George Osborne Hewett

Captain (retired) George Osborne Hewett, D.S.O. (20 January, 1884 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Hewett was born in Kingston, Canada and gained seven months time on passing out of Britannia. On 15 January, 1900, he received his first appointment, to Ramillies in the Mediterranean. He was loaned to the destroyer Conflict for three weeks in mid-April 1902 and was sent back to Ramillies. On 12 February 1903, Hewett was appointed to the battleship Canopus, but he was sent away after a curiously brief four days.

Hewett was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 September, 1905.

Hewett's first command was in T.B. 106, commencing in March 1907 and lasting two years. From there, he was appointed to the battleship Dreadnought on 24 March, 1909.

Hewett ended his time in Dreadnought when he was appointed in command of the destroyer Daring on 19 December, 1909. On 14 May, 1911, he was appointed from Daring to command of the destroyer Liffey. He remained with her for two years, through a recommissioning and a collision with S.S. Fiugal on 1 October, 1912. A Court of Enquiry found him to blame, but identified extenuating circumstances and credited Hewett with having taken his best efforts to avoid the collision. He was next appointed in command of the Ness in May, 1913.

Hewett was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 September, 1913.

Hewett ended a very brief command of Ness at the end of May, 1913 and received his second appointment to a modern dreadnought battleship, Centurion on 31 May, 1913.

Great War

Hewett served in Centurion until 27 May, 1915 when he was appointed to H.M.S. Vivid for the new Melampus, to assume command upon her commissioning. He served in that capacity until 17 February, 1917 when he was appointed in command of the "special service vessel", or Q-ship, Template:UK-Q25, assuming command on 13 February. On 30 March, 1917, he was credited with slightly damaging an enemy submarine. His vessel would be renamed Paxton on 1 May, 1917, and Hewett would be taken prison when the Q-ship was torpedoed by U 46 and lost on 20 May, 1917.

Interbellum

Hewett was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1918.

On 9 January, 1919, Hewett was appointed in command of the destroyer Penn.

On 3 February, 1920, Hewett was appointed in command of the destroyer Stonehenge. He stranded her on 1 November 1920, but a Court Martial convened on 23 December failed to prove charges against him and he was acquitted.

Hewett was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 July, 1922.

Hewett was promoted to the rank of Captain on 20 January, 1929.

World War II

Hewett worked with the Contraband Control Base at Invergordon in late 1939 and later on the staff of Naval Officer in Charge, Aberdeen and for command of Trawler Base Peterhead vice Roe.

On 5 February, 1943, Hewett was appointed in command of Astraea and as Naval Officer in Charge, Lagos vice Holden. In July 1943, Hewett was diagnosed with rectal cancer. In December, he was recommended for permanent shore service.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Arthur J. Landon	Captain of H.M. T.B. 106 22 Mar, 1907 – 24 Mar, 1909	Succeeded by Granville Murray-Browne
Preceded by Hugh Hamilton-Gordon	Captain of H.M.S. Daring 19 Dec, 1909 – 14 May, 1911	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by The Hon. William S. Leveson-Gower	Captain of H.M.S. Liffey 14 May, 1911 – May, 1913	Succeeded by Herbert R. L. Edwards
Preceded by Edmund A. T. de P. de la Poer	Captain of H.M.S. Ness May, 1913 – 31 May, 1913	Succeeded by Henry P. Boxer
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Melampus 27 May, 1915 – 6 Feb, 1917	Succeeded by Lawrence D'O. Bignell
Preceded by Eric J. Shelley	Captain of H.M.S. Penn 9 Jan, 1919 – 5 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by Cyril Edwards	Captain of H.M.S. Pelican 5 Mar, 1919 – 3 Feb, 1920	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Richard L. Hamer	Captain of H.M.S. Stonehenge 3 Feb, 1920 – 30 Nov, 1920	Succeeded by ?