Cecil Vivian Usborne

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Vice-Admiral Cecil Vivian Usborne, C.B., C.M.G., Royal Navy (17 May, 1880 – 31 January, 1951) was an officer of the Royal Navy. A distinguished gunnery officer, he mixed gunnery appointments with active service afloat, before becoming Director of Naval Intelligence in 1930. His career was brought to a premature end as a result of the Invergordon Mutiny of 1931.

Early Life & Career

At Britannia, Usborne won prizes in Seamanship, Signalling, and French. In the final examination in Mathematics, Seamanship, and other subjects, he obtained 2,199 marks out of 2,500, coming fourth in his term.[1]

He was appointed to Excellent as a Lieutenant (G) on 2 September, 1907, and to President, additional, for duty with the Inspector of Target Practice, dated 1 September.[2] He was appointed gunnery officer of the new dreadnought battleship Bellerophon on 20 February, 1909.[3] Before leaving Bellerophon, Usborne's gunners tied for first with Dreadnought's at a prize firing, scoring 18 hits out of 40 rounds fired at long range.[4]

On 16 February, 1911, Usborne was appointed to President, additional, for the Naval Ordnance Department as Assistant to D.N.O.[5] He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1912.[6] As an Assistant to D.N.O., from December, 1911, Usborne was responsible for:

  1. Fire control and communications.
  2. Range-finders and plotting.
  3. Sights.
  4. Calibration.
  5. Ballistic questions and range tables.
  6. Alterations and additions, including estimates.
  7. Attends gun trials.[7]

On 1 September, 1913, Usborne left the Naval Ordnance Department and was appointed Commander (Second-in-Command) of the dreadnought battleship Colossus.[8]

Usborne was noted for contributing several important inventions, including a fall of shot indicator helpful in keeping spotters from confusing other ships' shotfall for their own, and accelerating gear to help make gun sights with non-uniform range dials compatible with F.T.P. range and deflection receivers. He was also helpful, by his own competitive invention, in honing Lieutenant Burney's work on the paravane.

Great War

Usborne was appointed in command of the minelayer Latona on 18 September, 1916.[9] He was reappointed to her on 1 February, 1917,[10] and was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June.[11] After spells as Senior Naval Officer at Salonika and Corfu, in 1918-1919 he commanded the Naval Brigade on the river Danube. In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1918, Usborne was appointed an Additional Member of the Third Class, or Companion, of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (C.M.G.).[12]

Post-War

On 15 January, 1919, Usborne was appointed Assistant Director of Naval Ordnance.[13]

He commanded Malaya in 1927 and 1928.[14]

Usborne was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to King George V on 5 April, 1928, vice Campbell.[15]

In the King's Birthday Honours of 3 June, 1930, Usborne was appointed an Ordinary Member of the Third Class, or Companion, in the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.).[16]

Invergordon & Retirement

At a meeting of the Sea Lords of the Board of Admiralty on 1 January, 1932, in the wake of the Invergordon Mutiny, it was minuted that:

The Sea Lords decided that Rear Admiral Usborne was not to have an extension of his appointment as D.N.I.[17]

Usborne was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 3 January, 1933, vice Hallett, and was placed on the Retired List on 4 January.[18]

Retirement

The British Broadcasting Corporation journalist John Simpson made the preposterous assertion that Usborne "had spent all his adult life in the Navy, and had probably never spoken to a journalist."[19] Given that Usborne had retired from the Navy at the very early age of fifty-two, and in the six years since been active in the historical community and in the Royal Central Asian Society, it's more than likely that he had associated, and not just spoken, with journalists.

See Also

Bibliography

  • "Vice-Adml. Usborne" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 1 February, 1951. Issue 51914, col E, pg. 8.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Thomas H. M. Maurice 		Captain of H.M.S. Latona
18 Sep, 1916[20] and again on 1 February, 1917.[21] – ? 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Otto H. Hawke-Genn 		Captain of H.M.S. Dragon
? – ? 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Edward A. Astley-Rushton 		Captain of H.M.S. Malaya
1927[22] – ? 		Succeeded by
Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by
Francis A. Marten 		Captain of H.M.S. Resolution
Nov, 1927[23] – ? 		Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "The Britannia" (News). The Times. Thursday, 19 December, 1895. Issue 34764, col B, p. 10.
  2. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 29 August, 1907. Issue 38424, col C, p. 4.
  3. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 12 February, 1909. Issue 38881, col B, p. 9.
  4. ↑ Usborne, p. 12.
  5. ↑ "Naval Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 23 January, 1911. Issue 39489, col C, p. 6.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 28623. p. 4748. 2 July, 1912.
  7. ↑ Brooks. p. 64. Date of becoming responsible for fire control from p. 160.
  8. ↑ The Navy List (December, 1914). p. 293.
  9. ↑ The Navy List (December, 1916). p. 395tt.
  10. ↑ The Navy List (November, 1917). p. 395.
  11. ↑ The Navy List (November, 1917). p. 77.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30723. p. 6530. 3 June, 1918.
  13. ↑ "Naval Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 3 February, 1919. Issue 42014, col F, p. 16.
  14. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  15. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33376. p. 2741. 17 April, 1928.
  16. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 33611. p. 3475. 3 June, 1918.
  17. ↑ "Minutes of Meeting Held by Sea Lords on Friday, 1st January." The National Archives. ADM 178/129. f. 6.
  18. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 33900. p. 127. 6 January, 1933.
  19. ↑ Simpson. Unreliable Sources. p. 310.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395tt.
  21. ↑ The Navy List (November, 1917), p. 395.
  22. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  23. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.

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