486:
481:
wrote in his dispatch after the battle: "An example of the spirit of these young officers is the case of
Lieutenant F.M.A. Torrens-Spence who rather than be left out, flew with the only available aircraft from Eleusis to Maleme ... arranged his own reconnaissance and finally took off with a second
497:, where he added to his tally. Unfortunately, this included a hospital ship which the Italians had failed to mark and illuminate. No blame was ever attached to Torrens-Spence, but he was forever saddened by the incident.
1031:
554:
In 1952, he was promoted captain and sent to the
Admiralty to look after future aircraft requirements as deputy director of the Air Warfare Division, naval staff. He wrote the staff requirement for the
677:
He married Rachel
Torrens-Spence, with whom he had four children. One of his sons, Brigadier Edward John (Johnny) Torrens-Spence CBE, was British Embassy military attaché to the United States.
1036:
316:, which at that time was under the command of the Royal Air Force. After flying training, he was commissioned as a pilot in both the RAF and the Navy. His first postings were on the carriers
1026:
478:
1011:
459:, which he torpedoed from close range. The cruiser immediately slowed to six knots and the Italian admiral decided to divide his force, leaving a large detachment to escort
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386:
242:
201:
1066:
843:
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and sail for home. That night, the Royal Navy engaged with the
Italian force off Cape Matapan, and with the aid of radar sank the major part of them.
978:
623:
162:
922:
508:
where he remained for the next three years, and worked closely with fellow former HMS Glorious and 819 Naval Air
Squadron pilot Lieutenant
1061:
674:, holding senior office in the County Armagh Unionist Association, yet saddened by what he saw as the government's appeasing of terrorism.
1021:
109:
1041:
908:
896:
647:
446:, Torrens-Spence was ordered to find and attack a large Italian naval force. After observing an attack by aircraft from the carrier
670:
in 1979 and was aide-de-camp to the Queen. He was never overtly involved in politics, but remained throughout his life a committed
791:
30:
1016:
249:
205:
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limped to Malta and eventually to
America for repairs. Her aircraft were disembarked in Malta, and Torrens-Spence flew to
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360:, which had been dispatched to the Mediterranean in September 1940, he took part in the attack on Italian
185:
123:
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128:
411:. Suffering multiple bomb hits (including to Torrens-Spence's wardroom) and more than 200 casualties,
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and was heard to remark, "Either that pilot was mad or he is the bravest man in the world".
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78:
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847:
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265:
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After initial service in the fleet
Torrens-Spence volunteered for flying duties with the
453:
achieve no result, he found a hole in the enemy smokescreen and was confronted with the
961:
643:
372:
516:
aircraft prior to its operational service in the Fleet Air Arm. He was posted back to
264:. Torrens-Spence earned the distinction of holding commissions in the Royal Navy, the
990:
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612:
578:
505:
405:
313:
289:
257:
61:
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After leaving the Royal Navy
Torrens-Spence was appointed as the Commandant of the
408:
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175:
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From 1942, Torrens-Spence was posted to the UK to become a leading
Admiralty
471:
361:
342:
285:
254:
57:
739:
296:
the son of a professional soldier. Educated at Mourne Grange Public School,
29:
435:
Squadrons for an active anti-shipping campaign which later earned him the
379:
harbour, he torpedoed one of Italy's newest and largest battleships, the
599:
in 1959 where he spent the next two years, most of it in the Far East.
528:
He remained in the Navy after the war, becoming chief inspector of the
494:
416:
376:
297:
293:
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From March to
October 1941, Torrens-Spence commanded 815 Squadron in
424:
420:
484:
401:
346:
1032:
Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
618:
When the Specials were disbanded in 1970 and replaced by the
345:
to hunt German surface raiders. He was then sent home from
581:
waters. Afterwards he commanded a training establishment,
489:
A Fairey Swordfish similar to those used by Torrens-Spence
482:
aircraft in company and took part in the dawn attack."
