David Bruce Nicol

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Captain David Bruce Nicol, R.N., Retired (13 February, 1888 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Swansea, Nicol gained two and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia and being appointed to join the battleship Magnificent on 15 January, 1904.[1]

Nicol was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 January, 1909.[2]

Nicol was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 037 on 23 December, 1911. She would be involved in the West River Patrol in China under his command until he was ordered to leave China and proceed to England in March, 1914. He arrived on 18 April, and on 5 June, 1914 was appointed to the armoured cruiser Carnarvon.[3]

Great War

In mid-1915, Nicol applied for command of a destroyer. On 3 February, 1916, he was appointed in command of the River Class destroyer Foyle. In mid-1916, he exchanged this command for that of Peyton then quickly over to Garland before finally settling in command of the newly commissioned "R" Class destroyer Romola on 24 July, 1916. Nicol was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 January, 1917 and continued to serve in Romola until late January, 1918 when he was sent to oversee completion of H.M.S. Walrus.[4]

Interbellum

Nicol was appointed in command of the destroyer Walrus on 28 January, 1918.[5]

Nicol was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1923.[6]

Nicol was appointed as executive officer in the light cruiser Dragon on 14 November, 1924.[7]

Nicol was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 2 March, 1934.[8][9]

World War II

Nicol returned to active employment on 24 August 1939, when he was appointed to H.M.S. Drake, to do duty as Chief of Staff to the Flag Officer-in-Charge, Cardiff, being borne in H.M.S. Lucifer.

He was appointed, additional, to the old armed merchant cruiser Edinburgh Castle, on 31 July, 1941, and as commanding officer of H.M.S. King Tom. [We can find no record of King Tom. She was clearly named after the Temne ruler of the country where the Province of Freedom, Sierra Leone, was first located. We assume she preceded H.M.S. Okapi as Depot Ship at Freetown.]

With effect from 22 September 1941 he was given command of Okapi (continuing to do duty in Edinburgh Castle).

He succeeded in command of Edinburgh Castle, vice Captain Edwin M.Palmer, who was appointed to H.M.S. Eland, in command, on 1 October 1941. On 16 October 1941 he again succeeded Palmer, this time in command of Eland, and as Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic.

On 11 March 1942, his appointment was varied: He was re-appointed in command of Eland, "in continuation," and to do duty as Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding, West Africa, Freetown.[10]

He returned to England in 1943, where he was appointed to H.M.S. King Alfred II on 12 May 1943, to do duty as Member, Admiralty Selection Boards 9 & 9A, at Mowden School, in Hove. On 28 July 1943 he was appointed to H.M.S. Cochrane, to do duty as Captain, Landing Craft Base, Rosyth.

On 22 August 1944 he was given his last appointment - to H.M.S. Daedalus, to do duty as Maintenance Captain, Naval Air Stations Command, Lee-on-Solent.[11]

He reverted to the Retired List in 1945.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles E. Maconochie
Captain of H.M. T.B. 058
6 Dec, 1909[12][13] – 23 Dec, 1911[14]
Succeeded by
Charles F. Stow
Preceded by
Thomas L. Barnardiston
as Captain of H.M. T.B. 37
Captain of H.M. T.B. 037
23 Dec, 1911[15] – Mar, 1914[16]
Succeeded by
Valentine M. Wyndham-Quin
Preceded by
Henry D. C. Stanistreet
Captain of H.M.S. Foyle
3 Feb, 1916[17] – 8 Jun, 1916[18]
Succeeded by
Richard G. Bowyer
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Peyton
8 Jun, 1916[19] – 8 Jul, 1916
Succeeded by
Reginald S. Goff
Preceded by
Reginald S. Goff
Captain of H.M.S. Garland
c. Jun, 1916[20] – 8 Jul, 1916[21]
Succeeded by
Eric J. Shelley
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Romola
24 Jul, 1916[22][23] – 28 Jan, 1918[24]
Succeeded by
Edward C. Thornton
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Walrus
28 Jan, 1918[25] – 20 Apr, 1921[26]
Succeeded by
Francis Howard
Preceded by
George E. L. Atwood
Captain of H.M.S. Undine
2 Aug, 1921[27] – 14 Feb, 1922[28]
Succeeded by
Cecil R. E. W. Perryman
Preceded by
Cecil R. E. W. Perryman
Captain of H.M.S. Wild Swan
14 Feb, 1922[29][30] – 6 Jul, 1923[31]
Succeeded by
Kenneth G. Ramsey
Preceded by
Francis H. G. Walker
Captain of H.M.S. Worcester
8 Oct, 1923[32]c. Oct, 1923[33]
Succeeded by
Richard M. Welby
Preceded by
Richard M. Welby
Captain of H.M.S. Serapis
late Oct, 1923[34] – 4 Nov, 1924[35]
Succeeded by
Martin J. C. de Meric
Preceded by
The Hon. George Fraser
Captain of H.M.S. Wryneck
21 Oct, 1925[36] – 31 Dec, 1926[37]
Succeeded by
Henry H. Bousfield
Preceded by
Cuthbert H. Heath-Caldwell
Captain of H.M.S. Constance
27 Oct, 1932[38][39] – 24 Aug, 1933[40]
Succeeded by
Edward C. Thornton
Preceded by
Edwin M. Palmer
Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle
31 Jul, 1941[41] – 16 Oct, 1941[42]
Succeeded by
Robert St. V. Sherbrooke

Footnotes

  1. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  2. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  3. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  4. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  5. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 897.
  6. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  7. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  8. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  9. "Captain Nicol Retired." The Times (London, England), 27 Mar. 1934, p. 9.
  10. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  11. Nicol, David Bruce.
  12. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 401a.
  13. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  14. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  15. The Navy List. (February, 1914). p. 385.
  16. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  17. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  18. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  19. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  20. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  21. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  22. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  23. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 397o.
  24. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  25. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 897.
  26. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  27. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  28. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  29. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  30. The Navy List. (January, 1923). p. 843.
  31. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  32. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  33. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  34. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 269.
  35. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  36. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  37. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  38. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 224.
  39. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  40. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  41. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.
  42. Nicol Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/133. f. 144.