Donald Francis Lawrence
Lieutenant-Commander Donald Francis Lawrence, R.N. (17 February, 1884 – 27 November, 1953) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Born in London, Lawrence gained four months' time on passing out of Britannia in January, 1900.
Lawrence was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1905.[1]
In late 1909, while assigned to the battleship Agamemnon, Lawrence was involved in an incident which ended in a court-martial. According to the charges, while drunk ashore he interfered with a naval patrol, claiming to be the Captain of the battleship Albion, and subsequently claimed to be an different officer from the depot ship Aquarius when questioned by the patrol's Master-at-Arms. He was convicted on three of four charges (the charge of impersonating Albion's Captain was not proved) and dismissed from His Majesty's Service on 9 October, 1909.[2]
In June 1914 he applied for reappointment to the Navy. Despite the commencement of war, his application was refused on 28 August, 1914. Another application in 1915 was successful, and Lawrence was entered as a Temporary Lieutenant, R.N.R., on 7 May 1915.[3]
Temporary Lieutenant Lawrence was appointed additional to Kingfisher in May, 1915 for the trawler Sir John French.[4]
In July 1917, he was returned to the Active List of the Royal Navy and sent to the Excellent for the Short Gunnery Course. Upon completion of the course, he was appointed to the depot ship Hecla on 28 August, 1917.[5]
Lawrence was appointed in command of the destroyer Cherwell on 14 January, 1918.[6]
In late 1918, Lawrence was appointed in command of the patrol boat P19.
He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 4 June, 1920.[7]
World War II
In 1939, Lawrence was appointed to join a yacht, Pieriel[?]. Health complaints and nervous exhaustion arising in June 1940 caused him to be hospitalised in Dover until 1 July. He reverted to the Retired List on 30 September, 1941.[8]
Lawrence died of a heart attack on 27 November, 1953.[9]
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Francis W. Craven |
Captain of H.M.S. Cherwell 14 Jan, 1918[10][11] – 20 Dec, 1918[12] |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by Philip H. Calderon |
Captain of H.M.S. P19 20 Dec, 1918[13] – 1 Jan, 1919[14] |
Succeeded by Harold W. Coles |
Footnotes
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49, f. 28.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 757.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/28., f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49 f. 28.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 757.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49 f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49 f. 28.
- ↑ Lawrence Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49 f. 28.
