Quick Facts
Biography
Admiral Sir Guy Grantham GCB CBE DSO (9 January 1900 – 8 September 1992) was a senior Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.
Naval career
Educated at Rugby School, Grantham joined the Royal Navy in 1918.
He served in World War II initially as Commander of the cruiser HMS Phoebe and was involved in the evacuation from Greece for which he was awarded the DSO. After a period as a liaison officer in the Western Desert, he became Commander of the cruiser HMS Naiad which was sunk by a torpedo in March 1942. He then became Commander of the cruiser HMS Cleopatra in which he was involved in the defeat of the Italian Fleet at the second Battle of Birte. His last war-time command was of the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable which was involved in the landings in Sicily. He went on to be Director of Plans at the Admiralty.
After the War he became Chief of Staff to the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet in 1946. He was appointed Flag Officer Submarines in 1948, Flag Officer, Second in Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1950 and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in 1951. He became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet and NATO Commander Allied Forces Mediterranean in 1954 and then Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth and Allied Commander-in-Chief, Channel and southern North Sea in 1957. He retired in 1959.
He was also First and Principal Naval Aide-de-camp to the Queen from 1958 to 1959.
In retirement he became Governor and Commander-in-Chief Malta.
Family
In 1934 he married Beryl Mackintosh-Walker; they went on to have two daughters.