Robert Gwynne Corbett

Captain Robert Gwynne Corbett, D.S.O., R.N. (13 April, 1872 – 9 October, 1925) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Corbett was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1894.

Corbett was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1905.

Corbett was appointed in command of the destroyer Janus on 27 March, 1900.

Corbett was appointed to Albion as executive officer on 28 March, 1906. On 10 August, 1909 he left the ship when he was appointed to Royal Sovereign, in command. He stayed here for one year, being appointed to Swift, additional, on 2 August, 1910. In 1911, he was found to have committed an error in judgment when Swift and the destroyer Beagle fouled each other.

Corbett was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1912.

Corbett's appointment in command of Algerine and as S.N.O. West Coast America on 10 December, 1913 was cut short when war broke out and he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Niobe on 16 August, 1914. Niobe operated with the Fourth Cruiser Squadron on the North American and West Indies Station until September, 1915 when she was decreed to be too worn out to continue as a fighting ship. On 7 September, 1915, he was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Calgarian and he returned from Halifax by way of New York. Corbett was praised as he left Niobe for the considerable challenges he had overcome to keep the ship in service.

Corbett left Calgarian in September, 1917 when he "admitted intemperance when in cd". He was relieved in command and placed on permanent half pay as of 16 October.

On 28 September 1918, he was appointed in command of Stornoway Naval Base, temporary.

Post-War

On 31 December, 1918, Corbett was appointed as Senior Naval Officer, Inverness, assuming these duties on 23 January, 1919. On 16 August, 1920, he was admitted to Haslar Hospital with an anal fistula. He applied for War and Technical Courses, but there is no indication that he attended. He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 18 May, 1921.

In 1925, Corbett died of stomach cancer and heart failure at Roke, Steep, Petersfield after a long illness.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Cunningham R. de C. Foot	Captain of H.M. T.B. 45 Nov, 1892 – 17 Aug, 1893	Succeeded by Ion P. Barton
Preceded by Lawrence de W. Satow	Captain of H.M.S. Hunter 1 Feb, 1899 – 27 Mar, 1900	Succeeded by John W. Renshaw
Preceded by Llewellyn Griffiths	Captain of H.M.S. Chamois 22 Sep, 1899 – Mar, 1899	Succeeded by William Bowden-Smith
Preceded by Guy de L. O. Johnson	Captain of H.M.S. Janus 27 Mar, 1900 – 1900	Succeeded by Cyril Asser
Preceded by Henry D. Wilkin	Captain of H.M.S. Otter 16 Nov, 1900	Succeeded by Charles P. Mansel
Preceded by John K. Laird	Captain of H.M.S. Royal Sovereign 10 Aug, 1909 – 2 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Herbert du C. Luard
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Swift 2 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by John S. Dumaresq
Preceded by Raymond A. Nugent	Captain (D), Fourth Destroyer Flotilla 5 Jul, 1913 – 20 Aug, 1913	Succeeded by Charles J. Wintour
Preceded by Francis G. St. G. Brooker	Captain of H.M.S. Algerine 10 Dec, 1913 – 16 Aug, 1914	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by John H. K. Clegg	Captain of H.M.C.S. Niobe 16 Aug, 1914 – 3 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by Charles White
Preceded by Thomas W. Kemp	Captain of H.M.S. Calgarian 7 Sep, 1915 – Sep, 1917	Succeeded by Robert A. Newton
Preceded by Norman H. Rankin	Senior Naval Officer and D.N.T.O., Inverness 31 Dec, 1918 – 16 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by Command Disestablished
Preceded by Howard F. J. Rowley	Divisional Naval Transport Officer, Inverness 31 Dec, 1918 – 16 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by ?