton in 1915
Born(1884-04-20)20 April 1884
Liverpool, England
Died4 September 1964(1964-09-04) (aged 80)
Portsmouth, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
BranchRoyal Navy
Service years1899–1947
RankAdmiral
CommandsCommander-in-Chief, Portsmouth (1945–47)
Commander-in-Chief, Ceylon (1942–45)
Eastern Fleet (1941–42)
China Station (1940–41)
1st Battle Squadron (1939–40)
Battlecruiser Squadron (1938–39)
HMS Renown (1937–38)
HMS Swordfish (1916–17)
HMS E13 (1914–15)
ConflictsFirst World War
Second World War
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order
Knight of the Legion of Honour (France)
Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Netherlands)
Spouse
Eleanor Langley
(m. 1908)

Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton, GBE, KCB, KCMG, DSO (20 April 1884 – 4 September 1964) was a Royal Navy officer. He was in command of the submarine HMS E13 when, under attack from German vessels, it ran aground off the Danish coast during the First World War. Despite this incident, he rose to senior command in the Second World War and retired in 1947. His final appointment had been as Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.