View source for Cyril Callaghan

{{CommRN}} (retired) '''Cyril Callaghan''' (16 June, 1881 &ndash; 11 March, 1944) was an officer in the [[Royal Navy]]. He was the son of [[George Astley Callaghan|Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Callaghan]].  His naval career would arouse strong criticism and support from his superiors &ndash; a career dynamic that makes the remarks section of his service record extraordinarily lengthy. 

==Life & Career==
Gaining two months time on passing out of {{UK-1Britannia}}, Callaghan was first appointed to the {{UK-Majestic|f=t}} of the Channel Squadron on 1 June, 1897.  From there, he was sent to join the {{UK-Flora|f=t}} on the South Coast of America station on 13 January, 1898.   Things did not go well for him there, as on 5 January, 1901, the Commodore, South Coast of America and captain of ''Flora'' [[Robert Leonard Groome]] wired the Admiralty to report that Callaghan was to be sent home to England from Montevideo for misconduct, for whatever ends the Admiralty might choose for him upon his arrival in the steamer ''Danube'', expected to arrive in Southampton on 26 January.  

Soon after his arrival in the receiving ship ''Duke of Wellington'' on that date, the issue was described more fully as being a matter of Callaghan having passed a note to an ordinary seaman proposing a meeting during the first watch for a purpose which the Commodore described as "immoral".  The further explanation is difficult to read, but Callaghan suggested his interest in the man was solely that he came from a town near his own hometown and he had noticed the man's name in a report and hoped to offer him advice.  Their Lordships concluded that the Commodore's implication could not be granted credence, and that Callaghan should be penalized solely for a "serious breach of discipline" in the matter and lose two months' of seniority.  Any other insinuations against Callaghan were explicitly declared without merit.  Groome twisted the knife, writing of Callaghan, "General conduct. Indifferent.  Has done his work in a casual manner, and with the exception of signals, has shown no interest or zeal in performance of duties." <ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

In January, 1903, Callaghan's conduct during the disembarkation of the Somaliland Expedition at Obbias earned him special mention by the Senior Naval Officer, Rear Admiral [[Charles Carter Drury|Drury]] who said, "Sub Lieut. Callaghan has done remarkably well" and who felt that Callaghan's rescue of a cutter from {{UK-Naiad}} when Callaghan had been in charge of the ship's steam boat certainly had saved the lives of the entire crew.

Callaghan joined College on 4 June, 1901 and failed with 535 of 2,000 marks.  He was, however, remitted one month of his penalty for failure in light of the fact that he had not had a full extra month's time to prepare for examinations.

Callaghan was appointed to the {{UK-Kent|f=t}} on 17 August, 1903 and promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 17 October.  He was, however, dismissed the ship and penalized six months time in 1904 by the findings of a Court Martial on charges that are not specified.  In a positive development, he was awarded a Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal and Certificate for saving the life of a fellow officer on 1 April, 1904.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

Upon Callaghan leaving the {{UK-Challenger|f=t}} in mid-1906, Captain [[Frederick Charles Tudor Tudor|Tudor]] noted that one or two of Callaghan's wine bills had been rather excessive.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

Callaghan was next appointed additional to the {{UK-EmpressOfIndia|f=t}} on 23 October, 1906.{{NLJan07|p. 119}}

Callaghan was appointed {{LieutRN}} & Commander of the {{UK-Racehorse|f=t}} on 15 August, 1909.  On 7 September, he received an encouraging evaluation from Captain Tyrwhitt that he "has shown a decided improvement in his work & also his wind bills are now of a moderate amount."  Tyrwhitt would prove one of his most lasting proponents.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

On 7 September, 1910, he may have exchanged ship commands temporarily with Lieutenant [[Andrew Browne Cunningham, First Viscount Cunningham|Cunningham]] of {{UK-Roebuck}}.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

On 25 March 1911 he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Swale|f=cp}}.  Later that year, he lost a torpedo from the destroyer, the details apparently being in N.L. 7867/11.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

Callaghan was promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 17 October, 1911.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

Callaghan was appointed in command of the {{UK-Attack|f=c}} on 21 May, 1912.{{NLJan15|p. 278}} Though he contributed to good gunlayer test results in 1912, in March 1913, she collided with the {{UK-Hydra}} and Callaghan was told that the Admiralty was disappointed at the manner in which he had handled his destroyer.  A July inspection of the ship indicated a "want of attention to detail throughout."  He then damaged a propeller, though he was held only to be slightly at fault.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

