Ernest Edward Alexander Betts
Captain (retired) Ernest Edward Alexander Betts, C.B.E. (12 August, 1877 – 16 February, 1951) served in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Betts was born in Bristol, the son of Reverend E. W. P. Betts.
Betts was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 July, 1898. He served as gunnery officer in Rainbow for the Annual Manoeuvres of 1901, and as first and gunnery officer in Magdala in the Eastern Mediterranean from July 1902 to February 1903. Later appointments had him in Europa, Bedford and Resolution until late in 1905.
After three years service providing gunnery support at the Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham ended in January 1908, he served as gunnery officer in Russell for five months and then in Mars for almost one year. While in Mars, her poor showing in a gunlayers' test in early 1909 prompted a Court of Enquiry which found that Betts was to blame for having failed to ensure that the turret sights were properly adjusted, having insufficient drill, and not having organized his gun crews prior to February 1909.
Betts spent much of 1911 and 1912 as gunnery officer in Terrible and Royal Arthur and attending ships in the Fourth Division of Home Fleet and of Third Fleet. Recommended by Prince Louis of Battenberg and Vice-Admiral Hamilton in November of 1911, Betts was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1912.[1]
Immediately before the war, Betts served as executive officer in the pre-dreadnought Duncan, but he was sent to Venus as executive officer until being sent to command Proserpine for six months and then, Espiegle from March to December, 1916.
Betts finished the war in command of the Naval Depot at Port Said. He was then Senior Naval Officer, Brightling Sea, though the dates are not certain.
Betts was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 1 April, 1923.
In 1938, Betts was working with the Coast Guard as part of their coast watching organization.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Percy A. Robarts |
Captain of H.M.S. Eclipse 7 Dec, 1912[2] – 9 Jan, 1913 |
Succeeded by Henry Luxmoore |
| Preceded by George C. Hardy |
Captain of H.M.S. Proserpine 30 Aug, 1915[3] – 24 Mar, 1916 |
Succeeded by Wilfrid Nunn |
| Preceded by Wilfrid Nunn |
Captain of H.M.S. Espiegle 24 Mar, 1916 – 7 Dec, 1916 |
Succeeded by Raymond Fitzmaurice |
| Preceded by ? |
Resident Naval Officer and in Command Naval Depot, Port Said 7 Dec, 1916 – Mar, 1919 |
Succeeded by Rowland K. C. Pope |
Footnotes
