Philip William Douglas

Captain Philip William Douglas (27 June, 1883 – 4 September, 1949) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Slough, the son of Robert Kennaway Douglas, the Keeper at the British Museum.

Douglas entered the Royal Navy with the January, 1897 intake term at H.M.S. Britannia, passing in 1st in order of merit with 1624 marks in the competitive entrance examinations.

As a Midshipman in mid-1900, Douglas landed with men from Centurion during the Boxer Rebellion.

Douglas was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 April, 1903.

Douglas was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 April, 1911.

Douglas was appointed to the battleship Audacious as gunnery officer on 21 October, 1913. He would serve in this role until her loss to a mine on 27 October, 1914, when he deftly boarded a destroyer's whaler from her upper deck abreast 'Q' turret.

Douglas was appointed to Warspite as gunnery officer on 22 November, 1914. He would serve in this appointment through almost the entire war, being promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915. He fought in Warsipte as her gunnery officer at the Battle of Jutland. He left the super-dreadnought when he was appointed to work with the Director of Naval Ordnance on 14 September, 1918. On 19 October, he was made an Assistant to the D.N.O..

Douglas was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1921 and placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 June 1922.

World War II

He offered his services in 1939 despite having declared himself "somewhat deaf" in 1938. His disability kept the Navy from taking him up.

See Also

• Service Records
• H.M.S. Warspite at the Battle of Jutland