William Henry Allen

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to navigationJump to search

Rear Admiral William Henry Allen, (28 June, 1878 – 9 February, 1951) served in the United States Navy.

Life & Career

Allen was born in Florence, South Carolina, and was appointed to the Naval Academy from the same state, graduating with the Class of 1901.[1] He received the usual early-career promotions, being promoted to the rank of Ensign on 7 June, 1903[2] and to the rank of Lieutenant on 7 June, 1906.[3] One notable early assignment came in 1909, when he served as Aide to the commander of the Third Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet.[4]

Allen's first commands came in destroyers. He was appointed to command Flusser from 1911 to 1912,[5] and to command Ammen from 1912 to 1913.[6][7][8]

Great War

Allen was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander on 1 July 1914. He served at the Philadelphia Navy Yard from 1914 to 1917, and by 1917 served as Aide to the Commandant.[9] By 1918 he was at sea as Executive Officer of battleship Virginia, having been promoted to the temporary rank of Commander on 31 August, 1917.[10][11]

Interwar Period

Allen was promoted to the permanent rank of Commander on 1 July, 1919, while in command of gunboat Yorktown.[12][13] He later commanded the mine-layer (serving as aircraft tender) Aroostook from 1922 to 1924, and was promoted to the rank of Captain on 5 June, 1924.[14][15] Allen's final ship command was protected cruiser Denver from 1927 to 1928.[16]

Other assignments during the 1920's included a tour as Captain of the Yard at the Charleston Navy Yard in his home state in 1925 to 1927.[17]

In the 1930's, Allen commanded a Destroyer squadron before he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on 1 November, 1934. His flag assignments began with a tour of duty as Commandant of the Sixteenth Naval District and the Cavite Navy Yard.[18] He then flew his flag at sea for the only time as commander of the Yangtze Patrol from 1935 to 1937.[19][20]

Allen's career concluded with a return to his home state as the Commandant of the Charleston Navy Yard with additional duty as Commandant of the Sixth Naval District, Seventh Naval District, and (until 1941) Eighth Naval District until his retirement for age on 1 July, 1942.[21][22]

World War II

Allen was recalled to active duty from 1943 to early 1945, serving in a procurement role in Atlanta, Georgia. He returned to inactive duty and died in 1951 in Charlston, South Carolina.[23]

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
James P. Morton 		Captain of U.S.S. Flusser
12 Oct, 1911[24] – Aug, 1912[25] 		Succeeded by
William F. Halsey, Jr.
Preceded by
Joseph K. Taussig 		Captain of U.S.S. Ammen
Sep, 1912[26] – before Dec, 1913[27] 		Succeeded by
Christopher R. P. Rodgers
Preceded by
Harlan P. Perrill 		Captain of U.S.S. Yorktown
before Jan, 1916[28] – Jun, 1919 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
John McC. Luby 		Aide to Commandant, Navy Yard, Philadelphia
before 1 Jan, 1917[29] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Warren J. Terhune 		Captain, Navy Yard, Charleston
15 Jun, 1925[30] – before 22 Jun, 1927 		Succeeded by
William Ancrum
Preceded by
William N. Jeffers 		Captain of U.S.S. Denver
17 May, 1927[31] – Oct, 1928[32] 		Succeeded by
Frank C. Martin
Preceded by
Casey B. Morgan 		Commandant, Naval Station, Cavite
1935[33] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Albert Parker Niblack 		Commandant, Navy Yard, Charleston
7 Mar, 1938[34] – 1 Jul, 1942[35] 		Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 22-23.
  2. ↑ Register of Officers, 1904. pp. 44-45.
  3. ↑ Register of Officers, 1907. pp. 34-35.
  4. ↑ Register of Officers, 1909. p. 211.
  5. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. p. 30.
  6. ↑ Register of Officers, 1913. p. 26.
  7. ↑ Register of Officers, 1914. p. 28.
  8. ↑ The News (Patterson, NJ) 19 September, 1912 p. 11.
  9. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 22-23.
  10. ↑ Navy Directory 1 March, 1918 p. 5.
  11. ↑ Register of Officers, 1918. p. 20.
  12. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. pp. 22-23.
  13. ↑ Register of Officers, 1920. p. 18.
  14. ↑ Register of Officers, 1923. pp. 18-19.
  15. ↑ Register of Officers, 1925. p. 18.
  16. ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 16.
  17. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 16.
  18. ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. p. 16.
  19. ↑ Register of Officers, 1936. pp. 16-17.
  20. ↑ Register of Officers, 1937. pp. 16-17.
  21. ↑ Register of Officers, 1938. pp. 16-17.
  22. ↑ Register of Officers, 1942. pp. 578, 724.
  23. ↑ Baltimore Sun 10 February, 1951 p. 9.
  24. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. p. 30.
  25. ↑ Register of Officers, 1912. p. 30.
  26. ↑ Register of Officers, 1913. p. 26.
  27. ↑ Register of Officers, 1914. p. 28.
  28. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. pp. 22-23.
  29. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 22-23.
  30. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 16.
  31. ↑ Register of Officers, 1928. p. 16.
  32. ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 16.
  33. ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. p. 16.
  34. ↑ Register of Officers, 1938. pp. 16-17.
  35. ↑ Register of Officers, 1942. pp. 578, 724.

Retrieved from "http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=William_Henry_Allen&oldid=318462"