H.M.S. Violet (1897)

H.M.S. Violet (1897)
Pendant Number:	D.09 (1914) D.72 (Sep 1915) D.94 (Jan 1918)
Builder:	William Doxford & Sons
Ordered:	1986-97 Programme
Laid down:	13 Jul, 1896
Launched:	3 May, 1897
Commissioned:	Jun, 1898
Broken up:	1920

H.M.S. Violet was one of forty "C" class destroyers built for the Royal Navy — a "30 knotter".

Service

She was to participate in the Annual Manoeuvres of 1900, but missed them as she was repairing damage sustained in a collision in fog. Another destroyer took her place.

Violet collided with the destroyer Swordfish after entering as basin at excessive speed in early 1904 under Lt. in Command Reginald Gay Copleston, who was sent back to his previous command, H.M.S. Porcupine on 9 May.

She served in the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla from at least mid-1913 until September 1917 when she went to join the Nore Local Defence Flotilla.

Lingfield's commander was cautioned to be more careful after she collided with Violet on 31 March, 1918.

In April 1918 she was reassigned to the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Dover Patrol, remaining there for the duration of the war.

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Lieutenant & Commander Douglas E. R. Brownrigg, 3 March, 1899 – 8 September, 1899
• Lieutenant in Command Douglas E. R. Brownrigg, 3 March, 1899 – 8 March, 1899
• Lieutenant in Command John B. Sparks, 8 March, 1899 – 29 April, 1900
• Lieutenant Charles E. Le Mesurier, 28 April, 1900 – 20 August, 1900
• Lieutenant in Command Alfred B. Barker, 20 August, 1900
• Lieutenant & Commander Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair, 16 July, 1901  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1901)
• Lieutenant & Commander Hugh J. Orr, 21 July, 1903 – 24 July, 1903  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1903)
• Lieutenant in Command Anselan J. B. Stirling, 19 November, 1903 – 26 November, 1903
• Lieutenant & Commander Reginald G. Copleston, 13 February, 1904 – 8 May, 1904
• Lieutenant & Commander Thomas A. Williams, 14 July, 1904  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1904)
• Lieutenant & Commander Francis R. Wood, 3 January, 1905 – 1 January, 1906^[Inference]
• Lieutenant & Commander James C. Holmes, 1 January, 1906 – 1 April, 1906
• Gunner in Command Henry Purdy, 1 April, 1906 – 10 June, 1907  (not clear in service record)
• Lieutenant & Commander Gerald H. Brady, June, 1906  (for Annual Manoeuvres of 1906)
• Lieutenant & Commander Joseph A. Shuter, 3 August, 1906 – 7 February, 1908
• Lieutenant & Commander Stephen H. Morres, 3 March, 1908 – 16 January, 1909
• Lieutenant & Commander Edward H. Cater, 20 July, 1909 – 15 August, 1910
• Commander Edward O. Gladstone, 15 August, 1910 – 21 August, 1911
• Lieutenant & Commander Rafe G. Rowley-Conwy, 31 August, 1911 – 1 May, 1912
• Commander Robert H. Coppinger, 1 May, 1912 – 23 August, 1912
• Commander Ronald E. Chilcott, 23 August, 1912 – 5 November, 1912
• Commander Wion de M. Egerton, 5 November, 1912 – August, 1913^{[Fact Check]}
• Commander Vincent L. Bowring, 14 August, 1913 – 6 January, 1915
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Archibald C. Bucknell, 31 July, 1914 – 31 December, 1915
• Lieutenant-Commander R.N.R. Walter M. Knowles, 21 January, 1916 – 23 May, 1916
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Frederick T. Groome, 19 June, 1916 – 24 November, 1917
• Lieutenant R.N.R. in Command Arthur W. Knight, 24 November, 1917 – 10 December, 1918

See Also

• Wikipedia