Richard Martin Welby

Captain Richard Martin Welby (9 August, 1886 – 24 April, 1930) was an officer in the Royal Navy. He would serve throughout the Great War but commit suicide in 1930 while in command of a light cruiser.

Life & Career

Welby was born in Nottingham, the son of Reverend Abraham Adlard Welby. After gaining two months' time on passing out of Britannia in September 1902, Welby received his first appointment to Andromeda. He stayed only briefly before moving to Bacchante, in which hs spent two years. He then spent four months in Leviathan before he was invalided with enteric fever. After being found fit on 20 October 1905, he was appointed to Jupiter for two months and to Swiftsure in the Channel Fleet for about two years.

Welby was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1908 and left Swiftsure when she was reduced on 7 October.

Welby was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 67 on 8 December, 1908. After 18 months in her, he was appointed in command of T.B. 112 on 11 June, 1910.

Welby was appointed in command of the destroyer Grampus on 6 January, 1916.

Chief Engine Room Artificer John T. Peel of Grampus drowned on 8 March, 1916. Welby received the displeasure of the Admiralty, as the ship's life buoys had no lights fitted and no instructions had been issued on when they should be released.

Welby was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October, 1916.

Welby was appointed in command of the destroyer Rifleman by the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean on 6 February, 1918. He'd remain in her through the end of the war.

Post-War

Welby picked up responsibility for a group of T.B.Ds. in late March 1919 until he was was appointed out of Rifleman and into Salmon on 30 April, 1919.

Welby commanded Serene for eight months before being appointed in command of the destroyer Vega on 27 May, 1920. Welby was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1921 and re-appointed in command of Vega. For him, the twenties would be a series of destroyer commands and technical courses, with a stint as executive officer in the light cruiser Coventry, vice Coombs in 1925-27. One high point appears to be a 1923 inspection report for Serapis in which she was declared "most efficient destroyer of the 8th Flotilla."

Welby was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1928.

In October, 1929 when he was fresh off a Senior Officers' Technical Course, Welby was appointed in command of the light cruiser Champion. He would be found dead in her on 24 April, 1930. A Coroner's Inquest determined that he had committed suicide while of unsound mind, though it is curious to note that his family came to believe the death was somehow an accident. There is no indication in his service record that anyone had worried about his emotional stability. Welby was buried in Bournemouth's Wimborne Road Cemetery, a posthumous evaluation describing him as a "capable and reliable commanding officer."

Personal Life

Welby married Euphemia Violet Lyon (1891 — 1987), the daughter of Herbert Lyon. Euphemia would become Superintendent of the Women's Royal Naval Service in mid-1939. The couple had four children.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Clement R. Dane	Captain of H.M. T.B. 067 6 Dec, 1908 – 11 Jun, 1910	Succeeded by William H. Sandford as Captain of H.M. T.B. 067
Preceded by Francis B. Haygarth	Captain of H.M. T.B. 112 11 Jun, 1910 – 16 May, 1911	Succeeded by Hugh B. Worsley
Preceded by Thomas C. C. Bolster	Captain of H.M. T.B. 19 8 Sep, 1915 – 1 Jan, 1916	Succeeded by Arthur M. C. Stileman
Preceded by Roy Bacchus	Captain of H.M.S. Grampus 6 Jan, 1916 – 26 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Douglas Garvey
Preceded by Guy D. Fanshawe	Captain of H.M.S. Cameleon 26 Jan, 1918 – 6 Feb, 1918	Succeeded by Gerald M. McKenna
Preceded by Gerald M. McKenna	Captain of H.M.S. Rifleman 6 Feb, 1918 – 30 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by Hugh B. Wrey
Preceded by Ronald H. C. Hallifax	Captain of H.M.S. Salmon 30 Apr, 1919 – 1 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by Lewes G. Gardner
Preceded by Herbert W. Wyld	Captain of H.M.S. Serene 1 Oct, 1919 – 27 May, 1920	Succeeded by Ralph G. H. Izat
Preceded by David V. F. Erskine	Captain of H.M.S. Vega 27 May, 1920 – 27 Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Geoffrey S. Holden
Preceded by Sydney Hopkins	Captain of H.M.S. Sparrowhawk 1 Feb, 1922 – Nov, 1922	Succeeded by Austen G. Lilley
Preceded by Austen G. Lilley	Captain of H.M.S. Serapis Nov, 1922 – Oct, 1923	Succeeded by David B. Nicol
Preceded by David B. Nicol	Captain of H.M.S. Worcester Oct, 1923 – Jan, 1924	Succeeded by Ambrose T. N. Abbay
Preceded by Walter O. H. Lambert	Captain of H.M.S. Searcher 10 Jul, 1924 – 21 Aug, 1924	Succeeded by Brownlow V. Layard
Preceded by Stuart E. Holder	Captain of H.M.S. Curlew Jun, 1929 – c. Jul, 1929	Succeeded by John G. Bower
Preceded by Eric R. Bent	Captain of H.M.S. Champion 18 Oct, 1929 – 24 Apr, 1930	Succeeded by Douglas Faviell