Admiral Sir John Brigstocke
Gifted naval commander who made significant contributions both to the Service and to public life
ADMIRAL SIR JOHN BRIGSTOCKE, who has died aged 74, made many important contributions to public life: in the Royal Navy, to healthcare in the East Midlands, as the first Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman, as chancellor of the University of Buckingham, and Deputy Lieutenant of the county of Northampton.
John Richard Brigstocke was born on July 30 1945 and when he entered Dartmouth, one of the youngest of a large entry of cadets in 1962, he gave his address as Lambeth Palace, where his father was chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey. Like his father and his brother (Hugh, who become an art historian), John was educated at Marlborough.
He then entered Dartmouth under the Murray scheme, the last training programme under which the Navy attempted to educate its own officers: he was chagrined that soon afterwards young officers began to be sent to university, when he would have undoubtedly been able to follow his father to Oxford.
It soon became apparent, however, that he was one of the stars of his entry, and he became a Divisional Sub-lieutenant, captain of the saddle club, skied for the college, and was awarded the Argentine Navy Gold Medal, and the Queen’s telescope.
His first sea appointment was nearly his last: when the destroyer Caprice put into Aden, he was seconded to the Irish Guards who were fighting dissidents in the Radfan, and he was wounded in the premature explosion of an anti-tank gun. Evacuated by air to Britain, he spent six months in convalescence.
Next he was assistant navigator in the Royal Yacht on a visit to South America in 1969, and operations officer of the frigate Whitby (1969–70), before becoming a poster boy for recruitment officers as the 24-yearold captain of the minesweeper Upton (1970-71).
Brigstocke wanted to be a signals officer, but was persuaded to specialise in gunnery. After serving in the frigate Minerva (1972–74), he was one of two lieutenants chosen to attend the Royal Navy staff college at Greenwich, a course usually only open to more senior officers. He was a staff officer at Dartmouth (1974–76); and first lieutenant of the frigate Ariadne (1976–78).
Brigstocke showed himself to be unafraid of standing up to his seniors: he would ensure that he always knew his facts, would not give in because he was “out-striped”, and was once overheard telling his captain: “It’s no good shouting at me, sir, I’m not giving in. If you want me to run your ship then this is what I recommend needs to be done.”
He commanded the frigate Bacchante (1978–79), where he proved himself to be a demanding boss but a great friend to those who grew to know him well, and he was well liked by ships’ companies.
He served a first stint in the Directorate of Naval Plans as a desk officer (1980–81), when he learnt how the levers of power worked, and deployed his undoubted charm among civil servants.
In 1981-82 he was Commander Sea Training at Portland, when most of the ships which went to fight in the Falklands war benefited from his skills and experience, though he was personally and professionally disappointed not to find a more active role for himself – a pattern which was to recur throughout his career.
Returning to the Plans directorate as a newly promoted captain in 1982, he absorbed the “Lessons Learned” from the Falklands and oversaw operational enhancements in the fleet.
In 1987 he returned to Dartmouth, where with characteristic energy he embarked on a radical reform of training and education, the most contentious part of the package being a proposal to replace Naval History, which was taught on Saturday mornings to young officers exhausted after a week’s largely physical training, with a course in Defence Studies taught in tutorials.
The proposal provoked letters and op-ed articles in the broadsheets, and created the impression that the reforms to officer training had been rushed.
After attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1985, Brigstocke’s thesis was distinguished enough to be published in the Seaford House papers.
In command of the destroyer York (when he was also Captain 3rd Destroyer Squadron, 1986–87), he deployed to the Far East to provide an escort for the Royal Yacht during the Queen’s visit to China. He went on to command the aircraft carrier Ark Royal (1989–90) and, promoted rearadmiral, to hold important operational commands as Flag Officer 2nd Flotilla (1991–92) and Commander UK Task Group (1992–93).
Brigstocke was Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (1993–95) when yet another Defence Review, “Frontline First”, was visited on the MOD. Thirty-three Defence Cost Studies, with hundreds of individual recommendations, fell on his desk on a Good Friday, needing to be summarised and presented to colleagues on the Navy Board by the following Tuesday. His plan of allotting red, amber or green cards to each item was regarded as “brilliant”.
Promoted to vice-admiral, in 1995 he became Flag Officer Surface Flotilla, and after this, his third seagoing flag appointment, he was disappointed not to become Commander-in-chief Fleet. Instead, he was knighted KCB and became Chief of Naval Personnel, concurrently enjoying the titles of Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-chief Naval Home Command (1997-2000), with headquarters in Portsmouth.
There he flung himself into the problems of recovery from a recruiting nadir after a succession of defence reviews, and gave his personal and genuine commitment to encouraging recruits from minority ethnic backgrounds. He also spoke out against cuts in defence medical services which had left hundreds of sailors unfit for duty, and described the Forces’ medical provision as “parlous”.
Retiring from the Navy at 55, Brigstocke took on a number of roles in healthcare: as chief executive of the St Andrew’s group of hospitals (2000-4), director of the Independent Healthcare Association (2000-3), and of the private Three Shires Hospital (2000-4), and chairman of the East Midlands Strategic Health Authority (2006-10).
His energy and enthusiasm for new challenges was unbounded, and he was characteristically successful, but also frustrated, finding himself dealing with issues that reflected rather too closely the anguish of the prolonged illness and early death of a son.
On hospital visits across the region his good humour seemed only to be challenged by seemingly constant roadworks on the M1. His well-developed leadership and easy charm won over patients and staff and allowed him to champion local causes in the corridors of Whitehall.
From 2006 to 2016 he was an effective first Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman, responsible for both policy and the complaints service.
Brigstocke was impeccably mannered, always dapper, came top in every examination, and was sure and uncompromising in his standards. His self-assured exterior hid a kind, considerate but private man who was loyal to those whose careers he believed deserved help, and he supported them quietly but strongly. His quick brain ensured that a conversation with him was direct, fast-moving, and often highly amusing.
Brigstocke had been surprised when in 1965 his parents converted to Roman Catholicism: he remained a member of the established Church.
In 1979 he married Heather Day, who survives him with a son.
Admiral Sir John Brigstocke, born July 30 1945, died May 26 2020