Charles Maurice Blackman

Captain Charles Maurice Blackman, D.S.O., R.N. (7 March, 1890 – 1981) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of C. W. Blackman, Esq., a "Director" who appears to have died on 29 May 1901. Blackman passed out of Britannia on 15 January 1906 and served for one year in Berwick and then two in the battleship Queen in the Mediterranean. In April 1909, he was sent to the Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth to await Part I examinations.

Blackman was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 December, 1910.

Blackman was appointed in command of the destroyer Fame on 9 December, 1913. He commanded her in the early part of the war until being superseded on 5 October, 1915. From February to 10 July 1916 he commanded Derwent. After less than a month in command of Oracle, he was given command of the destroyer Ariel.

He was thanked for attacking a submarine while in command of Ariel on 6 December, 1916. It was perhaps this action that would result in his winning a D.S.O. in 1919, which specifies it was for attacking a submarine.

On 24 April, 1918 he was hospitalised for influenza and Alexander Sholto Douglas took over temporary command of Osiris. Blackman was found fit in May and returned to command his destroyer until 6 December, 1918.

Post-War

Blackman was appointed in command of the destroyer Strenuous on 6 December, 1918 and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 December.

He grounded Strenuous at some point, perhaps in 1920.

Blackman was appointed in command of the destroyer Tara on 17 May, 1920.

Blackman was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1924.

In November, 1925, he was sent to the League of Nations to assist in a role that is not legible in his service record. On New Year's Day, 1929, he was appointed to Queen Elizabeth.

On 4 November, 1931 he was appointed for command of Ardent, his appointment ending on either the 18th or 19th of December, 1931. He then went back to the League of Nations to work on a Disarmament Conference.

Blackman was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1931.

In 1936 he was appointed in command of Grenville.

See Also

• Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by George F. A. Mulock	Captain of H.M.S. Jed 9 Dec, 1913 – 18 Dec, 1913	Succeeded by Edmond M. Bowly
Preceded by Ralph W. Wilkinson	Captain of H.M.S. Fame 18 Dec, 1913 – 5 Oct, 1915	Succeeded by George Spencer
Preceded by Henry R. James	Captain of H.M.S. Derwent 9 Feb, 1916 – 10 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Edward C. Thornton
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Oracle 10 Jul, 1916 – Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Arthur G. Tippet
Preceded by Arthur G. Tippet	Captain of H.M.S. Ariel Jul, 1916 – 20 Feb, 1917	Succeeded by Basil E. Reinold
Preceded by Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton	Captain of H.M.S. Lark 28 Feb, 1917 – Mar, 1917	Succeeded by Frederick B. Noble
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Sybille 15 Mar, 1917 – late Mar, 1917	Succeeded by Arthur A. Scott
Preceded by Arthur A. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Lawford Mar, 1917 – 21 Feb, 1918	Succeeded by Edmund Johnstone
Preceded by Philip A. Heyder	Captain of H.M.S. Osiris 21 Feb, 1918 – 6 Dec, 1918	Succeeded by Alexander S. Douglas
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Strenuous 6 Dec, 1918 – 17 May, 1920	Succeeded by Louis H. K. Hamilton
Preceded by Joseph B. Newill	Captain of H.M.S. Tara 17 May, 1920 – 2 Jan, 1922	Succeeded by John E. Phayre
Preceded by Arthur Evans	Captain of H.M.S. Vimiera 2 Jan, 1922 – 6 May, 1924	Succeeded by Valentine M. Wyndham-Quin
Preceded by Percival H. G. James	Captain of H.M.S. Wolsey Jun, 1931 – 4 Nov, 1931	Succeeded by John Drinkwater
Preceded by Cecil R. E. W. Perryman	Captain of H.M.S. Ardent 4 Nov, 1931 – 18 Dec, 1931	Succeeded by Christopher H. Ringrose
Preceded by Neville D. B. Taylor	Captain of H.M.S. Folkestone 17 Mar, 1933 – 1934	Succeeded by Arthur D. Read
Preceded by Harold T. Baillie-Grohman	Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla 30 Oct, 1935	Succeeded by Charles M. Blackman
Preceded by Ernest R. Archer	Captain of H.M.S. Montrose 10 Feb, 1936 – mid 1936	Succeeded by Henry B. Crane
Preceded by Ernest R. Archer	Captain (D), Twentieth Destroyer Flotilla 10 Feb, 1936 – 31 Jul, 1936	Succeeded by Alfred J. L. Phillips
Preceded by Philip Louis Vian	Captain of H.M.S. Douglas May, 1936 – 31 Jul, 1936	Succeeded by David J. R. Simson
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Grenville 18 May, 1936	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Charles M. Blackman	Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla 18 May, 1936	Succeeded by Philip L. Vian
Preceded by Colin Wauchope	Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh 14 Dec, 1939 – 20 Jun, 1940	Succeeded by Colin Wauchope
Preceded by George A. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Belfast 19 Jun, 1940 – 4 Jul, 1940	Succeeded by Frederick R. Parham
Preceded by Colin Wauchope	Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh 10 Oct, 1940 – 31 May, 1941	Succeeded by Hugh W. Faulkner