Difference between revisions of "Gordon Charles Steele"
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| − | '''Gordon Charles Steele''' ( – ) served in the [[Royal Navy]]. | + | {{CaptRN}} '''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]]. |
==Life & Career== | ==Life & Career== | ||
| − | + | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{SubRN}} on 10 July, 1915 and appointed to the {{UK-E22|f=t}}. [[Arthur Kipling Waistell]], Captain (S) of the {{UK-SF|8}} 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.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | |
| − | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{ | + | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} 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.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | |
| − | + | 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 Vessel]]s. 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 {{UK-IronDuke}} where, eventually, he would be placed in charge of her [[Transmitting Station]].<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> A certificate of service as a Master in the Mercantile Marine was awarded to him on 7 November, 1917.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/43.|}} f. 97.</ref> | |
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| − | + | In October, 1917 he was appointed to command {{UK-P63}} and possibly also {{UK-SC3}}. This appointment ended on 2 September, 1918.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | |
| − | {{ | + | |
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| − | ==Service | + | On 27 April, 1918, he applied to serve in {{CMB}}s. On 20 September, 1918 he was appointed in command of the {{UK-Cornflower|f=t}}. He would remain in command until she was paid off in April, 1919 at which time he was appointed to {{UK-Ceanothus|f=t}} as first officer.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> |
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| + | ==Post-war== | ||
| + | On 5 July, 1919 he was appointed to ''Orca'' for service in C.M.Bs..<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | ||
| + | |||
| + | 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 served in {{UK-Eagle}} from 5, August, 1920 until January, 1921. In mid-1921, he received the curious compliment from Captain [[Cecil Horace Pilcher|Pilcher]] of being an "efficient & capable as machine gun offr. in chge of training of MG Corps of D'port Reserve Brigade." A succession of commands of "P" and "PC" boats followed: {{UK-PC56}} on 1 February, 1922, {{UK-PC73}} upon ''PC 56's'' paying off on 28 June, and then {{UK-P31}} on from 15 September, 1922 to 25 March, 1924, being promoted to {{LCommRN}} on 12 November, 1923.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | ||
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| + | Fluent in French, Russian and "Hindustani" by this time, Steele qualified as an acting Interpreter in Russian in January, 1925. He spent the years 1925 through 1929 at the Anti-Submarine School.<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> | ||
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| + | Steele was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 1 November, 1931. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==See Also== | ||
{{refbegin}} | {{refbegin}} | ||
| + | * [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+Gordon+Charles+Steele Service Records] | ||
| + | {{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Charles_Steele}} | ||
{{refend}} | {{refend}} | ||
| − | <div name=fredbot:appts></div name=fredbot:appts> | + | <div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}} |
| + | {{TabNaval}} | ||
| + | {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Francis Besant|Henry F. Besant]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Cornflower (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Cornflower'']]'''<br>20 Sep, 1918{{NLDec18|p. 766}}<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> – Apr, 1919<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Leveson Granville Byron Alexander Campbell|Leveson G. B. A. Campbell]]'''}} | ||
| + | {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Hanna|Francis C. Hanna]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. PC 56 (1917)|Captain of H.M.S. ''PC 56'']]'''<br>1 Feb, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> – 28 Jun, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''?'''}} | ||
| + | {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Thomas Charles Carpenter Bolster|Thomas C. C. Bolster]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. PC 73 (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''PC 73'']]'''<br>28 Jun, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> – 15 Sep, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[John Gordon Aitchison|John G. Aitchison]]'''}} | ||
| + | {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Newton James Wallop William-Powlett|Newton J. W. William-Powlett]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. P31 (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''P31'']]'''<br>15 Sep, 1922<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref> – 25 Mar, 1924<ref>Steele Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/145/802.|D8124389}} f. 803.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[John de Clare Richards|John de C. Richards]]'''}} | ||
| + | {{TabEnd}} | ||
| + | </div name=fredbot:appts> | ||
==Footnotes== | ==Footnotes== | ||
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Gordon Charles}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Steele, Gordon Charles}} | ||
| − | {{CatPerson|UK||}} | + | {{CatPerson|UK|1891|1981}} |
| + | {{CatCapt|UK}} | ||
| + | {{CatBritannia|Unknown}} | ||
Revision as of 20:27, 13 August 2017
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]
In October, 1917 he was appointed to command P 63 and possibly also Template:UK-SC3. This appointment ended on 2 September, 1918.[5]
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.[6]
Post-war
On 5 July, 1919 he was appointed to Orca for service in C.M.Bs..[7]
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.[8] Commander Claude Congreve Dobson was also awarded the V.C. for his similar actions in this same operation.
Steele served in Eagle from 5, August, 1920 until January, 1921. In mid-1921, he received the curious compliment from Captain Pilcher of being an "efficient & capable as machine gun offr. in chge of training of MG Corps of D'port Reserve Brigade." A succession of commands of "P" and "PC" boats followed: PC 56 on 1 February, 1922, PC 73 upon PC 56's paying off on 28 June, and then P31 on from 15 September, 1922 to 25 March, 1924, being promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 12 November, 1923.[9]
Fluent in French, Russian and "Hindustani" by this time, Steele qualified as an acting Interpreter in Russian in January, 1925. He spent the years 1925 through 1929 at the Anti-Submarine School.[10]
Steele was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 November, 1931.
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Henry F. Besant |
Captain of H.M.S. Cornflower 20 Sep, 1918[11][12] – Apr, 1919[13] |
Succeeded by Leveson G. B. A. Campbell |
| Preceded by Francis C. Hanna |
Captain of H.M.S. PC 56 1 Feb, 1922[14] – 28 Jun, 1922[15] |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by Thomas C. C. Bolster |
Captain of H.M.S. PC 73 28 Jun, 1922[16] – 15 Sep, 1922[17] |
Succeeded by John G. Aitchison |
| Preceded by Newton J. W. William-Powlett |
Captain of H.M.S. P31 15 Sep, 1922[18] – 25 Mar, 1924[19] |
Succeeded by John de C. Richards |
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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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 196/145/802. 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 196/145/802. f. 803.
- ↑ Steele Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/145/802. f. 803.
