Charles Edward Whately Pyddoke

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Captain Charles Edward Whately Pyddoke (4 June, 1874 – 31 January, 1940) was an officer in the Royal Navy during the Great War. Psychological strain prompted his retirement mid-war, but he continued to serve his country in less trying support roles.

Life & Career

Pyddoke passed out of Britannia in December 1888 and was appointed to Iron Duke on the 21st. He also served in Orlando, Cordelia and Narcissus before joining the College on 20 September 1893.[1]

Upon leaving a one year appointment in the Nile in the Mediterranean, Pyddoke was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in October, 1895.[2]

Pyddoke was appointed to Terpsichore on the Cape of Good Hope Station as first and gunnery officer on 1 September, 1904. Leaving her when she paid off on 9 November 1906, Pyddoke was soon given his first ship command, an appointment as captain of the destroyer Speedy dated 8 January, 1907.

He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1907.[3]

As a Commander, Pyddoke was appointed captain of the first class protected cruiser Grafton of the Training Squadron on 9 April, 1913.[4]

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1914.[5]

Great War

Though Pyddoke had received solid evaluations throughout his peacetime naval career, the stresses of war found his limits.

On 4 August, 1914 Pyddoke was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Empress of Britain. Pyddoke was placed on the ship's sick list on 3 January, 1915[6] and left the ship three days later, to be sent to Plymouth Hospital suffering from neurasthenia and melancholia. He was not found fit again until 7 September 1915, on which date he was appointed in command of the battleship Mars, which had been stripped of most of her weaponry to serve as a troopship to bring men to the Gallipoli landings. The ship returned to Devonport in February, 1916.

On 6 March, 1916 Pyddoke was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Intrepid, but on 23 May he was invalided from command after suffering a nervous breakdown.[7]

After spending some time at Haslar Hospital, his condition had not greatly improved. Pyddoke was retired as unfit on 9 October, 1916 and appointed Captain Superintendent of the training ship Cornwall on 17 November, 1916.[8]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Arthur J. Davies
Captain of H.M.S. Kangaroo
14 Aug, 1901[9][10] – 20 Oct, 1903[11]
Succeeded by
Rowland H. Bather
Preceded by
Edgar R. Morant
Captain of H.M.S. Speedy
8 Jan, 1907[12][13] – 16 Jul, 1907[14]
Succeeded by
Reginald L. Crichton
Preceded by
Henry F. G. Talbot
Captain of H.M.S. Mallard
29 Nov, 1908[15][16] – 12 Aug, 1910[17]
Succeeded by
Wilfred Tomkinson
Preceded by
Frederic A. Whitehead
Captain of H.M.S. Grafton
9 Apr, 1913[18][19] – 1 Aug, 1914[20]
Succeeded by
Hugh L. P. Heard
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Empress of Britain
4 Aug, 1914[21][22] – 6 Jan, 1915[23]
Succeeded by
Ernest Wigram
Preceded by
Richard M. Harbord
Captain of H.M.S. Mars
7 Sep, 1915[24][25] – 6 Mar, 1916[26]
Succeeded by
Francis V. Wilson
Preceded by
Harry H. Smyth
Captain of H.M.S. Intrepid
6 Mar, 1916[27] – 23 May, 1916[28]
Succeeded by
Rupert S. Gwatkin-Williams
Preceded by
Francis W. Caulfieid
as Captain of H.M.S. Cornwall
Captain Superintendent of H.M.S. Cornwall
17 Nov, 1916[29]
Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  2. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  3. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  4. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 322.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 28842. p. 4880. 22 June, 1914.
  6. Ship's Log.
  7. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  8. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  9. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  10. The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 275a.
  11. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  12. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  13. The Navy List. (March, 1907). p. 377.
  14. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  15. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  16. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 343.
  17. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  18. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  19. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 322.
  20. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  21. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  22. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 401j.
  23. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  24. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  25. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 396.
  26. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  27. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  28. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.
  29. Pyddoke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/393. f. 434.