George Noel Gilbertson

Commander (retired) George Noel Gilbertson (19 December, 1886 – 11 September, 1956) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Pontardawe. His first naval appointment was to the battleship Glory on the China Station on 15 September, 1903. After time in her and in Vengeance overseas, he returned to Glory when she was with the Channel Squadron on 3 October, 1905. Shortly before he left her to attend the Naval College in November, 1906, Captain Troubridge was left with the impression that the young sub-lieutenant was "not very energetic."

Gilbertson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1909.

Great War

Gilbertson was appointed Lieutenant in Command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 87 on 16 December, 1913 and would command her until 9 April, 1915, spending a short four days in Portland Hospital with influenza from 26-29 December, 1914.

After leaving T.B. 87, Gilbertson commanded several destroyers. In early 1916, he completed his final destroyer command in Myrmidon and his career evolved to one as a sweeper of mines, and he was appointed in command of the sweeping sloop Lilac on appointed 17 March, 1916, to work in support of the Grand Fleet. In July, 1916 Captain Preston, who as senior officer of the Fleet Sweepers was in Hollyhock, recorded that Gilbertson had proven a "[c]apable but headstrong disciplinarian and should improve."

Gilbertson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October, 1917.

Interbellum

Gilbertson was invested with a D.S.O. on 27 February, 1920 at Buckingham Palace while his command, the minesweeper Burslem was undergoing a refit, but the reason for the award is not indicated.

After a brief appointment to Heather, additional, in early 1923, Gilbertson was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy for two years, commencing 15 April, 1923. This tenure saw him first in the London depot, then at R.A.N. College, Jervis Bay and then appointed in command of H.M.A.S. Marguerite on 28 January, 1925. He returned to the U.K. in S.S. Aeneas and returned to R.N. service on 14 June, 1925. Once back in Britain, he oversaw groups of ships in reserve, himself being on the books of Dido and then of Spenser. He was superseded on 1 June, 1926.

Gilbertson was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 19 December, 1926.

World War II

Gilbertson was selected for a war appointment in 1937 and was mobilised on 28 September, 1938.

In 1942, he was deemed unfit for service aboard, and in August he was appointed in command of the Isle of Wight's Fleet Air Arm and landing craft shore establishment, H.M.S. Medina, vice Edwards. In 1944, Gilbertson was diagnosed with hypertension and a "mild anxiety state." He was given some time off and returned to Medina. Finally in July 1944 he was found fit for general service except in the tropics. He was superseded in command of Medina on 6 October, 1944 but stayed with the establishment until being appointed in command of the combined operations centre H.M.S. Brontosaurus, which was situated in the spiffy Castle Toward in Argyll, Scotland, on 4 November. He stayed only until January of 1945, however, and was reverted to the Retired List at the end of May after an appointment to Drake, additional, as "N.T.J.".

Gilbertson died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 11 September, 1956.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Astley D. C. Cooper-Key	Captain of H.M. T.B. 87 16 Dec, 1913 – 9 Apr, 1915	Succeeded by Lawrence W. Newbery-Boschetti
Preceded by Harold C. Woolcombe-Boyce	Captain of H.M.S. Fawn 9 Apr, 1915 – 20 Apr, 1915	Succeeded by Harold C. Woolcombe-Boyce
Preceded by Robert H. B. Hammond-Chambers	Captain of H.M.S. Myrmidon 20 Apr, 1915 – 25 Oct, 1915	Succeeded by George N. Gilbertson
Preceded by Edward R. G. R. Evans	Captain of H.M.S. Viking 25 Oct, 1915 – 24 Dec, 1915	Succeeded by Thomas C. H. Williams
Preceded by George N. Gilbertson	Captain of H.M.S. Myrmidon 24 Dec, 1915 – 17 Mar, 1916	Succeeded by Arthur K. Gibson
Preceded by Leslie Drew Fisher	Captain of H.M.S. Lilac 17 Mar, 1916 – 17 Sep, 1917	Succeeded by Irving M. Palmer
Preceded by Gervase W. H. Heaton	Captain of H.M.S. Sandown 17 Sep, 1917 – 23 Oct, 1918	Succeeded by John D. Hindmarsh
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Yeovil 23 Oct, 1918 – 2 Dec, 1919	Succeeded by John M. Henderson
Preceded by ?	Senior Officer, Kirkwall Fleet Sweeping Flotilla 23 Oct, 1918 – 2 Dec, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Horace L. Morgan	Captain of H.M.S. Burslem 2 Dec, 1919 – 1 Dec, 1921	Succeeded by John M. Henderson
Preceded by Rupert C. Garsia	Captain of H.M.A.S. Marguerite 25 Jan, 1925 – 10 Mar, 1925	Succeeded by Reginald C. Creer
Preceded by ?	Naval Officer in Charge, Barry 28 Sep, 1938 – 7 Jun, 1942	Succeeded by H. Ralph Crooke