Wilfred Neville Custance

Rear-Admiral Wilfred Neville Custance, C.B., (25 June, 1884 – 13 December, 1939) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

He served as Gunnery Officer in H.M.S. Vanguard 1914-1917.

Life & Career

Custance was promoted to Lieutenant on 15 january, 1905.

Custance was married on 18 February, 1911 to Winifred Olive Cave at St. Peter's Church.

Custance was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 January, 1913. On 30 April, he was appointed to Vanguard as her gunnery officer.

Custance was promoted to Commander on 30 June, 1917 and was fortunate to survive Vanguard's destruction on 9 July, 1917, having been one of sixteen of her crew to visit Royal Oak for an evening of entertainment. As Gunnery Commander in the lost ship, Custance offered important testimony about how the magazine temperatures were monitored, and the Court was satisfied that his methods were not to blame for the explosion. After the Court was concluded, Custance wound up at Excellent for gunnery duties, remaining there until 30 July, 1919.

Post-War

Custance was promoted to Captain on 30 June, 1925.

In June 1928, he was appointed in command of the light cruiser Castor.

Custance was in command of the Rodney when she ran aground on 9 October, 1935 in circumstances involving another vessel, M.V. Atlas. Custance was faulted for the misfortune.

Custance was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 17 February, 1936.

Custance had recently been in command of the Australian Squadron in the Mediterranean when he succumbed to an illness that had afflicted him for months as he was making his way back to England. He was buried at sea.

See Also

• Transcript of the Report of the Court of Enquiry. G.W.P.D.A.
• Loss of H.M.S. Vanguard Court of Inquiry at The National Archives. ADM 137/3680.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles S. Forbes	Captain of H.M. T.B. 58 14 Jul, 1904	Succeeded by Astley D. C. Cooper-Key
Preceded by George P. Sherston	Captain of H.M.S. Comus 26 Aug, 1925	Succeeded by G. Frederick B. Edward-Collins
Preceded by Egerton W. Isaacson	Captain of H.M.S. Yarmouth 20 Nov, 1926 – 10 Jan, 1928	Succeeded by Ralph Leatham
Preceded by Alban T. B. Curteis	Captain of H.M.S. Castor 22 Jun, 1928 – 17 May, 1929	Succeeded by W. Frederic Wake-Walker
Preceded by Lawrence W. Braithwaite	Captain of H.M.S. Hawkins 5 Nov, 1929	Succeeded by Aubrey Lambert
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. York 14 Dec, 1929 – 1 Dec, 1931	Succeeded by Richard H. L. Bevan
Preceded by Cyril G. Sedgwick	Captain of Devonport Gunnery School 30 Jun, 1932 – Aug, 1934	Succeeded by Edward N. Syfret
Preceded by John C. Tovey	Captain of H.M.S. Rodney 31 Aug, 1934 – Feb, 1936	Succeeded by William J. Whitworth
Preceded by Richard H. O. Lane-Poole as Rear-Admiral Commanding, H.M. Australian Navy Service	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Royal Australian Navy Squadron 26 Feb, 1938 – Oct, 1939	Succeeded by Wilfrid R. Patterson