Alban Thomas Buckley Curteis

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Curteis as a Midshipman with officers in H.M.S. Magnificent, c. 1905.
From official officers' photograph in album of George Napier Tomlin.

Vice-Admiral SIR Alban Thomas Buckley Curteis, K.C.B., R.N. (13 January, 1887 – 27 November, 1961) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Curteis was born the son of the Reverend T. S. Curteis of The Rectory in Sevenoaks. He left the training ship H.M.S. Britannia and was appointed to the battleship Magnificent of the Channel Squadron on 15 May 1903 as a Naval Cadet with one and a half months' seniority. He was promoted to the rank of Midshipman on 30 July and served in Magnificent until being appointed to Victorious on 2 February, 1904.

Curteis was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1909.[1]

Great War

Curteis was loaned from service in the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth to participate in the Test Mobilisation in the third class protected cruiser Topaze. He remained in her until being appointed to the destroyer Manly on 10 November, to be First Lieutenant upon her commissioning. Curteis married Essex Helen Morrall in Wimbledon on 20 March, 1915.[2]

On 24 July, 1915, he was appointed to his first command, the "B" Class destroyer Lively. On 29 March, 1916 he was appointed from Lively for command of the Onslow.[3]

Curteis missed his chance to participate in the Battle of Jutland when he was superseded in command of Onslow by John Cronyn Tovey on 7 May, 1916.

Curteis was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1917.[4]

Post-War

Curteis was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1921.[5]

Curteis was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1926.[6]

Curteis was appointed in command of the light cruiser Castor in October, 1927.

Curteis was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 10 August, 1938.[7]

World War II

On 22 June, 1941, he was remarried, to Emily Freda Morrall, the sister of his first wife who died the previous year.[8]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Harold T. Baillie-Grohman
Captain of H.M.S. Lively
24 Jul, 1915[9] – 29 Mar, 1916[10]
Succeeded by
Raymond G. F. H. de Caen
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Onslow
29 Mar, 1916[11] – 7 May, 1916[12]
Succeeded by
John C. Tovey
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain of H.M.S. Jackal
Apr, 1916[13] – 21 Apr, 1917[14]
Succeeded by
Arthur M. Roberts
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Tetrarch
15 May, 1917[15] – 22 May, 1917[16]
Succeeded by
Charles H. Knox-Little
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Ulysses
22 May, 1917[17][18] – 29 Oct, 1918[19]
Succeeded by
Vessel Lost
Preceded by
Reginald S. Goff
Captain of H.M.S. Rapid
15 Nov, 1918[20][21] – 12 Dec, 1918[22]
Succeeded by
Henry C. Rawlings
Preceded by
Hubert S. Braddyll
Captain of H.M.S. Winchelsea
15 Apr, 1921[23] – 12 Apr, 1922[24]
Succeeded by
Herbert Owen
Preceded by
William J. Whitworth
Captain of H.M.S. Verity
30 May, 1922[25][26] – 1925[27]
Succeeded by
Alexander M. Donovan
Preceded by
Percival C. W. Manwaring
Captain of H.M.S. Wild Swan
1 Jan, 1925[28] – 10 Mar, 1925[29]
Succeeded by
Alexander M. Donovan
Preceded by
Leonard S. Holbrook
Captain of H.M.S. Castor
18 Oct, 1927[30] – 21 Jun, 1928[31]
Succeeded by
Wilfred N. Custance
Preceded by
Andrew B. Cunningham
Captain of H.M.S. Despatch
21 Jun, 1928[32][33] – 21 Oct, 1928[34]
Succeeded by
Ralph Leatham
Preceded by
Ralph Leatham
Captain of H.M.S. Durban
21 Oct, 1928[35] – 26 Nov, 1928[36]
Succeeded by
John C. Annesley
Preceded by
Fischer B. Watson
Captain of H.M.S. Nelson
16 Dec, 1931[37][38] – 14 Sep, 1933[39]
Succeeded by
Patrick Macnamara
Preceded by
Ronald W. Oldham
Captain of the Fleet, Home Fleet
20 Aug, 1935[40] – 12 Apr, 1938[41]
Succeeded by
Douglas B. Fisher
Preceded by
Richard B. Davies
Captain of H.M.S. Drake
14 Apr, 1938[42] – 14 May, 1940[43]
Succeeded by
Douglas Young-Jamieson
Preceded by
Richard B. Davies
Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Devonport
Apr, 1938[44] – May, 1940[45]
Succeeded by
Victor A. C. Crutchley
Preceded by
G. Frederick B. Edward-Collins
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Second Cruiser Squadron
30 May, 1940[46] – 6 Jun, 1941[47]
Succeeded by
Wilfrid R. Patterson
Preceded by
Possibly V.A.C. First Battle Squadron
Vice-Admiral Commanding, Second Battle Squadron
4 Jun, 1941[48]
Succeeded by
Bruce A. Fraser
Preceded by
Charles E. Kennedy-Purvis
Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station
1942
Succeeded by
Irvine G. Glennie

Footnotes

  1. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 19.
  2. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  3. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  4. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 28.
  5. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  6. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  7. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  8. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  9. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  10. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  11. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  12. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  13. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395n.
  14. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  15. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  16. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  17. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  18. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 398o.
  19. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  20. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  21. The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 890.
  22. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  23. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  24. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  25. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  26. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 280.
  27. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  28. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13. Day of year inferred, as it is not specified.
  29. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  30. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13. Date inferred from Holbrook Service Record and cancelled appointment.
  31. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  32. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 231.
  33. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  34. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  35. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  36. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  37. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 255.
  38. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  39. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  40. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  41. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  42. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  43. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  44. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.
  45. Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY SENIOR APPOINTMENTS.
  46. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  47. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.
  48. Curteis Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/13. f. 13.