Wilfred Neville Custance

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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.[1]

Custance was married on 18 February, 1911 to Winifred Olive Cave at St. Peter's Church.[2]

Custance was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 15 January, 1913. On 30 April, he was appointed to Vanguard as her gunnery officer.[3]

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.[4]

Post-War

Custance was promoted to Captain on 30 June, 1925.[5]

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.[6]

Custance was promoted to Rear-Admiral on 17 February, 1936.[7]

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.[8]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles S. Forbes
Captain of H.M. T.B. 58
14 Jul, 1904[9][10]
Succeeded by
Astley D. C. Cooper-Key
Preceded by
George P. Sherston
Captain of H.M.S. Comus
26 Aug, 1925[11]
Succeeded by
G. Frederick B. Edward-Collins
Preceded by
Egerton W. Isaacson
Captain of H.M.S. Yarmouth
20 Nov, 1926[12] – 10 Jan, 1928[13]
Succeeded by
Ralph Leatham
Preceded by
Alban T. B. Curteis
Captain of H.M.S. Castor
22 Jun, 1928[14] – 17 May, 1929[15][16]
Succeeded by
W. Frederic Wake-Walker
Preceded by
Lawrence W. Braithwaite
Captain of H.M.S. Hawkins
5 Nov, 1929[17]
Succeeded by
Aubrey Lambert
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. York
14 Dec, 1929[18] – 1 Dec, 1931[19]
Succeeded by
Richard H. L. Bevan
Preceded by
Cyril G. Sedgwick
Captain of Devonport Gunnery School
30 Jun, 1932[20][21] – Aug, 1934[22]
Succeeded by
Edward N. Syfret
Preceded by
John C. Tovey
Captain of H.M.S. Rodney
31 Aug, 1934[23] – Feb, 1936[24]
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[25] – Oct, 1939[26]
Succeeded by
Wilfrid R. Patterson

Footnotes

  1. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 19.
  2. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  3. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  4. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  5. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  6. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  7. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  8. "Rear-Admiral W. N. Custance." The Times (London, England), 18 Dec. 1939, p. 10.
  9. "Appointments for the Naval Manoeuvres." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 09, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37442.
  10. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  11. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  12. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  13. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  14. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  15. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  16. Day of month inferred from Wake-Walker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/76. 187.
  17. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  18. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  19. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  20. The Navy List. (July, 1934). p. 234.
  21. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  22. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  23. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  24. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  25. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.
  26. Custance Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49. f. 34.