In February of 1914, he was in trouble for some impropriety in signing certificates as to Naval Stores and then was censured for non-payment of a wine bill.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

==Great War==
Callaghan commanded {{UK-Attack}} as one of the fourteen ''Acherons'' to fight with the {{UK-DF|1}} at the [[Battle of Dogger Bank]] on 24 January, 1915.  Callaghan was mentioned in Beatty's despatch for his fine work in removing his admiral from the disabled flagship {{UK-Lion}} and installing her in the {{UK-PrincessRoyal}}.{{HardLying|p. 121}}  

On 4 March 1915, an able seaman from {{UK-Attack}} named Harry Grantham disappeared.  A Court of Enquiry informed Callaghan that "disciplinary arrangements are not what they should be."<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>  It was later determined that the man had drowned.{{KindellROH2|p. 73}}

Though he damaged her propellers that same month, Callaghan in ''Attack'' helped sink {{DE-U12}} on 10 March, 1915,{{UKNavalOpsII|p. 280}} for which he later received a special letter on vellum to be considered equivalent to a mention in despatches.  In May, however, he damaged his ship's starboard propeller.  This proved one error too many, and Callaghan was relieved of his command and received severe displeasure.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

In June, 1915, Captain (D) [[William Frederick Blunt]] of 1 D.F. wrote a scathing evaluation of Callaghan, marking him below average ability and that he was "unfit for independent command.  Wine bills high..."  Commodore Tyrwhitt again came to Callaghan's rescue, by responding to this by recording his own high estimation of Callaghan, and pointing out Admiral Beatty's special appreciation offered in despatches from the Dogger Bank battle.

Callaghan was next appointed in command of the {{UK-M29|f=t}} on 5 June, 1915.  She would operate in the Mediterranean until he left her in May, 1918.  Callaghan may have found his sea legs in this appointment;  he was specially recommended by Vice Admiral Thursby for his work in the Naval Operations in Palestine in October through December of 1917.  He would finish out the war with his next appointment, in command of the {{UK-Harrier|f=c}}, on 26 July, 1918.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

==Post-War==
Upon relinquishing command of his last sea-going command, {{UK-Harrier|f=p}} in March, 1919, Callaghan was appointed to {{UK-Hercules}}.  On 27 October, 1919, he was appointed to ''President IV'' as Divisional Officer, Coast Guard.

Callaghan was placed on the Retired List with the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 April, 1923.  He continued his Coast Guard work, from Plymouth.<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+Cyril+Callaghan Service Records]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Callaghan}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Vaughan Alexander Edward Hanning-Lee|Vaughan A. E. Hanning-Lee]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Velox (1902)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Velox'']]'''<br>19 Nov, 1907<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLOct08|p. 389}} &ndash; 21 May, 1909<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Robert Francis Veasey|Robert F. Veasey]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Arthur Temple Blackwood|Arthur T. Blackwood]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Kestrel (1898)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Kestrel'']]'''<br>21 May, 1909<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLJan10|p. 336}} &ndash; 15 Aug, 1910<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Frederic Boyd Coppin|Frederic B. Coppin]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Frederic Boyd Coppin|Frederic B. Coppin]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Racehorse (1900)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Racehorse'']]'''<br>15 Aug, 1910<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLApr11|p. 364}} &ndash; 25 Mar, 1911<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edmund Alain Tremeur de Poher de la Poer|Edmund A. T. de P. de la Poer]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edward Owen Tudor|Edward O. Tudor]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Swale (1905)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Swale'']]'''<br>25 Mar, 1911<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref> &ndash; 20 May, 1912<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Ralph Michael Mack|Ralph M. Mack]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Attack (1911)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Attack'']]'''<br>21 May, 1912<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLApr15|p. 392''f''}} &ndash; 29 May, 1915<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles Herbert Neill James|Charles H. N. James]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. M.29 (1915)|Captain of H.M.S. ''M.29'']]'''<br>5 Jun, 1915<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLNov17|p. 395''j''}} &ndash; May, 1918<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Alan Dixon|Alan Dixon]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[James Sandbach Parker|James S. Parker]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Harrier (1894)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Harrier'']]'''<br>26 Jul, 1918<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>{{NLDec18|p. 809}} &ndash; Mar, 1919<ref>Callaghan Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/46/130.|D7603637}}  f. 130.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''?'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Callaghan, Cyril}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1881|1944}}
{{CatCommander|UK}}
{{CatBritannia|July, 1895}}