Hubert Searle Cardale

Commander Hubert Searle Cardale (21 March, 1875 – 20 January, 1940) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Cardale gained six months' time on passing out of Britannia. He served first in the Aurora in the Channel Squadron and then in Imperieuse on the China Station. He left China on 25 January 1893 in Tamar, arriving home 11 March.

Cardale was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1896.

On 13 May 1904, Cardale received his first command appointment, to the "C" Class destroyer Leven, which was operating out of Devonport. She paid off after just two weeks under his command however, and he was placed in command of Falcon.

In August, 1904, he successfully assisted Lieutenant William Douglas Paton in two Court Martials after the latter man lost his Decoy in a night-time collision with Arun.

Cardale was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1907 and was appointed in command of Teviot the same day. At some point, she collided with Kestrel and Cardale incurred the Admiralty's "severe displeasure" in the incident. He also was blamed, for some reason, for an incident in which Shark was grounded on 25 January, 1908. Seemingly, the issue was that he was not aboard his vessel at some critical moment. Cardale was ordered to leave Teviot in late January to take up command of Kangaroo.

Having commanded eight destroyers since mid-1904, in August 1908, Cardale was appointed from Kangaroo to become the executive officer in the battleship Mars. In Mars in April 1909, Cardale was faulted for a failure to meet his responsibilities in preparing his crew for gunlayer tests after they turned in a performance so dismal that a Court of Enquiry was formed to probe the reasons why.

In mid 1910, Cardale was superseded in Mars. He commanded the destroyer Saracen from August, 1910 to September, 1912 and received recommendations from Commodore Arbuthnot and Captain Henderson. Upon leaving Saracen, Cardale was offered an appointment with the Naval Mission to Greece to command a group of torpedo craft under Rear Admiral Mark Kerr. He left England on 21 September.

Cardale received a recommendation from Kerr in early 1914, but did not leave Athens until 27 October 1914. He apparently went to Malta, where he was appointed to Egmont for "special service". He prepared valuable reports on naval operations on the Danube and Suva rivers. On 24 February 1915 he set out again for Athens, arriving on 1 March. His work there and in Serbia would result in a number of awards from the Greek government for services against Turkey and Bulgaria. Cardale finally arrived in England on 30 June, 1916 though he continued to draw pay from the Greek government until 13 August.

Cardale was appointed to the armed merchant cruiser Kildonan Castle on 7 July 1916, to assume command upon her commissioning. On 29 September 1916, Kildonan Castle hit Foulness Island off the Nore with some shells while testing her weaponry and Cardale was told to be more careful in future. Cardale was superseded in command of the A.M.C. when he was reported ill ahore with a nervous breakdown on 18 December 1916. A series of re-surveys was required before he was found fit in mid-March 1918. He went to Portsmouth to take up an appointment as Assistant to Extended Defence Officer on 2 April, 1917. Apart from some indications that Cardale was wrestling with kidney disease, this work continued until he was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Artois in mid-July 1917. Vice-Admiral Tupper noted that he performed better in this command than in Kildonan Castle.

On 9 May 1918, Cardale was acquitted by a Court Martial of the serious charge of publishing "Naval Plans" without authority. In light of the overall picture, he was placed on half pay and it was seen best to employ him only on "quiet" positions.

Post-War

Cardale was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 13 August, 1919.

Cardale went bankrupt in early 1926.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia
• Info on Naval Missions to Greece and Turkey

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Michael H. Wilding	Captain of H.M.S. Leven 13 May, 1904 – 29 May, 1904	Succeeded by George B. Hutton
Preceded by Walter H. Cowan	Captain of H.M.S. Falcon 20 May, 1904 – 10 Mar, 1905	Succeeded by Hugh D. Marryat
Preceded by Hugh D. Marryat	Captain of H.M.S. Gipsy 10 Mar, 1905 – 1 Jun, 1905	Succeeded by Harry L. Boyle
Preceded by Harry L. Boyle	Captain of H.M.S. Blackwater 1 Jun, 1905 – 2 Jan, 1906	Succeeded by William Cadman
Preceded by William F. Blunt	Captain of H.M.S. Bullfinch 2 Jan, 1906 – 17 Apr, 1906	Succeeded by Reginald C. L. Owen
Preceded by Reginald C. L. Owen	Captain of H.M.S. Ribble 17 Apr, 1906 – 1 Jan, 1907	Succeeded by Percy L. H. Noble
Preceded by R. C. Kemble Lambert	Captain of H.M.S. Teviot 1 Jan, 1907 – 29 Jan, 1908	Succeeded by Reginald St. P. Parry
Preceded by Hugh T. Prichard	Captain of H.M.S. Kangaroo 29 Jan, 1908 – 18 Aug, 1908	Succeeded by Henry C. R. Brocklebank
Preceded by James W. G. Innes	Captain of H.M.S. Saracen 9 Aug, 1910 – 7 Sep, 1912	Succeeded by F. Burges Watson
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Kildonan Castle 7 Jul, 1916 – 18 Dec, 1916	Succeeded by John F. Warton
Preceded by Arthur G. Warren as Captain of H.M.S. Digby	Captain of H.M.S. Artois 16 Jul, 1917 – 25 Nov, 1917	Succeeded by Vernon S. Rashleigh