Sir Robert Balchin~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sir John Balchin
http://tinyurl.com/cgcams :Interview with Sir Robert Balchin on what the discovery means to him and his family.
Admiral Sir John Balchin was one of the most respected and longest-serving fighting officers in Royal Navy history. When he tragically drowned on HMS Victory on October 5, 1744, he had dedicated 58 years of service to king and country, sailing the waters of the West Indies, the Baltic, Mediterranean and English Channel on 13 different warships. Balchin was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1728, Vice-Admiral six years later, and, in August 1743, became Admiral of the White, the second highest naval appointment. Twice captured by the French and twice exonerated by courts martial, the Admiral’s illustrious career culminated in 1744, when, at the age of 74, he was called out of retirement to assume active command of the mightiest and most technically-advanced vessel of the age—the first-rate flagship HMS Victory.
Balchin began to rise to prominence after being appointed captain of the Virgin in 1697. From there he served as captain and later commander of the Firebrand (1697), Vulcan (1702), Adventure and Chester (1703-1707), Gloucester (1709), Colchester (1710-1715), Diamond (1715), Orford (1716), Shrewsbury (1718), Monmouth (1719) and Ipswich (1722-1725).
In April of 1744, the 74 year-old Admiral was appointed Governor of Greenwich Naval Hospital and was knighted by King George II for his long-standing service to his country. His new appointment was an honorable retirement from the active list.
Yet in July 1744, the sea-worn Balchin was rushed out of retirement and placed in command of the Royal Navy’s premier flagship HMS Victory, armed with an extraordinary 100 to 110 bronze cannon. The Admiral was called upon to rescue the Mediterranean victual convoy blockaded down the River Tagus by the Brest fleet. If these vital supplies failed to reach the Mediterranean fleet, England was at risk of losing the War of the Austrian Succession.
By late August, Balchin’s Victory accompanied by a large fleet of ships, arrived at the River Tagus at Lisbon immediately liberating the convoy and escorting it to Gibraltar. The French squadron of 12 ships retreated to Cadiz with Balchin in hot pursuit and blocking the fleet in port.
On his return voyage home, Balchin set sail from the coast of Galicia on September 28, yet shortly after entering the English Channel, a fierce storm arose, which dispersed his fleet. All of the sails safely reached England with the sole exception to Balchin’s Victory. When the Victory sank, approximately 900 sailors, plus a complement of marines and 50 volunteers drawn from the noblest families of England, were on board; all perished in the disaster, including the Admiral Sir John Balchin, tragically ending one of the most remarkable naval careers in British history.
When the Admiral’s death was reported, the public reaction to this national disaster was swift, and it was not long before a 10-foot marble monument was erected in his memory in the northern transept of Westminster Abbey. Above the lengthy inscription honoring Sir John Balchin, Admiral of the White, Squadron of his Majesty’s fleet, is a fine bas-relief showing HMS Victory dismasted and about to capsize in a raging sea. In the foreground a small, yet symbolic figure clings to a floating wooden anchor.
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