Brownlow Villiers Layard

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Captain (retired) Brownlow Villiers Layard, D.S.O., (24 September, 1884 – 9 June, 1950) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

In 1905, Layard achieved worthy scores and second-class certificates in Pilotage and Gunnery, but his 184 of 200 marks in his torpedo exam earned him a first class certificate in torpedoes on 25 September, 1905.[1]

Layard was appointed to Thames for instruction in submarines on 19 February, 1906 and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 July, 1906. On 1 March, 1907, he was appointed to Mercury for submarine command. As is common with British records of submarine command at the time, some of these early assignments are unrecorded, but Layard appears to have already commanded the diminutive A 12.[2]

In October, 1909, Layard received a satisfactory inspection report in submarine C 7.

In early 1911, Commander (S) Napier remarked that Layard was an excellent submarine commander. Layard was appointed to the battleship H.M.S. Dreadnought on 12 January, however. This uncharacteristic diversion from his accrued submarine service lasted a little over two years, and he then left Dreadnought when he was appointed in command of the submarine C 32 on 8 February, 1913.[3]

In April, 1913, Layard's C 34 collided with the battlecruiser Invincible and blame was attributed to him, thereby arousing Their Lordships' displeasure. Shockingly, he also collided with Prince of Wales while in command of C 33 in June, 1913. This drew only a caution, but he seems to have been fortunate that these accidents did not have greater consequences.[4]

Great War

Layard was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on the cusp of war, on 30 July, 1914.[5]

Layard was appointed in command of the submarine D 7 on 6 November, 1914.[6]

On 2 November, 1917, thanks to Layard for his "long and arduous services in command of [illeg] submarines in the third period of the war" were gazetted. He earned a D.S.O. for the same work, 1 January to 30 June 1918.[7]

Interbellum

In February, 1919, he was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Forth, as well as a submarine flotilla.[8]

Layard was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1919.[9]

In late 1921, Captain Sommerville praised Layard's "good powers of command" and said that his "Great SM experience has been of greatest help to [him]."[10]

Layard oversaw destroyers in reserve and shuttled Searcher to Rosyth in 1927 before undertaking three year's work inside the Admiralty with the "N.E.D." (Naval Equipment Division?).

Layard was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 11 November, 1930.[11]

Layard attended a training course for Sea Transport Officers in 1934. In 1937, he was noted as being suitable for such work in an emergency.

World War II

Layard was appointed to Cochrane, additional, as D.S.T.O. Leith on 28 August, 1939. Medical reports of ulcers restricted him to shore-based duties at home. On 26 June, 1942, he was appointed as D.S.T.O. Faslane. On 1 July, 1943 he was appointed to do radio work.

Layard was reverted to the Retired List on 14 March, 1947 and succumbed to prostate cancer on 9 June, 1950.[12]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
? 		Captain of H.M.S. A 12
19 Feb, 1906[13] – 10 Nov, 1908 		Succeeded by
Fitzroy H. D. Byron
Preceded by
Martin E. Nasmith 		Captain of H.M.S. C 7
1 Jan, 1909[14] 		Succeeded by
Cornelius O. Regnart
Preceded by
Clement G. W. Head 		Captain of H.M.S. C 32
8 Feb, 1913[15][16] – 20 Nov, 1914[17] 		Succeeded by
Ferdinand E. B. Feilmann
Preceded by
William St. J. Fraser 		Captain of H.M.S. D 7
20 Nov, 1914[18] – 25 Sep, 1915[19] 		Succeeded by
Charles de Burgh
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. G 1
24 Sep, 1915[20] – 1 Jan, 1917[21] 		Succeeded by
A. Gordon Hine
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of H.M.S. K 9
1 Jan, 1917[22] – Feb, 1919[23] 		Succeeded by
Geoffrey R. S. Watkins
Preceded by
Gilbert H. Kellett 		Captain of H.M.S. Forth
Feb, 1919[24][25] – Nov, 1919[26] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
John A. Gaimes 		Captain of H.M.S. Ross
Nov, 1919[27][28] – Nov, 1921[29] 		Succeeded by
Reginald B. Darke
Preceded by
John B. Glencross 		Captain of H.M.S. Cyclops
27 Dec, 1924[30][31] – 19 Jul, 1926[32] 		Succeeded by
Charles de Burgh
Preceded by
Richard M. Welby 		Captain of H.M.S. Searcher
6 Oct, 1927[33][34] – late 1927[35] 		Succeeded by
David J. R. Simson

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  2. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  3. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  4. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  5. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  6. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 353.
  7. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  8. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1919). p. 775.
  9. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  10. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  11. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  12. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  13. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 345.
  14. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 385.
  15. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  16. ↑ The Navy List. (June, 1914). p. 281.
  17. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  18. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  19. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  20. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  21. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  22. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  23. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114, and inferring from his command of Forth.
  24. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1919). p. 775.
  26. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  27. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  28. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 857.
  29. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  30. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  31. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 230.
  32. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  33. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.
  34. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 268.
  35. ↑ Layard Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/212. f. 114.

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