Douglas Egremont Robert Brownrigg, Fourth Baronet

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Rear-Admiral SIR Douglas Egremont Robert Brownrigg, Fourth Baronet, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (25 July, 1867 – 14 February, 1939) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Maidenhead, Berks, Brownrigg passed out of Britannia in December 1882 with Captain Wells rating his general conduct as "fair" and his ability as "poor". Luckily for Brownrigg, his future career evaluations would be considerably rosier. He was appointed to the corvette Tourmaline in the Eastern Mediterranean, where he would remain until being appointed to Euryalus on the same station in September.[1]

In August, 1885, Brownrigg was appointed to the central battery ironclad Iron Duke in the Channel Squadron. On 1 November 1886 he was appointed to Rover in the Training Squadron. He served a year in her and impressed Captain Noel as being "zealous but injudicious" before being sent to the Royal Naval College on 4 November 1887.[2]

Brownrigg was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1891.[3]

On 1 November, 1893, he was certified as a Fourth Class Assistant Surveyor, and passed in Pilotage for First Class Ships on 30 October 1894 with a third-class certificate.[4]

While in temporary command of the "26 knotter" Lynx on a passage from Birkenhead to Plymouth on 24 December 1894, his ship ran aground on the Cornish coast and suffered a wedge-shaped hole near the keelson under the wardroom which varied from one to three inches in shape as well as a bent starboard propeller shaft. A day-long Court Martial was convened on 27 December, 1894 with Brownrigg, the boatswain, the look-out man, the quarter-master and the chief engine-room artificer giving evidence. No mention of this command appoitment or C.M. appears in Brownrigg's Service Record, suggesting it was temporary indeed and that no great blame was attached to him in the incident.[5]

Brownrigg was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1902.[6]

Captain

Brownrigg was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1907.[7] In July, he was qualified as an Interpreter in French.[8]

Brownrigg was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Endymion on 1 November 1907, but left her in February 1908. On 11 April, he was appoonted for command of the first class protected cruiser Theseus, where he would remain until being appointed to a committee on Pay and Allowance precisely two years later.[9]

After four months on the committee, he was appointed as Royal Navy Naval Attaché to Japan and China, dated 3 September, 1910. He was succeeded in this post by Captain the Honourable Hubert G. Brand on 9 October, 1912.[10] He was then granted permission to visit Saigon, Hawaii, the Panama Canal and the Dutch West Indies.[11]

Brownrigg was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 22 January, 1913.[12]

Great War

Brownrigg was engaged as Chief W/T Censor at the Admiralty throughout the entire war and was appointed C.B. (civil) for his services in thie capacity, dated 1 January 1918.[13] He was advanced to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 January, 1919[14] and spent the rest of the month providing "special service" before being reverted to the Retired List on 10 March, 1919.[15]

Bibliography

  • "Rear-Admiral Sir D. Brownrigg" (Obituaries). The Times. Wednesday, 15 February, 1939. Issue 48230, col B, pg. 14.

Image

  • c. 1918 John Lavery portrait in the possession of the Imperial War Museum. Catalogue Number ART 1251.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Lynx
c. Dec, 1894[16]
Succeeded by
Robert H. Travers
Preceded by
Sidney R. Olivier
Captain of H.M.S. Starfish
10 May, 1898[17][18] – 3 Mar, 1899[19]
Succeeded by
Bernard St. G. Collard
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Violet
3 Mar, 1899[20] – 8 Sep, 1899[21]
Succeeded by
Douglas E. R. Brownrigg
Preceded by
Douglas E. R. Brownrigg
Captain of H.M.S. Violet
3 Mar, 1899[22] – 8 Mar, 1899[23]
Succeeded by
John B. Sparks
Preceded by
John M. D. E. Warren
Captain of H.M.S. Stag
2 Sep, 1902[24] – late 1902[25]
Succeeded by
Stanley V. Ellis
Preceded by
Michael Culme-Seymour
Captain of H.M.S. Coquette
late 1902[26] – 15 Jan, 1903[27]
Succeeded by
George J. Todd
Preceded by
James U. Farie
Captain of H.M.S. Bat
15 Jan, 1903[28] – 20 Oct, 1903[29]
Succeeded by
John Luce
Preceded by
James C. Ley
Captain of H.M.S. Endymion
1 Nov, 1907[30] – 1 Feb, 1908[31]
Succeeded by
James C. Ley
Preceded by
Thomas L. Barnardiston
Captain of H.M.S. Theseus
11 Apr, 1908[32][33] – 11 Apr, 1910[34]
Succeeded by
Charles E. Le Mesurier
Preceded by
Charles H. Dundas
as Naval Attaché to Japan and China
Royal Navy Naval Attaché at Tokyo
3 Sep, 1910[35] – 9 Oct, 1912[36]
Succeeded by
The Hon. Hubert G. Brand
 

Footnotes

  1. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  2. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 26149. p. 1870. 3 April, 1891.
  4. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  5. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Friday, Dec 28, 1894; pg. 8; Issue 34459.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 27393. p. 3. 3 January, 1902.
  7. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28034. p. 4433. 28 June, 1907.
  8. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  9. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  10. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 21 August, 1912. Issue 39983, col G, p. 8.
  11. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  12. The London Gazette: no. 28684. p. 589. 24 January, 1913.
  13. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  14. The London Gazette: no. 31104. p. 199. 3 January, 1919.
  15. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42/468. f. 492.
  16. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Friday, Dec 28, 1894; pg. 8; Issue 34459.
  17. The Navy List. (October, 1898). p. 299.
  18. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  19. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  20. "Naval and Military Intelligence". The Times. Thursday, 2 March, 1899. Issue 35766, col B, p. 10.
  21. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  22. Brownrigg Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  23. Brownrigg Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  24. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  25. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  26. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  27. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  28. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  29. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  30. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  31. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  32. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  33. The Navy List. (July, 1909). p. 385.
  34. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  35. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.
  36. Brownrigg Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 492.