Edward Whaley Billyard-Leake

Captain (retired) Edward Whaley Billyard-Leake, D.S.O. (13 November, 1895 – 10 May, 1956) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Charles Billyard-Leake, Esq., an Australian estate owner passed out of the Training Establishment on 15 May 1913 and was appointed to the heavy cruiser H.M.A.S. Australia. He left her when he was appointed to the new battleship Warspite on 1 August, 1915. He fought in her at the Battle of Jutland as part of the Fifth Battle Squadron.

Billyard-Leake was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 March, 1917, adjusted from 15 June. He served a single month in H.M.S. Canada before being sent to Dolphin to be instructed in submarines in September, 1917. He spent three months in K 8 before being appointed to President, additional and temporary on 19 February, 1918 for an assignment which proved to be commanding the old second class protected cruiser Iphigenia as she acted as a blockship at the Zeebrugge Raid. His mission accomplished, he returned to submarine service for three months in the new L 12.

Billyard-Leake was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 March, 1925.

Billyard-Leake was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 28 December, 1928 and promoted to the rank of Commander on 13 November, 1935.

World War II

Billyard-Leake reverted to the Retired List as medically unfit and promoted to the rank of Captain for his wartime service, dated 3 April, 1947.

He died at Karen, Kenya.

See Also

• Service Records
• H.M.S. Warspite at the Battle of Jutland

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by George H. I. Parker	Captain of H.M.S. Iphigenia ? – 24 Apr, 1918	Succeeded by Vessel Lost