Richard Anthony Aston Plowden

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Rear-Admiral Richard Anthony Aston Plowden, D.S.O., R.N. (24 May, 1881 – 24 February, 1941) was an officer in the Royal Navy. His career would be highlighted by command of destroyers.

Life & Career

Sub-Lieutenant Plowden was appointed to the battleship Ramillies in the Mediterranean on 12 April, 1902 and then to Harrier later that year for special service in the Red Sea. This appears to have involved anti-slaving work, as in November, 1902 his service record states that he was in command of a captured slaver dhow which had been given the delightful moniker of H.M.S. Irresponsible. Plowden was sent back to Ramillies upon his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 March, 1903.[1]

Plowden's early work in destroyer command started after a typical sequence of early appointments in large ships, ending with a year in Cornwallis which ended on 23 March 1907 when he was appointed in command of the "C" Class destroyer Bat, arriving in England on 5 April. Six successive destroyer commands were broken, finally, by an appointment in the battleship Superb on 12 February, 1911. His experience commanding small ships did not seem to prepare him to please Captain Gaunt, whose final evaluation of the young officer was that he was "rather slow, bad manner & lacks enthusiasm."[2]

Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 March, 1911, Plowden continued his battleship appointment until 20 December, 1912 when he received an appointment in command of the Acorn Class destroyer Sheldrake, which was part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla. When Sheldrake collided with the destroyer Fury on 11 July, 1913, both captains were chided for not having been on the bridge at the time of the accident. He would remain in command of the ship until some time into the war.[3]

Great War

Plowden was re-appointed in Sheldrake upon his promotion to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915. He was superseded in her in July, and took command of the "M" Class destroyer Mandate for three months.[4]

Plowden commanded the destroyer Hardy when she operated with the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland.[5]

Post-War

On 28 December, 1918, Plowden was appointed in command of the destroyer Musketeer.[6]

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Satyr on 1 October, 1919.[7]

Plowden was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1921.[8]

Plowden was appointed in command of the battleship Centurion in January, 1931.

Plowden was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 September, 1933 and placed on the Retired List the following day.[9]

World War II

On 3 September, 1939, Plowden was appointed to Victory additional as Commodore of Convoy, Second Class, R.N.R., being sent to the Liverpool Convoy Pool later that year.

