Austen Gerald Lilley

Captain Austen Gerald Lilley (28 July, 1890 – 29 March, 1937) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

His first name is sometimes spelled as "Austin" in the Navy List editions.

Life & Career

Born in Hereford the son of a solicitor, it appears that Lilley entered Royal Naval College, Dartmouth directly – part of the Royal Navy's transition from training new cadets in H.M.S. Britannia as the new scheme was being primed.^{[Fact Check]}

He gained two months' time on passing out and joining Drake on 15 May, 1907.

In 1909, Lilley received instruction in navigation. After taking Part I and Part II in 1910-11, Lilley received his Watch Keeping certificate on 27 July, 1912.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 October, 1912 and was re-appointed in Boadicea in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant and contributed to the ship's good results in the 1912 Battle Practice. In early 1913, he underwent an appendectomy at King Edward VII Hospital. He emerged fit on 19 April and returned to Boadicea until October, 1913.

Lilley was appointed to Attack as first lieutenant on 29 October, 1913 and was in her through 17 February, 1916 when he was appointed in command of T.B. 9, operating with the Nore Local Defence Flotilla. He lost T.B. 9 to a collision with the destroyer Matchless on 26 July. In the end, Lilley was commended for returning aboard the foundering boat to recover a confidential book that had been left behind.

While captain of Forester, Lilley was commended by the Admiralty for his role in saving survivors of flotilla-mate H.M.S. Contest, which was torpedoed on 18 September, 1917.

On 30 November 1917, Lilley was admitted to Plymouth Hospital with neurasthenia and was given three weeks to regain his health. It took him a bit more time, but he was back in hospital soon after being deemed ready for service on 18 January, 1918.

After so much time out of action, Lilley was appointed in temporary command of the destroyer Tower on 1 August, 1918. On 6 September, the temporary designation was dropped.

Post-War

Lilley married Beatrice Watkins Wells on 28 May 1919.

In January 1920 while in command of Tower, Lilley was commended for sweeping ahead of S.S. Edouard [illeg] on her passage from Dover to Flensburg.

Lilley was appointed in command of the destroyer Torch in August, 1920.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 October, 1920. On 6 November, 1920, Lilley grounded Torch off Odessa. A Court of Enquiry held on the 18th faulted him for approaching an unlit coast without sufficient margin of safety, but no disciplinary action was taken.

In August, 1921, Lilley was appointed in command of Serapis. In October, 1922 he would be placed in command of Sparrowhawk. The rest of the decade would be spent in an impressive series of destroyer commands with some time off.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1926. On 6 July, he was appointed to Osprey for a short anti-submarine course.

Lilley wrapped up the 1920s with a stint in command of the light cruiser Constance.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1933. he was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy from 31 August, 1933 to 28 October, 1935. He was warmly evaluated in this duty by Rear-Admiral Commanding His Majesty's Australian Squadron W. T. R. Ford, "I have formed a high opinion of Captain Lilley. He has had a most un-enviable task in organizing and training his destroyers under difficult and annoying conditions and restrictions in spite of which he has succeeded in bringing his Flotilla into a good state of efficiency."

He was appointed Deputy Director of Personal Services on 8 October, 1936, vice Denison.

Lilley was reported sick on shore on 15 March 1937. He would die two weeks later.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Philip A. Heyder	Captain of H.M. T.B. 9 17 Feb, 1916 – 26 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by Eric J. Shelley	Captain of H.M. T.B. 35 30 Aug, 1916 – 14 Jan, 1917	Succeeded by Oliver R. Wace
Preceded by Wilfred A. Thompson	Captain of H.M.S. Forester 22 Jan, 1917 – 24 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Richard T. Down
Preceded by George P. Leith	Captain of H.M.S. Porpoise 24 Jan, 1918 – 20 Mar, 1918	Succeeded by Frederick W. F. Fegen
Preceded by Mark P. C. Kerr	Captain of H.M.S. Tower 1 Aug, 1918 – 6 Mar, 1920	Succeeded by Valentine A. Raleigh
Preceded by Charles L. Evan-Thomas	Captain of H.M.S. Llewellyn 6 Mar, 1920 – 2 Jun, 1920	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Donal S. McGrath	Captain of H.M.S. Trusty 2 Jun, 1920 – Aug, 1920	Succeeded by Herbert Owen
Preceded by Kenneth G. Ramsey	Captain of H.M.S. Torch Aug, 1920 – Aug, 1921	Succeeded by Vernon S. Butler
Preceded by Vernon S. Butler	Captain of H.M.S. Serapis Aug, 1921 – Oct, 1922	Succeeded by Richard M. Welby
Preceded by Richard M. Welby	Captain of H.M.S. Sparrowhawk Oct, 1922 – Nov, 1922	Succeeded by John D. Harvey
Preceded by George A. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Venturous 20 Mar, 1923 – Sep, 1923	Succeeded by Vernon Hammersley-Heenan
Preceded by Paul F. P. Berryman	Captain of H.M.S. Wanderer 20 Jun, 1924 – 19 Feb, 1925	Succeeded by Austen G. Lilley
Preceded by John D. Harvey	Captain of H.M.S. Woolston 19 Feb, 1925 – 1 Apr, 1925	Succeeded by Charles G. Stuart
Preceded by Austen G. Lilley	Captain of H.M.S. Wanderer 1 Apr, 1925 – 13 Mar, 1926	Succeeded by Donal S. McGrath
Preceded by Hubert Vaughan-Jones	Captain of H.M.S. Thruster Jul, 1926 – 28 Apr, 1927	Succeeded by Leon S. Acheson
Preceded by Geoffrey S. Holden	Captain of H.M.S. Vanquisher 17 May, 1927 – Jun, 1929	Succeeded by Donal S. McGrath
Preceded by Colin A. M. Sarel	Captain of H.M.S. Constance 27 Dec, 1930 – 5 Jan, 1931	Succeeded by Robert Mends
Preceded by John G. Y. Loveband	Captain of H.M.S. Windsor 5 Jan, 1931 – 13 Apr, 1931	Succeeded by Charles T. Beard
Preceded by George A. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Watchman 31 Jul, 1931 – 31 Aug, 1933	Succeeded by John S. Crawford
Preceded by Philip E. Phillips as Captain of H.M.S. Stuart	Captain of H.M.A.S. Stuart 11 Oct, 1933	Succeeded by Cecil H. J. Harcourt