View source for David Bruce Nicol

{{CaptRN}} '''David Bruce Nicol''', R.N., Retired (13 February, 1888 &ndash; ) was an officer in the [[Royal Navy]].

==Life & Career==
Born in Swansea, Nicol gained two and a half months' time on passing out of {{UK-1Britannia}} and being appointed to join the {{UK-Magnificent|f=t}} on 15 January, 1904.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

Nicol was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 30 January, 1909.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

Nicol was appointed in command of the {{UK-TB037|f=t}} on 23 December, 1911.  She would be involved in the West River Patrol in China under his command until he was ordered to leave China and proceed to England in March, 1914.  He arrived on 18 April, and on 5 June, 1914 was appointed to the {{UK-Carnarvon|f=t}}.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

==Great War==

In mid-1915, Nicol applied for command of a destroyer.  On 3 February, 1916, he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Foyle|f=c}}.  In mid-1916, he exchanged this command for that of {{UK-Peyton}} then quickly over to {{UK-1Garland}} before finally settling in command of the newly commissioned {{UK-Romola|f=c}} on 24 July, 1916.   Nicol was promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 30 January, 1917 and continued to serve in ''Romola'' until late January, 1918 when he was sent to oversee completion of {{UK-Walrus|f=p}}.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

==Interbellum==
Nicol was appointed in command of the {{UK-Walrus|f=t}} on 28 January, 1918.{{NLDec20|p. 897}}

Nicol was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 30 June, 1923.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

Nicol was appointed as executive officer in the {{UK-Dragon|f=t}} on 14 November, 1924.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

Nicol was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of {{CaptRN}} on 2 March, 1934.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>{{ToL|Captain Nicol Retired|27 Mar. 1934, p. 9}}

==World War II== 
Nicol returned to active employment on 24 August 1939, when he was appointed to H.M.S. ''Drake'', to do duty as Chief of Staff to the Flag Officer-in-Charge, Cardiff, being borne in H.M.S. ''Lucifer''.

He was appointed, additional, to the old armed merchant cruiser {{UK-EdinburghCastle}}, on 31 July, 1941, and as commanding officer of H.M.S. ''King Tom''. [We can find no record of ''King Tom''. She was clearly named after the Temne ruler of the country where the Province of Freedom, Sierra Leone, was first located. We assume she preceded H.M.S. ''Okapi'' as Depot Ship at Freetown.]

With effect from 22 September 1941 he was given command of ''Okapi'' (continuing to do duty in ''Edinburgh Castle'').

He succeeded in command of ''Edinburgh Castle'', vice [[Edwin Mansergh Palmer|Captain Edwin M.Palmer]], who was appointed to H.M.S. ''Eland'', in command, on 1 October 1941. On 16 October 1941 he again succeeded Palmer, this time in command of ''Eland'', and as Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic.

On 11 March 1942, his appointment was varied: He was re-appointed in command of ''Eland'', "in continuation," and to do duty as Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding, West Africa, Freetown.<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>

He returned to England in 1943, where he was appointed to H.M.S. ''King Alfred'' II on 12 May 1943, to do duty as Member, Admiralty Selection Boards 9 & 9A, at Mowden School, in Hove. On 28 July 1943 he was appointed to H.M.S. ''Cochrane'', to do duty as Captain, Landing Craft Base, Rosyth.

On 22 August 1944 he was given his last appointment - to H.M.S. ''Daedalus'', to do duty as Maintenance Captain, Naval Air Stations Command, Lee-on-Solent.<ref>[https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html Nicol, David Bruce.]</ref>

He reverted to the Retired List	in 1945.

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

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Charles Ernest Maconochie|Charles E. Maconochie]]'''|'''[[H.M. T.B. 58 (1886)|Captain of H.M. T.B. 058]]'''<br>6 Dec, 1909{{NLJan10|p. 401''a''}}<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 23 Dec, 1911<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles Fenwick Stow|Charles F. Stow]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Thomas Legge Barnardiston|Thomas L. Barnardiston]]'''<br><small>as '''Captain of H.M. T.B. 37'''</small>|'''[[H.M. T.B. 37 (1885)|Captain of H.M. T.B. 037]]'''<br>23 Dec, 1911{{NLFeb14|p. 385}} &ndash; Mar, 1914<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Valentine Maurice Wyndham-Quin|Valentine M. Wyndham-Quin]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Dawson Crawford Stanistreet|Henry D. C. Stanistreet]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Foyle (1903)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Foyle'']]'''<br>3 Feb, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 8 Jun, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Richard Grenville Bowyer|Richard G. Bowyer]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Peyton (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Peyton'']]'''<br>8 Jun, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 8 Jul, 1916|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Reginald Stannus Goff|Reginald S. Goff]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Reginald Stannus Goff|Reginald S. Goff]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Garland (1913)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Garland'']]'''<br>''c''. Jun, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 8 Jul, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Eric John Shelley|Eric J. Shelley]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Romola (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Romola'']]'''<br>24 Jul, 1916<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>{{NLNov17|p. 397''o''}} &ndash; 28 Jan, 1918<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edward Chicheley Thornton|Edward C. Thornton]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Walrus (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Walrus'']]'''<br>28 Jan, 1918{{NLDec20|p. 897}} &ndash; 20 Apr, 1921<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Francis Howard|Francis Howard]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[George Evelyn Laverton Atwood|George E. L. Atwood]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Undine (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Undine'']]'''<br>2 Aug, 1921<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 14 Feb, 1922<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Cecil Rudolph Ernest Wilbraham Perryman|Cecil R. E. W. Perryman]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Cecil Rudolph Ernest Wilbraham Perryman|Cecil R. E. W. Perryman]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Wild Swan (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Wild Swan'']]'''<br>14 Feb, 1922<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>{{NLJan23|p. 843}} &ndash; 6 Jul, 1923<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Kenneth Gordon Ramsey|Kenneth G. Ramsey]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Heathcote Gordon Walker|Francis H. G. Walker]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Worcester (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Worcester'']]'''<br>8 Oct, 1923<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; ''c''. Oct, 1923<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Richard Martin Welby|Richard M. Welby]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Richard Martin Welby|Richard M. Welby]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Serapis (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Serapis'']]'''<br>late Oct, 1923{{NLJul24|p. 269}} &ndash; 4 Nov, 1924<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Martin John Coucher de Meric|Martin J. C. de Meric]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[George Fraser|The Hon. George Fraser]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Wryneck (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Wryneck'']]'''<br>21 Oct, 1925<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 31 Dec, 1926<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Hugh Bousfield|Henry H. Bousfield]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Cuthbert Helsham Heath-Caldwell|Cuthbert H. Heath-Caldwell]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Constance (1915)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Constance'']]'''<br>27 Oct, 1932{{NLJan33|p. 224}}<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 24 Aug, 1933<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edward Chicheley Thornton|Edward C. Thornton]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edwin Mansergh Palmer|Edwin M. Palmer]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle (1910)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Edinburgh Castle'']]'''<br>31 Jul, 1941<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref> &ndash; 16 Oct, 1941<ref>Nicol Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/51/133.|D7604888}} f. 144.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Robert St. Vincent Sherbrooke|Robert St. V. Sherbrooke]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, David Bruce}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1888|}}
{{CatCapt|UK}}
{{CatBritannia|September, 1902}}
{{CatRN}}