Henry Oliver: podcast appearances and interviews

Henry Oliver was a Royal Navy officer who achieved the rank of Admiral of the Fleet. Throughout his career, he served in various prominent roles, including commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Achilles and the battleship HMS Thunderer. He was the first commanding officer of the navigation school HMS Mercury in the early 20th century and later became Director of the Intelligence Division at the Admiralty. During the Second Boer War, he served as a navigating officer on a cruiser operating on the Cape of Good Hope and the West Coast of Africa Station. During World War I, Oliver was deployed to Antwerp, where he coordinated efforts with Belgian support to destroy the engine rooms of 38 stranded German merchant vessels. He became Naval Secretary to Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, and subsequently served as chief of the Admiralty War Staff and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. In these capacities, he was closely involved in directing the Allied forces at the Battle of Jutland. He also commanded the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron in the Grand Fleet during the final year of the war. After the war, Oliver held commands of the 2nd Battle Squadron, the Home Fleet, and the Reserve Fleet. His later appointments included Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, where he oversaw significant expenditure reductions and naval disarmament following international treaties. His last role was as commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet before his retirement.