George Geoffrey Codrington
Commander George Geoffrey Codrington, R.N., Retired (2 May, 1874 – 29 September, 1946) served in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Codrington was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1895.[1]
Some time between 1895 and 1898, Codrington "accidentally punctur[ed] a seaman's leg with his sword," which was deemed "unofficerlike conduct."
Codrington was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1903.
On 16 June 1904, Codrington's destroyer Sparrowhawk was patrolling the mouth of the Yangtze with Whiting and Janus. Codrington led the trio to an anchorage at the northern end of Raffles Island and struck an object at 3.08pm, initiating flooding in his forward stokehold, which was evacuated and sealed as she settled on the obstruction, stabilized by anchors. As the high tide approached, Sparrowhawk's fore guns were unshipped and moved aft and the contents of her forward magazines passed to her consorts. Though this allowed her to be floated free at 11pm and the battleship Glory arrived and came alongside with pumps, the water advanced and the destroyer was lost at 7am the next day, sinking by the head. Codrington was not blamed for the loss, as the danger which had befallen his command was found to be uncharted and no due caution was left unexercised.[2]
On 1 August 1907, he was posted to the Belmullet Coast Guard, where he remained for four and a half years.
In early 1912, he took a four-week course in Wireless Telegraphy at the torpedo training school H.M.S. Vernon. This training was deemed good enough to place him at the Cleethorpes W/T Station, appointed 27 March 1912. On 24 September he was admitted to Chatham Hospital to be treated for syphilis (secondary). He was found fit on 19 October.
Codrington remained at Cleethorpes through the war, being promoted to the rank of Acting Commander on 22 June, 1916 until being placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 September, 1919. On 20 September, he was promoted to Commander (retired), dated 15 September.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Harry C. J. R. West |
Captain of H.M.S. Porcupine 23 Jan, 1902[3][4] – 1 Aug, 1902 |
Succeeded by Robert C. Hamilton |
| Preceded by Robert G. D. Dewar |
Captain of H.M.S. Hardy 1902 – 14 Jan, 1903 |
Succeeded by Frederick B. Noble |
| Preceded by Basil A. Austen |
Captain of H.M.S. Angler 1 Aug, 1902 – 1902 |
Succeeded by Robert C. Hamilton |
| Preceded by Charles P. Mansel |
Captain of H.M.S. Otter 14 Jan, 1903[5] – 28 Oct, 1903 |
Succeeded by John Kiddle |
| Preceded by Oscar V. de Satgé |
Captain of H.M.S. Sparrowhawk 29 Oct, 1903 – 17 Jun, 1904[6] |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by Archibald C. Goolden |
Captain of H.M.S. Leopard 3 Jan, 1905[7] – 31 Jul, 1905 |
Succeeded by Bernard E. Prichard |
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. Wear 31 Jul, 1905[8] – 17 Apr, 1906 |
Succeeded by Thomas N. James |
Footnotes
- ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 16.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 17.
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), 11 Dec. 1901, p. 10.
- ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 293.
- ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 287.
- ↑ Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 17.
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, December 24, 1904, Issue 37586, p.4.
- ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 397.
