Rowland Henry Bather

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Rear-Admiral Rowland Henry Bather, C.B.E., R.N., Retired (26 November, 1873 – 25 December, 1961) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Bather was born in Kensington,[1] the son of Arthur H. Bather, Assistant Accountant-General of the Navy. He was educated at the Summerfield School in Oxford.[2]

Entering the Navy on 15 January, 1887, he passed out of Britannia in December, 1888, gaining five months time.[3]

Bather was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1896.[4]

He was appointed to his first command, of Cynthia in May, 1902,[5] but this was cancelled in favour of an appointment to command Recruit[6] while Alan Cameron Bruce took Cynthia to Malta in his place.

On 20 October, 1903, Bather was appointed to Kangaroo in the Mediterranean, though apparently not in command. On 1 February, 1905, he moved from her to another destroyer in the Mediterranean, H.M.S. Erne. Bather married Evelyne Alice Eleanor Burne on 10 May, 1906 in Christchurch, leaving Erne on 28 May to take up command of the destroyer Sylvia.[7] They would have two sons and one daughter.[8]

On 30 June, 1907, Bather was promoted to Commander and re-appointed in command of Sylvia. He would remain in her until being appointed in command of the destroyer Bonetta on 17 June, 1909. The burden of small ship command was lifted when he left Bonetta to take up a one year appointment in the battleship Cæsar on 9 August, 1910.[9]

In August 1911 he took up an appointment in Devonport for drafting work. He remained there until 4 February, 1913 when he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Theseus, where he would also assume training duties.[10][11] Captain Hugh Edwards took command on 1 August, 1914, but Bather remained in the ship until 23 November.

Great War

Bather was discharged from command of Theseus on 23 November, 1914 to take command of the armed merchant cruiser Hilary when she was commissioned. He was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain.[12]

In March, 1916, Bather was appointed in command of the depot ship Diligence, and as Captain (D) of the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla.[13]

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1916 and re-appointed in command of Diligence.[14]

Post-war

He was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Glorious on 12 January, 1921.[15]

Bather was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 July, 1922 and promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 July, 1927.[16]

His wife, Evelyne, died in 1931.[17] He was remarried on 4 April, 1932 to Hilda Brook.[18]

World War II

Bather served in the Home Guard from at least 1940.[19]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Cecil E. Rooke
Captain of H.M.S. Recruit
30 May, 1902[20] – 11 Jun, 1902[21]
Succeeded by
Wilfred Henderson
Preceded by
Cecil D. S. Raikes
Captain of H.M.S. Electra
11 Jun, 1902[22][23] – Aug, 1902[24]
Succeeded by
Rowland H. Bather
Preceded by
Arthur J. Davies
Captain of H.M.S. Lightning
Aug, 1902[25] – 30 May, 1903[26]
Succeeded by
Vincent L. Bowring
Preceded by
Rowland H. Bather
Captain of H.M.S. Electra
21 Jul, 1903[27] – 19 Aug, 1903[28]
Succeeded by
Henry C. R. Brocklebank
Preceded by
Charles E. W. Pyddoke
Captain of H.M.S. Kangaroo
20 Oct, 1903[29][30] – 1 Feb, 1905[31]
Succeeded by
John Luce
Preceded by
John Luce
Captain of H.M.S. Erne
1 Feb, 1905[32][33] – 28 May, 1906[34]
Succeeded by
Walter R. G. Petre
Preceded by
Vaughan A. E. Hanning-Lee
Captain of H.M.S. Sylvia
28 May, 1906[35] – 17 Jun, 1909[36]
Succeeded by
Leonard W. Patch
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Bonetta
17 Jun, 1909[37][38] – 9 Aug, 1910[39]
Succeeded by
Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by
Cyril T. Hewlett-Cooper
Captain of H.M.S. Theseus
4 Feb, 1913[40][41] – 1 Aug, 1914[42]
Succeeded by
Hugh Edwards
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Hilary
23 Nov, 1914[43] – after 24 Feb, 1916[44]
Succeeded by
Frederic W. Dean
Preceded by
Frederic W. Dean
Captain of H.M.S. Diligence
Mar, 1916[45][46] – 1 Mar, 1919[47]
Succeeded by
James D. D. Stewart
Preceded by
The Hon. Herbert Meade
Captain (D), Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla
3 Jul, 1918[48] – 24 Nov, 1918[49]
Succeeded by
Anselan Stirling
Preceded by
Roger L'E. M. Rede
Captain of H.M.S. Seymour
1 Mar, 1919[50] – 1 Oct, 1919[51]
Succeeded by
Alfred E. Evans
Preceded by
John C. Hodgson
Captain of H.M.S. Bruce
1 Oct, 1919[52] – 21 Dec, 1920[53]
Succeeded by
Dashwood F. Moir
Preceded by
Argentine H. Alington
Captain of H.M.S. Glorious
12 Jan, 1921[54][55] – 16 May, 1922[56]
Succeeded by
Alfred A. Ellison
Preceded by
Alfred A. Ellison
as Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet Devonport
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Devonport Reserve
15 Apr, 1922[57] – 1 Jul, 1922[58]
Succeeded by
John E. Cameron
as Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet Devonport

Footnotes

  1. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  2. Who was Who.
  3. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  4. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  5. "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Saturday, 26 April 1902. (36752), p. 11.
  6. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  7. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  8. Who was Who.
  9. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  10. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 382.
  11. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  12. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  13. The Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 777.
  14. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  15. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 780.
  16. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. Book 12. f. 190.
  17. Who was Who.
  18. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. Book 12. f. 190.
  19. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. Book 12. f. 190.
  20. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Friday, 16 May 1902. (36769), p. 11.
  21. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  22. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jun 14, 1902; pg. 9; Issue 36794.
  23. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  24. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  25. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  26. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  27. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  28. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  29. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  30. The Navy List. (October, 1904). p. 336.
  31. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  32. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  33. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 309.
  34. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  35. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  36. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  37. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 17 June, 1909. Issue 38988, col B, p. 9.
  38. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  39. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  40. The Navy List. (August, 1914). p. 382.
  41. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  42. The Navy List. (September, 1914). p. 385.
  43. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 401m.
  44. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  45. The Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 777.
  46. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  47. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  48. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  49. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  50. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  51. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  52. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  53. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  54. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 780.
  55. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  56. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  57. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.
  58. Inferred. Retired on 1 July, 1922. Bather Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/438. f. 438.