Alfred Taylor Dale

Who was Alfred Taylor Dale?

Admiral Alfred Taylor Dale was a British Royal Navy admiral.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1854. Promoted to Lieutenant on 14 April 1860, Commander on 4 April 1870, Captain on 31 December 1876, Rear-Admiral on 10 September 1891, Vice-Admiral on 16 September 1897, and Admiral on 3 May 1903.

In April 1894, he was appointed Second in command, Channel Squadron. In 1896, he commanded the Particular Service Squadron of six ships, specially commissioned in reply to a congratulatory telegram from Kaiser Wilhelm II to President Paul Kruger of South Africa on the repulse of Dr. Jameson's Raid. He was aboard the ship he commanded at that time, HMS Revenge, a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Sovereign class.

An international squadron was formed by a number of Great Powers during the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 to blockade the island of Crete, which was then in the midst of a native Greek rebellion against Ottoman rule, and to protect their citizens there. Participating nations included Britain, France, and Russia among others.