Walter Henry Calthrop Calthrop

Captain (retired) Walter Henry Calthrop Calthrop, A.M., R.N. (16 September, 1869 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Calthrop was given the rank of Lieutenant upon entering the service on 31 October, 1895.

Four men were killed in a torpedo-handling accident on 9 February, 1897 when the first class protected cruiser Gibraltar was under the command of Captain Harry Francis Hughes-Hallett and was operating out of Zanzibar. Lieutenant Walter Ellerton was directing the quarterly examination of the dry primers for the torpedoes, the work being carried out by Leading Seaman Arthur Moxley and Able Seaman Albert Rock. After the pistols and primers had been examined and returned to their cases, the last one so examined by Ellerton was found by Lieutenant Calthrop to be outside of its case in pieces, with its safety pin removed. The explosion occurred soon afterward, and Moxley, who had been sitting on a box, was "blown to atoms". Three other men were injured so badly that they died that night. A fifth man survived, but could provide no helpful information as to the events leading up to the explosion.

Calthrop was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 16 September 1909.

In August 1914, he was appointed as Naval Agent at Sierre Leone, lasting until 15 June 1915.

After the war, he was granted the rank of Captain (retired) in recognition of war services with seniority of 11 November, 1918.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by ?	Divisional Naval Transport Officer, Cairo Jan, 1918 – Feb, 1918	Succeeded by Charles J. C. Kendall
Preceded by Lawrence de W. Satow	Divisional Naval Transport Officer, Port Said Feb, 1918 – 25 Oct, 1918	Succeeded by Gordon S. Horsburgh