Clarence Walter Eyre Trelawny

Captain Clarence Walter Eyre Trelawny (9 June, 1881 – 17 May 1965) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He spoke some French.

Life & Career

Born in Marylebone and raised by a Mrs. A. Rowe, Trelawny gained nine months' time on passing out of Britannia. His first ship was Astræa in the Mediterranean. In March 1898, Trelawny was reported for "injudicious conduct" and discharged to Empress of India. His misdeeds were bad enough that quarterly reports were called for. By October, favourable reports were such that continued reporting was suspended.

Trelawny was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1902.

Trelawny was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1910.

On 3 May 1913, Trelawny damaged Hornet while proceeding alongside a fuel oil lighter and was told to be more careful in future.

Trelawny was appointed in command of the destroyer Spitfire on 17 June, 1913, in which he specially contributed to good results in the gunlayers' test of 1913. Trelawny would serve as Spitfire's captain through the Battle of Jutland where she fought as part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla and collided in night action with the German battleship Nassau, sustaining tremendous damage. Trelawny was wounded and commended for promotion for skilfully avoiding being rammed by what was wrongly thought to be a mere cruiser. It was thought that he had saved his ship by instead ramming her. Trelawny was accordingly specially promoted to the rank of Commander on 12 September, 1916, his promotion being backdated to 30 June, 1916.

Appointed for duty on the Staff of S.N.O., Inverness on 15 February, 1917. On 26 September, he left to temporarily assume command of Vampire for just a handful of days.

Appointed Maintenance Commander at Buncrana on 9 July, 1918.

Post-War

He was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Hermione on 30 August, 1919.

Trelawny was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 February, 1923.

Trelawny was promoted to the rank of Captain (retired) on 9 June, 1926.

World War II

Granted the Acting rank of Captain on 10 November, 1939, Trelawny requested that he undergo training to command an Armed Merchant Cruiser. He was appointed in command of Ranpura on 12 September 1939 and for command of A.M.Cs.. Ranpura servedf first in the Mediterranean before moving to the South Atlantic in February, 1940. Trelawny took ill in In May 1940 and by mid July Royal Naval Hospital, Plymouth had located a coronary thrombosis. Trelawny was superseded in command and reverted to the Retired List on 16 July as medically unfit.

Death

Trelawny died in the Royal Cornwall Infirmary in Truro on 17 May 1965.

See Also

• Service Records
• Fourth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Alfred B. Barker	Captain of H.M.S. Virago 31 Dec, 1902 – 30 Apr, 1903	Succeeded by John A. Gregory
Preceded by Hugh D. Colville	Captain of H.M.S. Peterel 19 Oct, 1910 – 21 Mar, 1912	Succeeded by Salisbury H. Simpson
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Hornet 21 Mar, 1912 – 12 May, 1913	Succeeded by Colin K. MacLean
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Spitfire 17 Jun, 1913 – 1 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Humphrey M. Robson
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Offa 1 Jul, 1916 – 4 Feb, 1917	Succeeded by Arthur M. Lecky
Preceded by Ernest W. Leir	Captain of H.M.S. Trident late Sep, 1917 – 15 Oct, 1917	Succeeded by Roger L'E. M. Rede
Preceded by Frederick E. K. Strong	Captain of H.M.S. Vampire 26 Sep, 1917 – late Sep, 1917	Succeeded by Harry R. Godfrey
Preceded by Evelyn L. B. Boothby	Captain of H.M.S. Hermione 30 Aug, 1919 – 15 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by Sir Leonard P. Vavasour, Bart.
Preceded by Hugh Seymour	Captain of H.M.S. Godetia 15 Jan, 1921 – 20 Dec, 1922	Succeeded by Francis W. D. Twigg