Charles Frederick Bush

Commander Charles Frederick Bush, R.N., Retired (15 January, 1889 – 8 April, 1951) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Like many junior officers, he found his metier in a series of destroyer commands during the Great War and in the postwar period.

It appears that he was known to the Navy by the name "Charlie" upon first joining the service, but this was eventually altered in his service record.

Life & Career

Bush was born in Hingham, Norfolk. He entered the Royal Navy ranked 55th in order of merit of sixty cadets accepted in the May 1904 intake term at H.M.S. Britannia.

Bush gained two and a half months on passing out of Britannia in September 1905 and receiving his first appointment, to Powerful on the fifteenth. He served over two years in Powerful, leaving only when she paid off on 9 October 1907. He had to wait until 4 January, 1908 before receiving his next appointment, to the battleship Britannia, which was part of the Channel Fleet. He moved to the New Zealand on the 28th.

On 11 March, 1909, Bush was admitted to Haslar Hospital for an abscessed tooth. He was released on the 23rd. On 17 June, he joined Locust to participate in the annual manoeuvres.

On 19 October, 1909, Bush was appointed to Blake for the "C" Class destroyer Leven. Bush committed a breach of discipline when he left a petty officer to "go the rounds" in Leven in March of 1910. He was to be superseded after receiving an expression of Their Lordships' displeasure. On 5 May, he was superseded and appointed to the armoured cruiser Warrior of the Second Cruiser Squadron, in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant.

Bush was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 22 June, 1911. On 18 June, 1912, he was superseded in Warrior and soon received short appointment in the destroyer Lyra and the scout cruiser Attentive before finally receiving a more longstanding appointment in the battleship Russell of the Fourth Battle Squadron.

After a year in Russell, Bush was appointed to the destroyer Beagle as first lieutenant on 17 September, 1913.

Great War

In Beagle, Bush operated with the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean, covering the landings at Anzac Cove at Gallipoli and shepherding landing barges for sustained operations inshore.

On 14 March, 1916 he was appointed in command of one of 5 D.F.'s "oily wads", the Cricket Class first-class torpedo boat T.B. 17, in which he would serve for seventeen months.

On 28 December, 1917, Bush was appointed in command of the Acheron Class destroyer Hind, operating out of Devonport as part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla. Bush switched from there to the Laforey Class destroyer Lawford, which had been fitted for minelaying work with 4 D.F., on 20 March, 1918. He remained in her until the end of the war.

Interbellum

After taking Lawford to The Nore to await disposal at the end of the war, Bush was appointed in command of the destroyer Norman on 9 January, 1919 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 22 June, 1919.

On 18 October, 1919, Bush was appointed in command of the destroyer Vansittart. In 1922, he was warned to be more careful after failing to land cordite for testing.

In July 1924, Bush damaged a propeller in Vendetta and was cautioned to be more careful.

In 1928, Bush grounded Restless and was cautioned to be more careful.

Bush was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 15 January, 1932.

World War II

Bush worked as Senior Officer, Operations, for the Flag Officer in Command, Yarmouth in 1940-41. Physical damage to his Service Record makes the details difficult to make out.

Bush died of acute myocardial failure brought on by hypertension and arterio sclerosis.

See Also

• Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Terence A. F. Longford	Captain of H.M. T.B. 17 14 Mar, 1916 – 15 Aug, 1917	Succeeded by Harman A. L. Bond
Preceded by Ralph Neville	Captain of H.M.S. Savage 17 Aug, 1917 – 27 Dec, 1917	Succeeded by John M. Henderson
Preceded by Basil E. Reinold	Captain of H.M.S. Hind 28 Dec, 1917 – 20 Mar, 1918	Succeeded by Edmund Johnstone
Preceded by Edmund Johnstone	Captain of H.M.S. Lawford 20 Mar, 1918 – 9 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Fairfax M. Kerr	Captain of H.M.S. Norman 9 Jan, 1919 – 16 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Vansittart 18 Oct, 1919 – May, 1921	Succeeded by Cosmo M. Graham
Preceded by John H. Jauncey	Captain of H.M.S. Venturous 29 Jun, 1921 – Apr, 1922	Succeeded by Percival C. W. Manwaring
Preceded by William J. Whitworth	Captain of H.M.S. Veteran Apr, 1922 – 6 Jun, 1923	Succeeded by Thomas C. A. H. Ouchterlony
Preceded by Hugh E. Raymond	Captain of H.M.S. Vendetta 4 Dec, 1923 – 17 Oct, 1924	Succeeded by Walter N. T. Beckett
Preceded by Thomas C. A. H. Ouchterlony	Captain of H.M.S. Veteran 25 Oct, 1924 – May, 1925	Succeeded by Henry Clanchy
Preceded by John M. Porter	Captain of H.M.S. Thracian 7 Jul, 1925 – 31 May, 1926	Succeeded by Reginald Nash
Preceded by Norman A. G. Ohlenschlager	Captain of H.M.S. Restless 1 Dec, 1928 – 1 Jul, 1929	Succeeded by Frederick L. Cavaye