Norman Litchfield Stanley

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Captain Norman Litchfield Stanley (14 May, 1872 – 22 September, 1944) was an officer in the Royal Navy. The service recorded his middle name, incorrectly, as Lichfield until 1944 when his widow wrote to correct the spelling.

Life & Career

Born in Dunedin, New Zealand, the son of Reverend T. L. Stanley, Norman Stanley gained seven months' time on passing out of Britannia in December 1887.

He was recommended to the Royal Humane Society on 22 March 1890 for saving the life of T. Porthouse at Hobart, Tasmania who had fallen at 10pm on the dark night of 1 March. Porthouse weighed 15 stone and proved dangerous to get hold of in his panicked state. Stanley was eventually to receive the Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal and certificate for life-saving.[1]

Stanley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1894.[2]

Stanley was serving in the battleship Revenge when he was invalided to England on 30 September, 1897 with Mediterranean Fever. It would not be before 26 October, 1898 that he would be deemed fit for service on a foreign station.

Stanley was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1905.[3]

On 20 October, 1906, Stanley was appointed as executive officer in the battleship H.M.S. Hannibal. In 1907, a Court of Enquiry probed unsatisfactory Battle Practice Results obtained by Hannibal and found that Commander Stanley had not taken "an intelligent interest in Battle Practice stations & system of control." He apparently took the necessary measures to address the deficiency, as 1908's results satisfied the Admiralty. On 5 October, 1908, Stanley left Hannibal to attend a War Course in Portsmouth.[4]

After attending Technical and Gunnery courses in early 1909, Stanley spent sixteen months in command of the battleship Glory, followed by three weeks in command of Trafalgar and several months in Intrepid. On 17 January, 1911, Stanley was appointed to Philomel on the East Indies Station. On 2 September, he was invalided at Colombo with eczema caused by the climate, though he was not superseded until on 19 September. He completed passage home in S.S. Mongolia. He recuperated, slowly in Portsmouth, being re-surveyed periodically at Haslar Hospital, but he did not regain his fitness until 30 December, 1911.[5]

Stanley was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Hermione on 5 February, 1912.[6]

In 1913, Stanley was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal for saving life at sea.[7]

Stanley was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Oropesa on 23 November, 1914. He was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain on 3 July, 1915 and left command of Oropesa on 2 December, 1915. On the 23rd, he was appointed to President, additional, for special service.[8]

Stanley was appointed to Pembroke for the armed merchant cruiser Gloucestershire, to assume command upon her commissioning. He would remain in command until July, 1917, after which he would a half-year in hospital with a varicose ulcer – most likely a consequence of his earlier bout with eczema. He was not again ready to serve until January, 1918.[9]

Vice-Admiral Tupper evaluated Stanley in December 1917 as "a most zealous, hardworking, capable officer who did excellent work on Patrol in 10th C.S. Ship always in very good order, & ready to date given", but characterized his ability as being simply "average". Following a brief stint in command of H.M.S. Vindictive, in February, 1918 Stanley was appointed in command of Ophir.[10]

Post-War

In July 1919 Stanley left Ophir and proceeded to Devonport to assist the Captain of Dockyard, initially William John Standly Alderson. On 27 July, 1921, Stanley was transferred to the books of Victory for unpaid time not to exceed six months.

Stanley was placed on the Retired List with rank of Captain at his own request on 21 January, 1922.[11]

Stanley's eczema would return in 1935 and again in the late 1930s, resulting in time spent at Haslar. As World War II loomed, Stanley offered his services but was informed that he was unlikely to be required in early stages of war. A lack of further notes on the matter suggest he never was summoned.

Stanley died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1944.[12]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Edmund R. Pears 		Captain of H.M.S. Glory
11 May, 1909[13][14] – 6 Sep, 1910[15] 		Succeeded by
Marcus R. Hill
Preceded by
Richard B. Farquhar 		Captain of H.M.S. Intrepid
27 Sep, 1910[16] – 17 Jan, 1911[17] 		Succeeded by
Tristan Dannreuther
Preceded by
Victor G. Gurner 		Captain of H.M.S. Philomel
17 Jan, 1911[18] – 1911 		Succeeded by
George N. Ballard
Preceded by
Murray F. Sueter 		Captain of H.M.S. Hermione
5 Feb, 1912[19][20] – mid Jul, 1913[21] 		Succeeded by
Henry M. Doughty
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. Oropesa
23 Nov, 1914[22][23] – 2 Dec, 1915[24] 		Succeeded by
Percy G. Brown
as Captain of H.M.S. Champagne
Preceded by
? 		Captain of H.M.S. Gloucestershire
5 Jan, 1916[25][26] – 11 Jul, 1917[27] 		Succeeded by
Thomas A. Williams
Preceded by
Otto H. Hawke-Genn 		Captain of H.M.S. Vindictive
26 Jan, 1918[28] – 7 Feb, 1918[29] 		Succeeded by
Alfred F. B. Carpenter
Preceded by
John M. D. E. Warren 		Captain of H.M.S. Ophir
7 Feb, 1918[30][31] – 18 Jul, 1919[32] 		Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  2. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  3. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  4. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  5. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  6. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 324.
  7. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1914). p. 961.
  8. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  9. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  10. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  11. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 319.
  12. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 319.
  13. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  14. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 321.
  15. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  16. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  17. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  18. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1911). p. 356.
  19. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 324.
  21. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  22. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  23. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 401r.
  24. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  25. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  26. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 401d.
  27. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  28. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  29. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 321.
  30. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 319.
  31. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 855.
  32. ↑ Stanley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/292. f. 319.

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