Alexander Lowndes

Captain Alexander Lowndes, C.B., Royal Navy (26 March, 1874 – 20 March, 1921) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Lowndes was the youngest son of Major James Lowndes, a member of the United Services Club in London.

Lowndes was made a Lieutenant on 31 December, 1895 and would spend the next three years serving in China, providing navigation services for the gunboat Pigmy.

In May 1899 he obtained his pilotage certificate for first-class ships.

Lowndes was appointed to the battleship Commonwealth as first and navigating officer in March 1905. Despite some "domestic affliction" which called him away for two weeks in September 1905, he remained in Commonwealth after being promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1906.

He decided in September 1907 to transfer from the navigation branch to the executive branch of the navy, and a Commander (N) was brought to the Commonwealth, and Lowndes became the executive officer, now under the wing of the new Captain, Montague Edward Browning. Much of the rest of his career would have him following Browning, suggesting a strong interpersonal bond.

Three months in signal and war courses at the end of 1909 were followed by two years in command of the third class protected cruiser H.M.S. Alacrity, back again on the China Station.

Lowndes spent four months as Acting Flag Captain in Minotaur from mid September, 1910 to January, 1911. Vice-Admiral Winsloe would offer Lowndes a strong recommendation afterward, noting that he possessed "great tact & ability." Lowndes reverted to service in Alacrity until he was invalided on 8 February, 1912. No details of the condition prompting this necessity are provided in his Service Record.

Lowndes was promoted to Captain on 30 June, 1913.

He was appointed to the battleship Hibernia on 29 August, 1913, acting as flag captain to his mentor Montague Browning, who was now Rear-Admiral, Third Battle Squadron.

Lowndes left Hibernia when he was appointed in command of the armoured cruiser Antrim on 23 July, 1915. He served just over a year in her before being called back under Browning's wing when he was appointed as Flag Captain and Chief of Staff to Vice-Admiral Browning in H.M.S. Leviathan on 9 August 1916.

He followed Browning again when he was appointed to command the battleship Hercules on 12 February, 1918 as Chief of Staff to Vice-Admiral Commanding, Fourth Battle Squadron.

Post-War

Browning went to the Admiralty as Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel, and Lowndes was appointed his Naval Assistant on 30 March, 1919.

He was appointed Chief of Staff to Browning, now Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, on 30 September, 1920.

Although he had been fairly healthy throughout his career, Lowndes was admitted to hospital on 28 February, 1921 with colon cancer. He died on 20 March following an operation in the Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth.

Bibliography

• "Captain A. Lowndes, C.B., R.N." (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 23 March, 1921. Issue 42676, col E, p. 13.

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/141.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/89.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/43.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Cyril T. M. Fuller	Captain of H.M.S. Alacrity 27 Jan, 1910 – 8 Feb, 1912	Succeeded by Charles L. Lambe
Preceded by Ernest K. Loring	Captain of H.M.S. Hibernia 29 Aug, 1913 – 23 Jul, 1915	Succeeded by Vernon H. S. Haggard
Preceded by Vincent B. Molteno	Captain of H.M.S. Antrim 23 Jul, 1915 – 9 Aug, 1916	Succeeded by Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by Marcus R. Hill	Captain of H.M.S. Leviathan 9 Aug, 1916 – Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Francis M. Austin
Preceded by Henry W. Parker	Captain of H.M.S. Hercules 12 Feb, 1918 – 30 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by William L. Elder
Preceded by The Hon. Herbert Meade as Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord	Naval Assistant to the Second Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Personnel 30 Mar, 1919 – 30 Sep, 1920	Succeeded by Arthur J. Davies