654:. During this time, he resided at Laurelvale House,
404:when she was attacked by three squadrons of German
385:, sinking her in shallow water. He was awarded the
211:
193:
171:
116:
100:
92:
84:
68:
44:
36:
20:
1037:Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
798:. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015.
337:When war broke out, Torrens-Spence was serving on
630:, to get it up and running. He retired in 1972.
841:Training the Naval Pilot. RNAS Lossiemouth 1958
1027:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
284:Known as "Tiffy", Torrens-Spence was born in
8:
821:
819:
758:. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007
559:strike aircraft and steered it through the
1012:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College
927:
231:Frederick Michael Alexander Torrens-Spence
28:
17:
714:
712:
710:
253:(10 March 1914 – 12 December 2001) was a
708:
706:
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1057:Fleet Air Arm personnel of World War II
903:. Cassell and Collier Macmillan (1977)
734:
732:
730:
686:
658:– originally the home of industrialist
470:s captain was rescued by the destroyer
915:Stringbag: The Fairey Swordfish at War
801:
769:
375:pilot. During the Swordfish attack in
163:2nd Battalion, Ulster Defence Regiment
1007:Military personnel from County Antrim
622:, Torrens-Spence took control of the
7:
1082:Ulster Special Constabulary officers
826:Obituary: Capt F M A Torrens-Spence
520:for the closing stages of the war.
1067:British World War II bomber pilots
512:in developing and test flying the
14:
650:in an armed assault on his home,
648:Provisional Irish Republican Army
1087:Irish officers in the Royal Navy
1047:Ulster Defence Regiment officers
589:), before taking command of the
532:. He then served in the carrier
624:County Armagh Battalion (2 UDR)
539:, and as commanding officer of
300:, at the age of 13 he attended
869:. 26 January 1979. p. 54.
1:
302:Dartmouth Royal Naval College
724:. Retrieved 27 February 2007
566:In 1955, he took command of
1062:British World War II pilots
609:Ulster Special Constabulary
437:Distinguished Service Order
387:Distinguished Service Cross
341:which was sent through the
216:Ulster Special Constabulary
202:Distinguished Service Cross
198:Distinguished Service Order
1108:
1022:Lord-lieutenants of Armagh
738:Obituary 13 December 2001
530:Empire Test Pilots' School
400:was escorting a convoy to
392:He was also involved when
975:
969:Lord Lieutenant of Armagh
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958:
950:
941:
935:
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846:27 September 2007 at the
808:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
776:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
640:Lord Lieutenant of Armagh
577:deploying in British and
479:Admiral Andrew Cunningham
274:Royal Ulster Constabulary
27:
1042:Royal Air Force officers
917:. Leo Cooper Ltd (2004)
510:Roy Sydney Baker-Falkner
349:to join the new carrier
1017:High sheriffs of Armagh
620:Ulster Defence Regiment
220:Ulster Defence Regiment
1077:Fleet Air Arm aviators
944:High Sheriff of Armagh
796:fleetairarmarchive.net
792:"815 Squadron history"
756:fleetairarmarchive.net
719:Michael Torrens-Spence
668:High Sheriff of Armagh
611:(the "B" Specials) in
575:Daring class destroyer
490:
444:Battle of Cape Matapan
186:Battle of Cape Matapan
146:RNAS Lossiemouth (HMS
124:815 Naval Air Squadron
22:Michael Torrens-Spence
938:Ronald McIlroy Wilson
488:
93:Years of service
953:John Reginald Miller
881:The Washington Times
664:justice of the peace
356:. Whilst serving on
1092:Royal Navy captains
1072:British test pilots
1052:Royal Navy officers
979:The Earl of Caledon
866:The Belfast Gazette
722:The Daily Telegraph
638:In 1981, he became
427:, with elements of
396:was badly damaged;
129:RNAS Eglinton (HMS
962:Sir Norman Stronge
901:War in a Stringbag
850:Flight August 1958
752:"Taranto crewlist"
646:was killed by the
628:lieutenant colonel
491:
110:Lieutenant Colonel
985:
984:
976:Succeeded by
951:Succeeded by
923:978-1-84415-130-1
879:A story of love.
