Difference between revisions of "Gordon Charles Steele"
(→Post-war) |
(→Post-war) |
||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
On the night of 18 August, 1919, Steele and {{UK-CMB88}} attacked Russian ships in Kronstadt Harbour. Steele was awarded the Victoria Cross on 26 April, 1919 for pressing home an attack and being credited with the torpedoing the Bolshevik {{RU-AndreiPervoswanni|f=t}} after C.M.B. 88's captain was killed by machine gun fire.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> Commander [[Claude Congreve Dobson]] was also awarded the V.C. for his similar actions in this same operation. | On the night of 18 August, 1919, Steele and {{UK-CMB88}} attacked Russian ships in Kronstadt Harbour. Steele was awarded the Victoria Cross on 26 April, 1919 for pressing home an attack and being credited with the torpedoing the Bolshevik {{RU-AndreiPervoswanni|f=t}} after C.M.B. 88's captain was killed by machine gun fire.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> Commander [[Claude Congreve Dobson]] was also awarded the V.C. for his similar actions in this same operation. | ||
| − | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 12 November, 1923. | + | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 12 November, 1923. Fluent by then in French, Russian and "Hindustani" by this time, Steele qualified as an acting Interpreter in Russian in January, 1925.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> |
Steele was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 November, 1931. | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 November, 1931. | ||
Revision as of 18:35, 19 July 2015
Captain Gordon Charles Steele, V.C., R.N., Retired (1 November, 1891 – 4 January, 1981) served in the Royal Navy after transferring in from the Royal Naval Reserve.
Contents
Life & Career
Steele was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant on 10 July, 1915 and appointed to the submarine E 22. Arthur Kipling Waistell, Captain (S) of the Eighth Submarine Flotilla reported that Steele lacked sufficient technical knowledge to serve as second in command of an "E" class submarine, although he was otherwise a good officer. Steele was transferred to the Royal Navy for service in action, 13 September, 1915.[1]
Steele was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 19 November, 1915.
In March, 1916 a Court of Enquiry found him at fault for the failure of a torpedo tube in E 22 to fire in action, which earned him the displeasure of Their Lordships and reversion from Submarine to General Service.[2]
He would apply for submarine service on 22 October, 1916. That same month, he was being thanked for his ingenuity in inventing a fuze for submerged firing by depth or contact for use in anti-submarine weapons, though it was decided not to adopt his proposal. On 5 May, 1917, he renewed his application to serve in submarines, but also indicated an interest in Special Service Vessels. An evaluation from this period praised his inventive mind but noted that he was lacking in the ability to take charge of men. On 14 May, he was appointed to Iron Duke where, eventually, he would be placed in charge of her Transmitting Station.[3] A certificate of service as a Master in the Mercantile Marine was awarded to him on 7 November, 1917.[4]
On 27 April, 1918, he applied to serve in C.M.B.s. On 20 September, 1918 he was appointed in command of the sweeping sloop Cornflower. He would remain in command until she was paid off in April, 1919 at which time he was appointed to convoy sloop Ceanothus as first officer.[5]
Post-war
On the night of 18 August, 1919, Steele and Template:UK-CMB88 attacked Russian ships in Kronstadt Harbour. Steele was awarded the Victoria Cross on 26 April, 1919 for pressing home an attack and being credited with the torpedoing the Bolshevik battleship Andrei Pervoswanni after C.M.B. 88's captain was killed by machine gun fire.[6] Commander Claude Congreve Dobson was also awarded the V.C. for his similar actions in this same operation.
Steele was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 12 November, 1923. Fluent by then in French, Russian and "Hindustani" by this time, Steele qualified as an acting Interpreter in Russian in January, 1925.[7]
Steele was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 November, 1931.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by ? |
Captain of H.M.S. Cornflower 20 Sep, 1918[8] |
Succeeded by Cecil Charles Brittain Vacher |
Footnotes
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 766.
