Gordon Alston Coles

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Captain (retired) Gordon Alston Coles, D.S.O. (1 April, 1882 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in India, Coles's father was a police commissioner in Cairo upon his joining the Navy. Coles would be granted six months' seniority upon passing out of Britannia in July 1897.[1]

Coles was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1903.[2]

Coles was appointed in command of the destroyer Boxer on 12 January, 1910.[3]

Coles was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1911.[4]

On 25 June, 1913, Cole was appointed in command of the destroyer Ambuscade.[5] On 31 July, she collided with Sparrowhawk and a Court of Enquiry determined that Coles had handled Ambuscade in a "faulty" manner.[6]

Coles commanded Ambuscade at the Battle of Jutland, operating as part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.[7] His divisional commander spoke highly of Cole's performance in the battle, firing three torpedoes due to his crew's rapid reloading under fire.

Coles left Ambuscade by transferring into command of Plucky some time around July, 1916. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1916 and re-appointed in Plucky.[8]

In April, 1918, Coles was sent to Portsmouth to instruct captains of trawlers who would be using the new Fish Hydrophone system. On 28 June, he was appointed to Venerable, additional, for command of the Fourth Flotilla of Fish Hydrophone Trawlers.

Post-War

Coles's work with the trawlers ended when he was placed in command of Venerable on 20 February, 1919. In June, he went off to work with the Admiralty. He would later spend two years at Fisgard and four months in command of the old battleship Agamemnon.[9]

Coles was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 January, 1923.[10]

Coles was promoted to the rank of Captain on 1 April, 1927.[11]

World War II

Coles worked in Consular Shipping out of Las Palmas from August 1939. Starting in 1940, he worked from Portsmouth. He was reverted to the Retired List on 16 December, 1946.[12]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M. T.B. 4
16 Apr, 1907[13][14] – 19 Oct, 1909[15] 		Succeeded by
John O. Wyatt
Preceded by
Geoffrey P. Russell 		Captain of H.M.S. Flying Fish
19 Oct, 1909[16][17] – 12 Jan, 1910[18] 		Succeeded by
William S. F. Forbes
Preceded by
Henry F. G. Talbot 		Captain of H.M.S. Boxer
12 Jan, 1910[19][20] – 6 Jun, 1911[21] 		Succeeded by
Charles L. Fox
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Ambuscade
25 Jun, 1913[22][23] – c. Jun, 1916[24] 		Succeeded by
Henry I. M. L. Scott
Preceded by
Henry I. M. L. Scott 		Captain of H.M.S. Plucky
Jun, 1916[25] – Apr, 1918[26] 		Succeeded by
Ronald H. C. Hallifax
Preceded by
Lewis T. L. Jones 		Captain of H.M.S. Venerable
20 Feb, 1919[27] – 18 Jun, 1919[28] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Henry G. Giffard 		Captain of H.M.S. Agamemnon
18 Jul, 1922[29] – 20 Nov, 1922[30] 		Succeeded by
Oliver M. F. Stokes

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  2. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 16.
  3. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 286.
  4. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  5. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 273.
  6. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  7. ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 44.
  8. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  9. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  10. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  11. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  12. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  13. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  14. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 40.
  15. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  16. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  17. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 317.
  18. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  19. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 286.
  21. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  22. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  23. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 392a.
  24. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 396m.
  26. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  27. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  28. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  29. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.
  30. ↑ Coles Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/167. f. 168.

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