This second sub-collection which forms the bulk of the Ballard collection contains the papers of Admiral George Alexander Ballard (1862-1948) which record events of his naval career from 1875-1919 including his participation in the Mahdist War, Third Anglo-Burmese War, and First World War. These provide an insight into the personal and professional life of a naval officer who rose from cadet to admiral.

Related material:
Additional copies of George Alexander Ballard's personal reminiscences (BLRD/2/3/1) held under reference NAI/2/29 and microfilm copy: MRF/107. Copy also held by National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth under reference RNM 1988/89. His service record is held by The National Archives under reference: ADM 196/88/29.

Administrative / biographical background
George Alexander Ballard was born 7 March 1862 at Malabar Hill, Bombay [Mumbai] and was the eldest son of Lieutenant-General John Archibald Ballard and his wife Joanna (née Scott Moncrieff). After attending Dr Burney's academy in Gosport, Ballard entered the training ship BRITANNIA in January 1875. He began his service at sea in 1877 serving in the ironclads RESISTANCE and ACHILLES in the Channel and Mediterranean fleets, and was present at the forcing of the Dardanelles in February 1878 under Admiral Hornby. He joined the TOURMALINE in September 1878 and in 1880 began a 21 month voyage around the world as part of the ‘flying squadron’, returning in 1882 as acting sub-lieutenant. He was then appointed to the HECLA in 1883 which was dispatched with troops to the Red Sea. Ballard, along with many of his shipmates formed a naval brigade to campaign alongside the army in the Sudan and fought at the Battle of Tamai after which he was promoted lieutenant in the field for his services. He joined the gunboat WOODLARK at Rangoon in May 1885 and served in the Third Anglo-Burmese War, becoming General Prendergast’s naval aide-de-camp, and taking part in the storming of Mandalay. Between 1887 and 1895 he served in the Mediterranean and on the China Station, and received his first command in 1895 of the destroyer JANUS at Sheerness. In May 1896 he commanded the torpedo gunboat RENARD; he was officially made Commander in December 1897. That year he also won the Royal United Services Institute gold medal for a naval essay and would win a second in 1899. In 1898 he married Mary Frances Hayes (née Paterson), they had two sons and one daughter. Ballard served as Commander in the ISIS on the China station during the Boxer Rebellion. He then joined the naval intelligence division in February 1902 and was promoted Captain the following year. He commanded the large cruisers TERRIBLE and HAMPSHIRE between 1906 and 1907 and the battleships COMMONWEALTH (1909) and BRITANNIA (1910). In January 1912 he became director of the operations division and in 1913 was appointed as one of King George V’s naval aides-de-camp. He became Commodore in May 1914; Rear-Admiral in August and was appointed Admiral of Patrols, responsible for defending the east coast of England during the First World War. He then held the position of Admiral Superintendent of Malta Dockyard from September 1916 until November 1918. He was promoted to Vice-Admiral in February 1919, retired in June 1921 and became an Admiral on the retired list in 1924. After retirement, he occupied himself with historical research, writing ‘The Influence of the Sea on the Political History of Japan’ published in 1921 and ‘Rulers of the Indian Ocean’ in 1927. He was a member of the Society for Nautical Research and published several illustrated articles for the Mariner’s Mirror on warships of the mid-Victorian Navy. These were later republished under the title ‘The Black Battlefleet’. He died 16 September 1948 at his home in Downton, Wiltshire.