Drury St. Aubyn Wake

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Admiral Drury St. A. Wake as a Rear-Admiral, 1918.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Admiral SIR Drury St. Aubyn Wake, K.C.I.E., C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (16 September, 1863 – 23 September, 1935) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

Drury St. Aubyn Wake was born on 16 September, 1863, the third son of Captain (later Admiral) Charles Wake.

Wake was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1885.[1]

Wake was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1897.[2]

On 28 July, 1898, he was appointed in command of the ironclad frigate Agincourt, remaining in her until 30 August, 1901.[3]

On 26 November, 1901, he was appointed in command of the sloop Rinaldo, remaining in command there for three years and two months.[4]

Captain

Wake was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1905.[5]

On 6 November 1906, he became Captain of the armoured cruiser Bedford, remaining only about two months.[6]

On 12 January, 1907, he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Hawke.[7] On 5 March, however, he assumed command of the second class protected cruiser Dido.[8]

He was appointed to command Minerva on 11 September, 1908.[9]

On 12 January 1911, he was placed in command of the battleship Prince George.[10]

He was appointed captain of Formidable on 11 December 1912[11] and remained in command through the beginning of the war.

Great War

Wake was superseded in command of Formidable on 2 September, 1914. On 29 September he was appointed Captain of Jupiter.[12] He paid Jupiter off on 19 May, 1915, and he was appointed in command of Juno and Cruiser Force E on 24 May. On 18 October he was appointed Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf, with the rank of Commodore, Second Class.[13]

In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1916, Wake was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).[14] On 1 January, 1917, he was appointed a Companion in the Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire (C.I.E.).[15]

Wake was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 26 April, 1917,[16] and was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 27 April.[17]

He was superseded as Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf, in May, 1918. On 3 June he was knighted and appointed an Additional Knight Commander in the Order of the Indian Empire (K.C.I.E.).[18] On 11 September, Wake replaced the sick James Startin as Senior Naval Officer, Granton with the temporary rank of Commodore, Second Class, Royal Naval Reserve.[19]

Post-War

Wake was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 6 April, 1922.[20] He was advanced to the rank of Admiral on 25 October, 1926.[21]

Wake died suddenly at his home, 78 Victoria Road, Clapham Common, S.W.4. on 23 September, 1935, at the age of seventy-eight.[22] Cause of death was given as degeneration of the myocardium.[23]

Lady Edith Wake passed away on 15 February, 1949, aged eighty-six, and was buried at Streatham Cemetery on 21 February.[24]

Bibliography

  • "Admiral Sir Drury Wake" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 24 September, 1935. Issue 47177, col A, p. 9.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Rinaldo
26 Nov, 1901[25] – 31 Jan, 1905[26]
Succeeded by
William H. Parsons
Preceded by
Henry H. Torlesse
Captain of H.M.S. Bedford
6 Nov, 1906[27] – 11 Jan, 1907[28]
Succeeded by
Seymour E. Erskine
Preceded by
William L. Grant
Captain of H.M.S. Hawke
12 Jan, 1907[29] – 4 Mar, 1907[30]
Succeeded by
Owen F. Gillett
Preceded by
Stuart Nicholson
Captain of H.M.S. Dido
5 Mar, 1907[31] – 10 Sep, 1908[32]
Succeeded by
Henry G. G. Sandeman
Preceded by
Henry J. L. Clarke
Captain of H.M.S. Minerva
11 Sep, 1908[33][34] – 17 Oct, 1910[35]
Succeeded by
E. Hyde Parker
Preceded by
Henry H. Bruce
Captain of H.M.S. Prince George
12 Jan, 1911[36][37] – 3 Jun, 1912[38]
Succeeded by
Charles D. Roper
Preceded by
Philip Nelson-Ward
Captain of H.M.S. Formidable
11 Dec, 1912[39] – 2 Sep, 1914[40]
Succeeded by
Arthur N. Loxley
Preceded by
Charles E. Le Mesurier
Captain of H.M.S. Jupiter
29 Sep, 1914[41] – 19 May, 1915[42]
Succeeded by
William F. Blunt
Preceded by
Arthur K. Macrorie
Captain of H.M.S. Juno
24 May, 1915[43][44] – 18 Oct, 1915[45]
Succeeded by
Edward M. C. Rutherfoord
Preceded by
The Hon. Horace L. A. Hood
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Eleventh Cruiser Squadron
Captain Commanding, Eleventh Cruiser Squadron
24 May, 1915[46] – 12 Mar, 1917[47]
Succeeded by
Charles F. Harris
as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Eleventh Cruiser Squadron
Preceded by
Thomas W. Kemp
Senior Officer, Persian Gulf
18 Oct, 1915 – May, 1918
Succeeded by
David T. Norris
Preceded by
Sir James Startin
Senior Naval Officer, Granton
21 Sep, 1918[48] – 26 Nov, 1918[49]
Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 25485. p. 3002. 30 June, 1885.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 26924. p. 7854. 31 December, 1897.
  3. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  4. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 27870. p. 24. 2 January, 1906.
  6. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  7. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 24 December, 1906. Issue 38211, col C, p. 4.
  8. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  9. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  10. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  11. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 316.
  12. The Navy List (December, 1914). p. 341. Another, uncited source may indicate 28 September.
  13. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  14. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29608. p. 5553. 2 June, 1916.
  15. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 29886. p. 6. 1 January, 1917.
  16. The London Gazette: no. 30037. p. 3955. 27 April, 1917.
  17. The London Gazette: no. 30042. p. 4095. 1 May, 1917.
  18. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30723. p. 6531. 3 June, 1918.
  19. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  20. The London Gazette: no. 32672. p. 3030. 14 April, 1922.
  21. The London Gazette: no. 33221. p. 7406. 16 November, 1926.
  22. "Deaths" (Deaths). The Times. Tuesday, 24 September, 1935. Issue 47177, col A, p. 9.
  23. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  24. "Deaths" (Deaths). The Times. Thursday, 17 February, 1949. Issue 51308, col B, p. 1.
  25. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  26. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  27. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  28. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  29. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  30. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  31. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  32. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  33. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 345.
  34. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  35. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  36. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  37. The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 361.
  38. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  39. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  40. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  41. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  42. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  43. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  44. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395o-p.
  45. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 125.
  46. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  47. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/20. f. 638.
  48. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 155.
  49. Wake Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 155.