Gerald Aylmer Garnons-Williams
Captain Gerald Aylmer Garnons-Williams, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N., Retired (24 January, 1893 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Upon passing out of the training establishment in mid-January 1911, Garnons-Williams was appointed to the battleship Queen in the Atlantic. He served in Zealandia and Druid from mid-May 1912 through 13 January, 1914 when he underwent examinations, obtaining a first-class certificate in gunnery, and second-class in torpedoes and engineering.
On 6 February, 1914, he was appointed to the dreadnought Vanguard.
Garnons-Williams was granted his watchkeeping certificate and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 July, 1915 and re-appointed in Vanguard.
On 17 February, 1915, he was appointed to Canada. He would be in her at the Battle of Jutland, his appointment ending on 31 May 1917. Having applied for service in submarines in mid-April and on 11 June, he was appointed to Dolphin for instruction in submarines. From here out, he would primarily serve in submarines. On 14 September 1917 he was appointed to his first submarine, E 51.
Garnons-Williams was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for services in Minelaying Submarines from 1 July and 11 November, 1918. The award was gazetted to him 20 February, 1919.
Garnons-Williams was appointed in command of the submarine L 71 on 9 August, 1920.[1]
Garnons-Williams was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 39 July, 1923. Also that year, he was awarded the sum of 400 guineas for inventing an instrument to measure the speed of ships and other craft.
On 19 January, 1926, Garnons-Williams was lent to the Chilean Navy, his appointment expected to last two years.
Garnons-Williams was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1927 and he was re-appointed to Chile until January, 1928. He was granted permission to study Spanish in his own time in 1928.
In 1929, he was faulted for an accident Template:UK-K29 experienced in surfacing after conducting an inclining experiments at Malta, as it was deemed that
On 1 May 1934, he was faulted when the submarine Swordfish was damaged because, as Commander (S), he had not chosen a suitable area for the exercise. However, it appears that after some consideration, the blame was shifted to Captain (S), Fifth Submarine Flotilla F. H. Taylor.
World War II
On 10 October 1940, he entered the basement of No. 21 Carlton House Terrace after it had been bombed and was in a "very precarious and perilous state" and was instrumental in the rescue of women who were trapped in the debris.
On 25 August 1942, Garnons-Williams received a D.S.O. for "bravery and enterprise in the successful operations which lef to the surrender of the important base of Diego Suarez."
Garnons-Williams was placed on the Retired List on account of age with the rank of Captain on 24 January, 1943 and on 23 February, he received a mention in despatches for bravery and resource in operations in Madagascar.
Reverted to Retired List as medically unfit on 7 July, 1946. On 13 August, the President of the United States bestowed upon Garnons-Williams the Legion of Merit, Degree of Officer for distinguished services to the Allied Cause during the War, and the Royal Navy granted him unrestricted permission to wear it.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. H 34 16 Jun, 1919 – 10 Oct, 1919 |
Succeeded by James L. Boyd |
| Preceded by Eric R. Reed |
Captain of H.M.S. H 43 10 Oct, 1919 – Dec, 1919 |
Succeeded by George C. P. Menzies |
| Preceded by ? |
Captain of H.M.S. H 22 1 Feb, 1920[2] – 8 Jul, 1920 |
Succeeded by Edward M. Loly |
| Preceded by Hugh R. Marrack |
Captain of H.M.S. L 71 9 Aug, 1920[3] – 10 Oct, 1921 |
Succeeded by Paul L. Eddis |
| Preceded by John G. H. Steedman |
Captain of H.M.S. H 32 10 Oct, 1921 – 23 Sep, 1922 |
Succeeded by Lancelot V. Donne |
| Preceded by Allan Poland |
Captain of H.M.S. Ambrose 25 Jun, 1928 – 1 Aug, 1928 |
Succeeded by Alan G. D. Twigg |
| Preceded by Claud B. Barry |
Captain of H.M.S. K 26 6 Aug, 1928[4] – 25 Aug, 1930 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by Philip Ruck-Keene |
Captain of H.M.S. Alecto 22 Feb, 1933[5] – 23 Aug, 1935 |
Succeeded by Arthur S. Lindsell |
| Preceded by Ivan W. Whitehorn |
Captain of H.M.S. Cormorant 24 Jul, 1936[6] |
Succeeded by Alfred G. Hine |
Footnotes
