John Buller Glencross

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

Captain John Buller Glencross, D.S.O., R.N. (25 July, 1885 – 25 September, 1962)[1] was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Buller passed out of Britannia in September of 1901, gaining two and a half months time in so doing. His first appointment was to the first class protected cruiser Niobe of the Channel Squadron on 15 October. In May of 1902, he was appointed to Bulwark, a battleship operating in the Mediterranean.[2]

Destroyer work followed. A very short stint in the River Class destroyer Erne in May 1906 was followed by two months in the "C" Class destroyer Greyhound. From here, his naval career was to veer into submarine warfare.

On 21 July, 1906, Glencross was appointed to Thames for submarine instruction. Glencross completed his instruction on 1 January, 1909, having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1907 while still in Thames. He was sent to Mercury, "for S/M in cmd.", though the particular submarine(s) is not specified.[3]

On 16 June, 1909, Glencross was sent to Forth. Other sources augment the vague service record and spell out that on this same date he was placed in command of the submarine B 7. He was re-appointed in that capacity on 14 August, 1911.[4]

On 31 October, 1913, his submariner career entered a hiatus when he was appointed to the battlecruiser Lion, flagship of the First Battle Cruiser Squadron, as one of her four Lieutenants.[5] He would be in her when war erupted.[6]

Great War

Glencross was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1915. On 1 August, he left Lion for Bonaventure, for further work in submarines.

On 1 January, 1916, he was appointed to Dolphin to oversee the completion of E 53, but in March he was placed in command of her sister, E 55 upon her commissioning.[7] It is possible that he commanded both submarines, as one of his descendants has E 53's bell.[8]

On 16 August, 1917, he left E 55 for L 7, to take command upon her commissioning. He was awarded the D.S.O. "for long and arduous service in command of an (illegible) submarine during the third period of the war", gazetted on 2 or 3 November, 1917.[9]

Glencross was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1918.[10]

Post-War

Glencross relinquished command of K 14 in October, 1919 to go to Crescent to take command of a group of "K" class submarines in reserve.

From late 1921 to 1923, he worked with the Director of Naval Equipment before being put on unpaid time, starting in December, 1923 and ending on 15 April, 1924 when he was placed in command of the depot ship Cyclops. At the end of the year, he was appointed in command of another depot ship, Vulcan, and as Commander (S) of her charges, the boats of the Sixth Submarine Flotilla.[11]

Glencross was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1925 and was superseded in command of 6 S.F. on 1 September, 1926.[12]

His final command appointment was as captain of Titania and as Captain (S) of the Fourth Submarine Flotilla, running from March, 1927 until he was superseded in February, 1929. His service with 4S.F. earned him the Grand Order of the Far East bearing inscriptions as:[13]

  • Captain J.B. Glencross DSO, Captain Sub IV 1927-28
  • Defense of Chefoo 1928, Japanese cruises 1927-28, Bias Patrol 1927-28

Glencross was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 April, 1930.[14]

World War II

Glencross was appointed in 1939 to President, additional, as Naval Representative on Joint Recruiting Post of University of Exeter.[15]

He may have also served as Officer in Charge, Londonderry.[16]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Geoffrey Layton
Captain of H.M.S. B 7
16 Jun, 1909[17] – after Dec, 1911[18]
Succeeded by
Thomas C. A. H. Ouchterlony
Preceded by
Gilbert H. Kellett
Captain of H.M.S. E 55
Mar, 1916[19]
Succeeded by
Francis J. H. Dawson
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. L 7
Dec, 1917[20]
Succeeded by
David M. Fell
Preceded by
John R. A. Codrington
Captain of H.M.S. K 14
19 Aug, 1918[21] – Oct, 1919[22]
Succeeded by
Harry Percy Kendall Oram
Preceded by
Fitzroy H. D. Byron
Captain of H.M.S. Fermoy
May, 1920[23]
Succeeded by
Hubert Vaughan-Jones
Preceded by
John G. Bower
Captain of H.M.S. Cyclops
15 Apr, 1924[24][25] – 27 Dec, 1924[26]
Succeeded by
Brownlow V. Layard
Preceded by
Robert R. Turner
Captain of H.M.S. Vulcan
31 Dec, 1924[27] – 1 Sep, 1926[28]
Succeeded by
George P. Thomson
Preceded by
Henry D. Gill
as Lieutenant-Commander (S), Sixth Submarine Flotilla
Captain (S), Sixth Submarine Flotilla
31 Dec, 1924[29] – 1 Sep, 1926[30]
Succeeded by
George P. Thomson
Preceded by
Robert H. T. Raikes
Captain of H.M.S. Titania
27 Jan, 1927[31] – Feb, 1929[32]
Succeeded by
Anthony B. Lockhart
Preceded by
Robert H. T. Raikes
Captain (S), Fourth Submarine Flotilla
Mar, 1927[33] – Feb, 1929[34]
Succeeded by
Anthony B. Lockhart
as Commander (S), Fourth Submarine Flotilla

Footnotes

  1. The Times (Wednesday, 26 September 1962), p. 1.
  2. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  3. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  4. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 296.
  5. The Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 348.
  6. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  7. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  8. Email from Jon Glencross to Tony Lovell, 9 April, 2016 and following days.
  9. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  10. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  11. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  12. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  13. Email from Jon Glencross to Tony Lovell, 9 April, 2016 and following days.
  14. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  15. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. Unnumbered folio.
  16. Email from Jon Glencross to Tony Lovell, 9 April, 2016 and following days.
  17. The Monthly Navy List. (March, 1911). p. 317.
  18. The Navy List. (January, 1912). p. 296.
  19. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  20. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  21. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  22. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  23. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 774.
  24. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 230.
  25. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  26. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  27. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  28. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  29. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  30. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  31. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 275.
  32. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  33. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.
  34. Glencross Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50. f. ?.