831:, 6 November 2001
389:for this action.
366:Battle of Taranto
225:
224:
181:Battle of Taranto
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959:Preceded by
936:Preceded by
931:Honorary titles
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662:. He was also a
603:Northern Ireland
591:aircraft carrier
583:RNAS Lossiemouth
549:Northern Ireland
514:Fairey Barracuda
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333:Second World War
262:Second World War
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79:Northern Ireland
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72:12 December 2001
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561:Admiralty Board
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308:Military career
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266:Royal Air Force
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212:Other work
206:Air Force Cross
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913:Wragg, David,
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644:Norman Stronge
635:
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373:torpedo bomber
334:
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323:and, in 1937,
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88:United Kingdom
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76:(aged 87)
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909:0-304-29778-X
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897:Lamb, Charles
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883:; 13 May 2005
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660:Thomas Sinton
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579:Mediterranean
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541:RNAS Eglinton
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506:Boscombe Down
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314:Fleet Air Arm
307:
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303:
299:
295:
291:
290:County Antrim
287:
279:
277:
275:
271:
267:
263:
260:pilot in the
259:
258:Fleet Air Arm
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62:County Antrim
59:
55:10 March 1914
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
26:
19:
16:
967:
942:
914:
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891:Bibliography
875:
864:
855:
836:
825:
795:
786:
760:. Retrieved
755:
746:
721:
676:
666:, served as
637:
617:
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553:
544:
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517:
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449:
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412:
409:dive bombers
397:
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357:
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338:
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325:
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311:
283:
270:British Army
230:
226:
176:World War II
172:Battles/wars
156:
147:
139:
130:
74:(2001-12-12)
15:
1002:2001 deaths
997:1914 births
652:Tynan Abbey
518:Illustrious
413:Illustrious
398:Illustrious
394:Illustrious
362:battleships
358:Illustrious
353:Illustrious
37:Nickname(s)
991:Categories
973:1981–1989
861:"No. 3638"
681:References
656:Laurelvale
634:Later life
502:test pilot
450:Formidable
343:Suez Canal
286:Whiteabbey
280:Early life
255:Royal Navy
85:Allegiance
58:Whiteabbey
51:1914-03-10
740:The Times
594:HMS
568:HMS
557:Buccaneer
534:HMS
472:HMS
448:HMS
370:Swordfish
351:HMS
318:HMS
155:HMS
138:HMS
96:1927–1972
64:, Ireland
844:Archived
804:cite web
772:cite web
672:Unionist
642:, after
524:Post-war
382:Littorio
339:Glorious
326:Glorious
272:and the
117:Commands
762:13 June
626:, as a
570:Delight
536:Theseus
504:at RAF
495:Albania
442:At the
419:, near
417:Eleusis
377:Taranto
364:in the
320:Furious
298:Kilkeel
294:Ireland
228:Captain
140:Delight
105:Captain
40:"Tiffy"
921:
907:
596:Albion
587:Fulmar
545:Gannet
474:Jervis
425:Greece
421:Athens
268:, the
194:Awards
157:Albion
148:Fulmar
131:Gannet
112:(Army)
948:1979
585:(HMS
547:) in
543:(HMS
468:'
406:Stuka
402:Malta
368:as a
248:
246:,
241:
239:,
919:ISBN
905:ISBN
810:link
778:link
764:2007
573:, a
465:Pola
461:Pola
456:Pola
431:and
347:Aden
107:(RN)
101:Rank
69:Died
45:Born
433:819
429:815
250:AFC
243:DSC
236:DSO
993::
899:,
863:.
818:^
806:}}
802:{{
794:.
774:}}
770:{{
754:.
729:^
689:^
615:.
563:.
551:.
439:.
423:,
329:.
304:.
292:,
288:,
276:.
233:,
60:,
812:)
780:)
766:.
150:)
133:)
53:)
49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
