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Sir Frank Twiss
The naval career of Sir Frank Twiss is profiled in the Navy’s People ‘Themes’ section of Sea Your History. Here are some photographs and documents relating to his career beginning with his first commission as a midshipman to his final position of Second Sea Lord.
Letter from 1st Sea Lord Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu to Twiss, dated 11th December 1969. Back.
Letter from Michael Le Fanu to Twiss referring to the rum issue, reverse side. The letter jocularly refers to Le Fanu's somewhat difficult working relationship with Twiss as 2nd Sea Lord and his taking the credit for Twiss's work on the rum ration. On this side he acknowledges and praises Twiss's hard work. He writes 'Your saintly qualities must have been sorely tried this past year, but anyway you can look back on the Rum business as a personal triumph in an area which everybody else had abandoned as too difficult.' Admiral Sir Frank Twiss was born 7.7.1910. He started training at Dartmouth in 1924 as a Gunner Cadet Seaman branch. He was promoted to Lieutenant 1931; Commander 1945 and also awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; Captain 1950 ; Rear Admiral 1960; Vice Admiral 1963; Admiral 1967. He served as Naval Secretary to the Admiralty 1960 - 1962 when he was created Commander of the Bath. He was Flag Officer Flotillas Home Fleet 1962 - 1964 and then Commander of the Far East Fleet 1965 - 1967. At the same time he was made a Knight Commander of the Bath. He became Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel in 1967 and retired in 1970.
