Sir John Phillimore CB (18 January 1781 – 21 March 1840) was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was involved in several notable actions during his active career, taking part in both Battles of Copenhagen, sending Sir Hyde Parker's famous signal to Nelson in the first, and fighting off Danish gunboats in the second. He went on to win a hard-fought victory over a French frigate in 1814 and reaped the rewards. He was at times a controversial figure, causing a scandal when he thrashed the naval historian William James with a stick for apparently badly representing Phillimore's conduct, and on another occasion inviting rebuke from the Navy Board for his request for more paint for his ship. He nevertheless became an aide-de-camp to the young Queen Victoria, and took important steps to reform how the lower ranks and ordinary seamen were treated in the Navy.
Family and early life
Phillimore was born on 18 January 1781, the third son of the Reverend Joseph Phillimore, the rector of Orton on the Hill, Leicestershire, and his wife Mary. His naval service began when he joined Captain George Murray's 36-gun frigate as a volunteer first class in June 1794. Phillimore was present at the Battle of Groix on 23 June 1795 as a midshipman, before both he and Murray moved aboard the 74-gun . They fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent, and after surviving the wreck of the Colossus in St Mary's harbour, Isles of Scilly, were briefly aboard , before moving again aboard .
Phillimore and the Edgar went with Sir Hyde Parker's fleet for his expedition to the Baltic in 1801. During the Battle of Copenhagen Phillimore had been sent to Parker's flagship, the 90-gun to take his examination. He served as the Londons acting-signal lieutenant during the battle, sending Parker's famous signal for Nelson to withdraw. Nelson, directing action aboard , was informed of the signal by the signal lieutenant, Frederick Langford, but angrily responded: 'I told you to look out on the Danish commodore and let me know when he surrendered. Keep your eyes fixed on him.' He then turned to his flag captain, Thomas Foley, and said 'You know, Foley, I have only one eye. I have a right to be blind sometimes.' He raised the telescope to his blind eye, and said 'I really do not see the signal.' Phillimore returned to the Edgar after the battle, where he learnt that the Edgars first lieutenant had been killed in the engagement. A round of general promotions of the junior officers followed, and Phillimore was promoted to lieutenant.
Command
Phillimore remained in the Baltic, serving briefly aboard the London again, before moving aboard the 80-gun and serving with Murray off Cadiz. With the Peace of Amiens Phillimore was appointed as first lieutenant of the brig-sloop , being promoted to commander on 10 May 1804. He received his first command, that of the 20-gun , in October 1805. He commanded Cormorant in the North Sea until September 1806, when he was moved to take command of the 18-gun . He commanded her in the English Channel and the Downs, taking part in Commodore Edward Owen's attack on Bolougne. The Belette was occupied in early 1807 with conveying supplies to the besieged town of Kolberg, after which she was attached to Admiral James Gambier's fleet which returned to the Baltic to attack Copenhagen again in 1807. Phillimore distinguished himself during the battle, particularly in an engagement at the end of August, when the Belette became becalmed off the Danish coast. She was attacked by 16 Danish gunboats, of which Phillimore managed to sink three before other British ships arrived and towed him clear. Gambier rewarded his courage by giving him the honour of carrying his despatches to the Admiralty, as a result of which he received a promotion to post captain on 13 October 1807.
Belette and the Baltic
Phillimore initially remained in command of the Belette, returning to the Baltic in late 1807. He brought the British ambassador, Lord Hutchinson back to Britain in February 1808. At some point while sailing to Gothenburg he had the misfortune to encounter the only two decker in the Danish Navy, which he escaped by sailing into shallower waters. Promotion eventually left him without a ship however, though he temporarily took over command of the 74-gun in June 1809 with the temporary absence of her captain, Graham Moore. He took part in the Walcheren Campaign until Moore's return to command in late 1809. Phillimore's next command was the nominally 64-gun , though she had been converted into a troopship some years earlier and by the time Phillimore became her captain in June 1810, she only mounted 32 guns.