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Description area
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History
Rhoderick Robert McGrigor spent his early childhood in South Africa, before studying at Osborne and Dartmouth Royal Naval Colleges, passing out as top of his form. During the First World War, McGrigor served in destroyers during the Dardenelles campaign and saw action at the Battle of Jutland in HMS MALAYA. He then served as part of the Nyon non-intervention patrol during the Spanish Civil War on HMS KEMPENFELT, taking part in the rescue of crew from the sinking Spanish government cruiser BALEARES. At the outbreak of the Second World War, McGrigor was Chief-of-Staff to the C-in-C, China Station, after which he returned home in late 1940 to become the commanding officer of HMS RENOWN, taking part in the BISMARCK action and the bombardment of the coast of Genoa. He then joined the Board of Admiralty as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Weapons), following an early promotion to Rear-Admiral. Shortly after, McGrigor returned to an active post as a Naval Force Commander during the capture of Pantellaria and the invasion of Sicily. In March 1944, he returned home to take command of the First Cruiser Squadron and aircraft carriers of the Home Fleet. For the last year of the war, McGrigor carried out several attacks on the coast of enemy-occupied Norway and took several convoys to and from north Russia. Promoted to Admiral in 1948, McGrigor held several positions post-war, including C-in-C, Home Fleet from 1948 to 1950 and C-in-C, Plymouth from 1950-1951, before being made First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, eventually retiring in 1955.