Martin Eric Dunbar-Nasmith

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Admiral Martin Eric Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., (1 April, 1883 – 29 June, 1965) was an officer in the Royal Navy who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Sea of Marmora in command of submarine E 11. He was born as Martin Eric Nasmith – he added the name Dunbar in 1923.[1]

Life & Career

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 May, 1905.[2]

On 16 October 1905, A 4 suffered a loss of trim while exercising in Stokes Bay, under command of Nasmith; the mishap was likely caused by a shifting of weight. The sub went down by the stern and grounded at Southsea beach, her batteries flooded as the crew was evacuated with the help of tugs. Chlorine gas was created, and a small explosion occurred. As the submarine was being towed back, the tow parted and the submarine sank without human casualty between Hamilton's Bank and the Spit.[3]

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 May, 1913.[4]

Great War

Nasmith was appointed in command of the submarine E 11 on 3 August, 1914.[5] He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exploits in her in the Sea of Marmora. Less widely recalled were his profound contributions to the Torpedo Control mechanisms available to British submariners, developing the Nasmith Director and then its refined brethren, the Is-Was.[6]

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915.[7]

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1916.[8]

He was appointed to Vulcan for command of the Third Submarine Flotilla on 7 February, 1917. In November, he left that command and was appointed to command Ambrose's Flotilla.[9]

He was gazetted on 5 March, 1920 a C.B. for work in command of the Seventh Submarine Flotilla in the Baltic, and for serving as Senior Naval Officer at Reval.[10]

On 20 August, 1921, he was appointed in command of the battleship Iron Duke. In February 1922, the death of an Able Bodied seamen while landing anchors prompted the C-in-C to inform Nasmith that such "responsible" work should not have been entrusted to a junior rating.[11]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles J. C. Little
Captain of H.M.S. A 4
1 Jul, 1905[12][13] – 16 Oct, 1905[14]
Succeeded by
Kenneth J. Duff-Dunbar
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. C 7
May, 1907[15]
Succeeded by
Brownlow V. Layard
Preceded by
Robert C. Halahan
Captain of H.M.S. C 18
14 Jan, 1911[16][17] – 15 Sep, 1911[18]
Succeeded by
Wilfrid B. Pirie
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. D 4
15 Sep, 1911[19] – 15 Aug, 1912[20]
Succeeded by
Kenneth M. Bruce
Preceded by
Alexander R. Palmer
Captain of H.M.S. Arrogant
15 Aug, 1912[21][22] – 3 Aug, 1914[23]
Succeeded by
Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. E 11
3 Aug, 1914[24][25] – 1 Apr, 1916[26]
Succeeded by
John R. A. Codrington
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. J 4
1 Apr, 1916[27] – 16 Jan, 1917[28]
Succeeded by
Donald I. McGillewie
Preceded by
Charles S. Benning
Captain of H.M.S. J 2
1 Jun, 1916[29] – 5 Jul, 1916[30]
Succeeded by
Gilbert H. Kellett
Preceded by
Richard F. White
Captain of H.M.S. Vulcan
7 Feb, 1917[31][32]c. Dec, 1917[33]
Succeeded by
Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by
?
Commander (S), Third Submarine Flotilla
7 Feb, 1917[34] – Nov, 1917[35]
Succeeded by
Andrew Wilmot-Smith
as Lieutenant-Commander (S), Third Submarine Flotilla
Preceded by
Vincent L. Bowring
Captain of H.M.S. Ambrose
Nov, 1917[36] – Sep, 1918[37]
Succeeded by
Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by
New Command
Commander (S), Ambrose's Flotilla
Nov, 1917[38] – Sep, 1918[39]
Succeeded by
Cecil P. Talbot
Preceded by
Leonard A. B. Donaldson
Captain of H.M.S. Lucia
Sep, 1918[40][41] – 30 Oct, 1920[42]
Succeeded by
Cecil P. Talbot
Preceded by
Leonard A. B. Donaldson
Captain (S), Tenth Submarine Flotilla
Sep, 1918[43][44] – 30 Oct, 1920[45]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Richard A. S. Hill
Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke
20 Aug, 1921[46] – Oct, 1923[47]
Succeeded by
Frank F. Rose
Preceded by
Charles J. C. Little
Director of the Trade Division
15 Apr, 1924[48] – 2 Jan, 1926[49]
Succeeded by
Richard A. S. Hill
Preceded by
The Hon. Herbert Meade
Captain of Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
2 Jan, 1926[50] – 2 Jan, 1929[51]
Succeeded by
Sidney J. Meyrick
Preceded by
Henry E. Grace
Rear-Admiral (S)
2 Sep, 1929[52] – 2 Sep, 1931[53]
Succeeded by
Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by
Eric J. A. Fullerton
Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station
29 Apr, 1932[54] – 12 Dec, 1934[55]
Succeeded by
Frank F. Rose
Preceded by
Sir Alfred D. P. R. Pound
Second Sea Lord
2 Sep, 1935[56] – 30 Sep, 1938[57]
Succeeded by
Sir Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by
Reginald A. R. Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax
Commander in Chief, Plymouth Station
24 Oct, 1938[58] – 30 Apr, 1941[59]
Succeeded by
Charles M. Forbes
Court Appointments
Preceded by
Montague E. Browning
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
19 Jun, 1945[Citation needed] – 12 Oct, 1962
Succeeded by
Sir John H. Edelsten

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: The London Gazette 16 January, 1923.
  2. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 23.
  3. "Accident to a Submarine." The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Oct 17, 1905; pg. 11; Issue 37840.
  4. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  5. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 353.
  6. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 3, Part 21. pp. 20-21.
  7. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  8. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  9. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  10. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  11. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  12. Wikipedia.
  13. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  14. Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 18.
  15. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 385.
  16. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  17. The Monthly Navy List. (March, 1911). p. 286.
  18. Dunbar-Nasmsith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  19. Dunbar-Nasmsith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  20. Dunbar-Nasmsith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  21. Dunbar-Nasmsith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  22. The Navy List. (July, 1914). p. 277.
  23. Dunbar-Nasmsith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  24. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  25. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 353.
  26. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  27. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  28. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  29. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  30. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  31. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  32. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 399d.
  33. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  34. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  35. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  36. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  37. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  38. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  39. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  40. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  41. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 836.
  42. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  43. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  44. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 836.
  45. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  46. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  47. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  48. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  49. Successor appointed that day. Hill Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45. f. 146.
  50. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  51. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  52. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  53. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  54. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  55. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  56. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  57. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  58. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  59. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.