Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower
Rear-Admiral Ion Beauchamp Butler Tower, D.S.C., R.N. (14 March, 1889 – 14 October, 1940) served in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Born in Princes Gate, S.W., Tower entered the Royal Navy ranked 26th (tied) in merit of sixty cadets accepted in the May 1904 intake term at H.M.S. Britannia.[1]
Tower was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 November, 1909.
Tower was appointed to the destroyer Eclipse for the Test Mobilisation and was made her gunnery officer on 1 August, 1914. He would serve in shore and harbour postings until being appointed to Royalist for gunnery duties with that ship and her flotilla on 7 January, 1916. His primary responsibility would be to the flotilla, as he would leave Royalist in April to continue flotilla torpedo duties as an additional man in Faulknor and later Saumarez.
On 13 August, 1917, Tower was appointed gunnery officer of the armoured cruiser H.M.S. Australia. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 November, 1917. He served as gunnery officer in Barham from 21 November, 1918 to 1 October, 1920.
In 1921, Tower was awarded both Lloyd's Silver Medal for Saving Life at Sea and the Board of Trade Silver Medal for Saving Life at Sea for removing men from the S.S. Hong Moh on 3 March 1921. He was serving as gunnery officer in Carlisle at the time.
Tower was promoted to the rank of Commander on December, 1922.
Tower worked at the Air Ministry as Deputy Directorate of Armament from September 1924 until 24 September 1926 when he was appointed to R.A.F. Base, Gosport for instruction in Deck Landing Training. In mid December, he was appointed to the battlecruiser Repulse as executive officer. When he was superseded on 25 July, 1928, he went to H.M.S. Excellent.
Tower was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1929.
In April, 1931, Tower transferred from Ambuscade to the destroyer Blanche, retaining his role as second-in-command of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean.[2]
Tower was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 25 June, 1940.
Having been appointed in charge of a Planning Committee at "I.D.C." ("J.D.C.?") on 1 July, 1940, Tower died in an air raid in October.
See Also
Bibliography
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by John W. Clayton |
Captain of H.M.S. Ambuscade 25 Aug, 1930 – late Apr, 1931 |
Succeeded by Arthur L. Pears |
| Preceded by Richard J. R. Scott |
Captain of H.M.S. Wolsey Dec, 1930 – 28 Apr, 1931 |
Succeeded by Percival H. G. James |
| Preceded by Charles G. N. Graham |
Captain of H.M.S. Blanche 28 Apr, 1931[3] – Sep, 1931 |
Succeeded by Arthur F. E. Palliser |
| Preceded by Algernon U. Willis |
Captain of H.M.S. Kent 20 May, 1934[4] – 14 Jan, 1937 |
Succeeded by Thomas A. C. Pakenham |
| Preceded by Frederick A. Buckley |
Captain of H.M.S. Malaya Dec, 1938[5] – 25 May, 1940[6] |
Succeeded by Arthur F. E. Palliser |
Footnotes
- ↑ "Cadetships in the Royal Navy." The Times (London, England), Thursday, Apr 21, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37374.
- ↑ "Naval, Military & Air Force." The Times (London, England), Thursday, Apr 23, 1931; pg. 19; Issue 45804.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1931). p. 218.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1935). p. 249.
- ↑ Day of month not legible.
- ↑ Superseded that day. Palliser Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/290. f. 663.
