Richard Anthony Aston Plowden

Rear-Admiral Richard Anthony Aston Plowden, D.S.O., R.N. (24 May, 1881 – 24 February, 1941) was an officer in the Royal Navy. His career would be highlighted by command of destroyers.

Life & Career

Sub-Lieutenant Plowden was appointed to the battleship Ramillies in the Mediterranean on 12 April, 1902 and then to Harrier later that year for special service in the Red Sea. This appears to have involved anti-slaving work, as in November, 1902 his service record states that he was in command of a captured slaver dhow which had been given the delightful moniker of H.M.S. Irresponsible. Plowden was sent back to Ramillies upon his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 March, 1903.

Plowden's early work in destroyer command started after a typical sequence of early appointments in large ships, ending with a year in Cornwallis which ended on 23 March 1907 when he was appointed in command of the "C" Class destroyer Bat, arriving in England on 5 April. Six successive destroyer commands were broken, finally, by an appointment in the battleship Superb on 12 February, 1911. His experience commanding small ships did not seem to prepare him to please Captain Gaunt, whose final evaluation of the young officer was that he was "rather slow, bad manner & lacks enthusiasm."

Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 March, 1911, Plowden continued his battleship appointment until 20 December, 1912 when he received an appointment in command of the Acorn Class destroyer Sheldrake, which was part of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla. When Sheldrake collided with the destroyer Fury on 11 July, 1913, both captains were chided for not having been on the bridge at the time of the accident. He would remain in command of the ship until some time into the war.

Great War

Plowden was re-appointed in Sheldrake upon his promotion to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915. He was superseded in her in July, and took command of the "M" Class destroyer Mandate for three months.

Plowden commanded the destroyer Hardy when she operated with the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland.

Post-War

On 28 December, 1918, Plowden was appointed in command of the destroyer Musketeer.

He was appointed in command of the submarine Satyr on 1 October, 1919.

Plowden was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1921.

Plowden was appointed in command of the battleship Centurion in January, 1931.

Plowden was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 September, 1933 and placed on the Retired List the following day.

World War II

On 3 September, 1939, Plowden was appointed to Victory additional as Commodore of Convoy, Second Class, R.N.R., being sent to the Liverpool Convoy Pool later that year.

Richard Plowden was killed in action at age 59 on 24 February, 1941 when his steam merchant Sirikishna of the dispersed convoy OB-288 was torpedoed by U-96 (the submarine upon which Das Boot was loosely based) and lost in the North Atlantic. He left a widow, Phyllis Mary, née Higginson, whom he had married on 18 November, 1911.

See Also

• Service Records
• Fourth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Philip D. R. West	Captain of H.M.S. Bat 23 Mar, 1907 – 13 May, 1908	Succeeded by James U. Farie
Preceded by James U. Farie	Captain of H.M.S. Cheerful 13 May, 1908 – 24 Jul, 1908	Succeeded by James U. Farie
Preceded by James U. Farie	Captain of H.M.S. Bat 6 Oct, 1908 – 13 Mar, 1909	Succeeded by John E. P. Bickford
Preceded by Geoffrey Corlett	Captain of H.M.S. Ostrich 13 Mar, 1909 – 3 Aug, 1909	Succeeded by George P. Green
Preceded by Reginald C. L. Owens	Captain of H.M.S. Doon 3 Aug, 1909 – 10 Sep, 1910	Succeeded by Reginald Watkins Grubb
Preceded by Reginald Watkins Grubb	Captain of H.M.S. Thrasher 10 Sep, 1910 – 4 Jan, 1911	Succeeded by Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by Robert A. Wilson	Captain of H.M.S. Sheldrake 20 Dec, 1912 – Jul, 1915	Succeeded by Maurice C. Bomford
Preceded by Maurice C. Bomford	Captain of H.M.S. Mandate late Jul, 1915 – 26 Oct, 1915	Succeeded by Eric Q. Carter
Preceded by Norton A. Sulivan	Captain of H.M.S. Moon 26 Jul, 1915 – 10 May, 1916	Succeeded by Robert E. M. Harris
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Ophelia 10 May, 1916 – late May, 1916	Succeeded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe	Captain of H.M.S. Hardy 10 May, 1916 – 28 Dec, 1918	Succeeded by Edward Eastwick-Field
Preceded by Edward Eastwick-Field	Captain of H.M.S. Musketeer 28 Dec, 1918 – 29 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Horace Walker
Preceded by Horace Walker	Captain of H.M.S. Mindful 29 Jan, 1919 – 26 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Spencer F. Russell	Captain of H.M.S. Minion 26 Mar, 1919 – 1 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by C. & M. Party at Devonport
Preceded by Arthur Henniker-Heaton	Captain of H.M.S. Satyr 1 Oct, 1919 – 10 Jun, 1921	Succeeded by Eric Q. Carter
Preceded by Aubrey T. Tillard	Captain of H.M.S. Castor 15 Sep, 1923 – 28 Apr, 1924	Succeeded by Evelyn C. O. Thomson
Preceded by John C. Hodgson	Captain of H.M.S. Bruce 28 Apr, 1924 – 31 Dec, 1924	Succeeded by Kenneth MacLeod
Preceded by The Hon. Edward B. S. Bingham	Captain (D), Eighth Destroyer Flotilla 28 Apr, 1924 – 31 Dec, 1924	Succeeded by John C. Tovey
Preceded by John C. Hodgson	Captain of H.M.S. Campbell 31 Dec, 1924 – 19 Apr, 1926	Succeeded by John C. Tovey
Preceded by John C. Hodgson	Captain (D), Sixth Destroyer Flotilla 31 Dec, 1924 – 19 Apr, 1926	Succeeded by John C. Tovey
Preceded by The Hon. Edward B. S. Bingham	Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm 29 Dec, 1926 – 29 Jun, 1928	Succeeded by Edmond J. G. Mackinnon
Preceded by Malcolm L. Goldsmith	Captain of Dockyard, Deputy Superintendent and King's Harbour Master, Malta 8 Oct, 1928 – 7 Oct, 1930	Succeeded by John H. Young
Preceded by Aubrey T. Tillard	Captain of H.M.S. Centurion 5 Jan, 1931	Succeeded by Noel L. Veresmith