| East Indies Station | |
|---|---|
_gunnery_practice_1913.jpg) HMS Swiftsure at gunnery practice on the East Indies Station in the summer of 1913 | |
| Active | 1744–1958 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Navy |
| Type | Fleet |
| Part of | Admiralty |
| Garrison/HQ | Trincomalee |
The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies.[1]
Even in official documents, the term East Indies Station was often used. In 1941, the ships of the China Squadron and East Indies Squadron were merged to form the Eastern Fleet under the control of the Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet.[2] The China Station then ceased as a separate command. The East Indies Station was disbanded in 1958.
It encompassed Royal Navy Dockyards and bases in East Africa, Middle East, India and Ceylon, and other ships not attached to other fleets. For many years under rear admirals, from the 1930s the Commander-in-Chief was often an Admiral or a Vice-Admiral.
- ^ Roberts, John (2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Barnsley, England: Seaforth Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 9781848320437.
- ^ Jackson, Ashley (2006). The British Empire and the Second World War. London [u.a.]: Hambledon Continuum. p. 289. ISBN 1852854170.