Richard Plowden was killed in action at age 59 on 24 February, 1941 when his steam merchant Sirikishna of the dispersed convoy OB-288 was torpedoed by U-96 (the submarine upon which Das Boot was loosely based) and lost in the North Atlantic. He left a widow, Phyllis Mary, née Higginson, whom he had married on 18 November, 1911.[10][11]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Philip D. R. West
Captain of H.M.S. Bat
23 Mar, 1907[12][13] – 13 May, 1908[14]
Succeeded by
James U. Farie
Preceded by
James U. Farie
Captain of H.M.S. Cheerful
13 May, 1908[15][16] – 24 Jul, 1908[17]
Succeeded by
Randolph Divett
Preceded by
Randolph Divett
Captain of H.M.S. Bat
6 Oct, 1908[18] – 13 Mar, 1909[19]
Succeeded by
John E. P. Bickford
Preceded by
Geoffrey Corlett
Captain of H.M.S. Ostrich
13 Mar, 1909[20][21] – 3 Aug, 1909[22]
Succeeded by
George P. Green
Preceded by
Reginald C. L. Owen
Captain of H.M.S. Doon
3 Aug, 1909[23][24] – 10 Sep, 1910[25]
Succeeded by
Reginald Watkins Grubb
Preceded by
Reginald Watkins Grubb
Captain of H.M.S. Thrasher
10 Sep, 1910[26] – 4 Jan, 1911[27]
Succeeded by
Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by
Robert A. Wilson
Captain of H.M.S. Sheldrake
20 Dec, 1912[28][29] – Jul, 1915[30]
Succeeded by
Maurice C. Bomford
Preceded by
Maurice C. Bomford
Captain of H.M.S. Mandate
late Jul, 1915[31] – 26 Oct, 1915[32]
Succeeded by
Eric Q. Carter
Preceded by
Norton A. Sulivan
Captain of H.M.S. Moon
26 Jul, 1915[33] – 10 May, 1916[34]
Succeeded by
Robert E. M. Harris
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Ophelia
10 May, 1916[35] – late May, 1916[36]
Succeeded by
Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by
Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Captain of H.M.S. Hardy
10 May, 1916[37] – 28 Dec, 1918[38]
Succeeded by
Edward Eastwick-Field
Preceded by
Edward Eastwick-Field
Captain of H.M.S. Musketeer
28 Dec, 1918[39][40] – 29 Jan, 1919[41]
Succeeded by
Horace Walker
Preceded by
Horace Walker
Captain of H.M.S. Mindful
29 Jan, 1919[42] – 26 Mar, 1919[43]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Spencer F. Russell
Captain of H.M.S. Minion
26 Mar, 1919[44][45] – 1 Oct, 1919[46]
Succeeded by
C. & M. Party at Devonport
Preceded by
Arthur Henniker-Heaton
Captain of H.M.S. Satyr
1 Oct, 1919[47][48] – 10 Jun, 1921[49]
Succeeded by
Eric Q. Carter
Preceded by
Aubrey T. Tillard
Captain of H.M.S. Castor
15 Sep, 1923[50] – 28 Apr, 1924[51]
Succeeded by
Evelyn C. O. Thomson
Preceded by
Edward O. B. S. Osborne
Captain of H.M.S. Bruce
28 Apr, 1924[52][53] – 31 Dec, 1924[54]
Succeeded by
Kenneth MacLeod
Preceded by
Edward O. B. S. Osborne
Captain (D), Eighth Destroyer Flotilla
28 Apr, 1924[55] – 31 Dec, 1924[56]
Succeeded by
John C. Tovey
Preceded by
John C. Hodgson
Captain of H.M.S. Campbell
31 Dec, 1924[57][58] – 19 Apr, 1926[59]
Succeeded by
John C. Tovey
Preceded by
John C. Hodgson
Captain (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla
31 Dec, 1924[60][61] – 19 Apr, 1926[62]
Succeeded by
John C. Tovey
Preceded by
The Hon. Edward B. S. Bingham
Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm
29 Dec, 1926[63][64] – 29 Jun, 1928[65]
Succeeded by
Edmond J. G. Mackinnon
Preceded by
The Hon. Edward B. S. Bingham
Captain (D), Nore Destroyer Flotilla
29 Dec, 1926[66][67] – 29 Jun, 1928[68]
Succeeded by
Edmond J. G. Mackinnon
Preceded by
Malcolm L. Goldsmith
Captain of Dockyard, Deputy Superintendent and King's Harbour Master, Malta
8 Oct, 1928[69] – 7 Oct, 1930[70]
Succeeded by
John H. Young
Preceded by
Aubrey T. Tillard
Captain of H.M.S. Centurion
5 Jan, 1931[71]
Succeeded by
Noel L. Veresmith

Footnotes

  1. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  2. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  3. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  4. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  5. Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 44.
  6. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 849.
  7. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 861.
  8. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  9. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  10. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  11. uboat.net page on Sirikishna.
  12. The Navy List. (January, 1908). p. 282.
  13. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  14. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  15. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  16. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 293.
  17. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  18. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  19. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  20. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  21. The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 352.
  22. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  23. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  24. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 302.
  25. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  26. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  27. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  28. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  29. The Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 398a.
  30. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  31. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  32. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  33. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  34. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  35. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  36. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  37. The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 808.
  38. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  39. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  40. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 849.
  41. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  42. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  43. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  44. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  45. The Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 847.
  46. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  47. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  48. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 861.
  49. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  50. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  51. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  52. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  53. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  54. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  55. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  56. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  57. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  58. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  59. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  60. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  61. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  62. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  63. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  64. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  65. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  66. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  67. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 219.
  68. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  69. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.
  70. Superseded that day. Young Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/25. f. 429.
  71. Plowden Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/46/64. f. 64.