Geoffrey Robert Sladen Watkins

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Rear-Admiral Geoffrey Robert Sladen Watkins, D.S.O., (31 July, 1885 – 30 July, 1950) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1908. Captain Hall noted that Watkins was "Zealous. Very seasick".[1]

Watkins was fortunate to be one of just three men to survive the ramming and loss of C 11 by a steamer on the night of 14 July, 1909. Watkins had been second-in-command on the submarine. Lieutenant & Commander Charles Gordon Brodie would be awarded the Royal Humane Society's Bronze Medal and Certificate for saving his life.[2]

Watkins was appointed in command of the submarine B 6 on 14 August, 1911.[3]

Great War

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1916.[4]

He was in command of the submarine E 45 on 19 October, 1917 when she was wrongly thought to have sunk UC 79.[5]

Interbellum

Watkins ran two experimental torpedoes ashore in Sandown Bay in 1920 and was found therein to have violated "Portsmouth General Order No. 668 of 22.5.20."[6]

Watkins was appointed in command of the submarine K 15 on 9 August, 1920.[7]

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1920.[8]

On 11 November, 1921, torpedo number 1166 was lost from "K 5" (perhaps K 15 is meant) and a Court of Enquiry two days later cleared Watkins of fault, though it noted that he was using maximum air pressure in these torpedoes when minimum was mandated.[9]

He was appointed to the light cruiser Dauntless as executive officer on 27 December, 1924. He was superseded in November, 1926 and in early 1927 was lent to the Royal Air Force for "instruction in Air Matters."[10]

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1928.[11]

Watkins was appointed in command of the light cruiser Champion in April, 1930.

He was scolded for hoisting the French national flag in H.M.S. Mackay while on passage from England in 1935 — an act that was deemed to have betrayed a serious lack of judgment.[12]

On 6 May, 1938 he was appointed to Cormorant additional as Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral, Gibraltar vice Thomas Balfour Fellowes.[13]

World War II

He was made an Aide de Camp to the King on 1 August, 1939, vice Captain Vivian.[14]

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 5 January, 1940.[15]

He served as a French Liaison in Liverpool until 23 December, 1940 and reverted to the Retired List on 10 April, 1942.[16]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
John R. G. Moncreiffe
Captain of H.M.S. A 2
18 Jan, 1910[17][18] – 2 Dec, 1910[19]
Succeeded by
Gerald E. B. Carter
Preceded by
Geoffrey N. Biggs
Captain of H.M.S. B 6
2 Dec, 1910[20][21] – 20 Feb, 1914[22]
Succeeded by
Philip E. Phillips
Preceded by
Hubert Vaughan-Jones
Captain of H.M.S. D 8
3 Dec, 1915[23] – 5 Jul, 1916[24]
Succeeded by
Charles A. W. Muir
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. E 45
5 Jul, 1916[25] – 5 Jan, 1918[26]
Succeeded by
John A. Gaimes
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. L 17
1 Jul, 1918[27] – 19 Feb, 1919[28]
Succeeded by
William R. Richardson
Preceded by
Henry H. G. D. Stoker
Captain of H.M.S. K 9
30 Jan, 1920[29][30] – 9 Aug, 1920[31]
Succeeded by
Alfred G. Hine
Preceded by
Hubert Vaughan-Jones
Captain of H.M.S. K 15
9 Aug, 1920[32][33] – 6 Feb, 1921[34]
Succeeded by
George F. Bradshaw
Preceded by
Robert R. Turner
Captain of H.M.S. Ambrose
30 Jun, 1922[35][36] – 1924[37]
Succeeded by
John G. Bower
Preceded by
Douglas Faviell
Captain of H.M.S. Champion
28 Apr, 1930[38] – 28 Apr, 1931[39]
Succeeded by
Norman A. Wodehouse
Preceded by
Ronald H. C. Hallifax
Captain of H.M.S. Wallace
16 Aug, 1931[40] – 24 Apr, 1933[41]
Succeeded by
Charles W. V. T. S. Lepper
Preceded by
Ronald H. C. Hallifax
Captain (D), Fifth Destroyer Flotilla
16 Aug, 1931[42] – 24 Apr, 1933[43]
Succeeded by
Arthur L. St. G. Lyster
Preceded by
Arthur J. L. Murray
Captain of H.M.S. Montrose
late 1931 – 30 Jun, 1932
Succeeded by
Richard S. Benson
Preceded by
Montague G. B. Legge
Captain of H.M.S. Centurion
Jan, 1934[44] – 26 Jun, 1934[45]
Succeeded by
William J. Whitworth
Preceded by
Philip E. Phillips
Captain of H.M.S. Mackay
12 Dec, 1934[46] – 1935[47]
Succeeded by
William A. R. Cartwright
Preceded by
Philip E. Phillips
Captain (S), Second Submarine Flotilla
12 Dec, 1934[48] – 1935[49]
Succeeded by
Harry P. K. Oram
Preceded by
John H. Young
Captain of H.M.S. Cardiff
1 Sep, 1936[50][51] – 6 May, 1938[52]
Succeeded by
Frederick R. M. Johnson
Preceded by
Herbert W. Williams
Captain of H.M.S. Vindictive
30 Jan, 1943[53] – 1943[54]
Succeeded by
Edmund H. Hopkinson

Footnotes

  1. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  2. "Submarine Disaster." The Times (London, England), Friday, Jul 16, 1909; pg. 10; Issue 39013.
  3. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 296.
  4. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  5. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 1, Part 1. p. 13.
  6. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  7. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 796.
  8. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  9. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  10. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  11. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  12. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  13. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  14. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  15. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  16. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  17. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  18. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 344.
  19. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  20. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  21. The Monthly Navy List. (March, 1911). p. 317.
  22. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  23. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  24. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  25. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  26. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  27. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  28. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  29. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  30. The Navy List. (June, 1920). p. 796.
  31. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  32. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  33. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 796.
  34. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  35. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  36. The Navy List. (January, 1923). p. 723.
  37. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  38. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  39. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  40. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  41. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  42. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  43. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  44. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  45. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  46. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  47. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  48. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  49. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  50. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 221.
  51. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  52. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  53. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  54. Uboat.net page on the ship.