Hugh Percival Buckle

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Captain (retired) Hugh Percival Buckle (23 February, 1875 – 30 September, 1955) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Hugh Buckle was born in Gibraltar, the son of Captain H. E. Buckle of the Royal Engineers. He entered the Royal Navy with the March, 1889 intake term at Britannia. His first appointments in the service are obscured in his service record, but start with time in the second class battleship Camperdown in January, 1891 before moving into the Mediterranean in May 1892.[1]

After some time in the destroyer H.M.S. Daring in 1896, Buckle was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 22 June, 1897.[2]

Buckle resigned his commission due to private affairs on 18 November, 1898. His resignation's acceptance was cancelled when he requested that it be withdrawn on 27 February, 1899 and the Board took a favourable review of his request.[3]

Buckle was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1909.

Buckle was appointed to Vindictive on 5 April, 1910 but was unable to join the ship as he was in ill health. On the 9th, he was admitted to Plymouth Hospital with neurasthenia. After taking some time to stabilise, he was appointed to the armoured cruiser Sutlej on 7 June, 1910. In mid-1911, he joined the Liverpool Coast Guard.[4]

On 1 August, 1914, Buckle was lent to the Liverpool Naval Centre. In early 1915, he requested that he be allowed to retire owing to his health. A medical survey found him fit, but a change in occupation was suggested. He continued his work in Liverpool until being appointed to the first class protected cruiser Crescent on 11 May, 1915 as executive officer. Buckle asked that this order which seems unusual in consideration of his past be cancelled, but the Admiralty re-affirmed that he was to go. Accordingly, he stayed in Crescent until November, 1915. Shortly before Christmas, he was appointed as executive officer in the battleship Cæsar.[5]

After a year in Caesar, Buckle was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Orbita in November, 1916.

In 1917, Buckle was blamed for grounding Orbita and cautioned to be more careful in future.

On the night of 7/8 February, 1918, Orbita sank the collier Dorisbrook, which had been servicing Orbita periodically over the last month, in a collision. This resulted in a Court of Enquiry and Buckle received an expression of Their Lordships' displeasure.[6][7]

Buckle was invalided on 5 March 1918, being diagnosed with arterial disease. He went to Haslar Hospital for a time. By 30 April, 1918 he was suffering from neurasthenia, still at Haslar. On 6 June, he was declared fit for shore service, and on 18 September, fit for general service. On 3 August, he was placed in command of the first class protected cruiser Gibraltar, serving in her until mid-January, 1919. In the post-war Navy, he found himself at Liverpool, serving as D.O. (Division Officer?) until being placed on unpaid time in February, 1921.[8]

Buckle was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 17 August, 1921. He was awarded a naval pension on £65 per annum in 1926 and lived until 1955.[9]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Albatross
Jul, 1900
Succeeded by
Philip J. Stopford
Preceded by
Philip J. Stopford
Captain of H.M.S. Mallard
26 Aug, 1901[10] – 10 Oct, 1901[11]
Succeeded by
George J. Todd
Preceded by
John A. L. Hay
Captain of H.M.S. Sturgeon
10 Oct, 1901[12] – 5 Dec, 1901[13]
Succeeded by
Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by
Douglas R. M. Nicholson
Captain of H.M.S. Flying Fish
16 Dec, 1901[14][15][16] – 23 Oct, 1903[17]
Succeeded by
Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by
Henry St. G. S. Clive
Captain of H.M.S. Express
14 Jul, 1904[18][19] – 3 Jan, 1905[20]
Succeeded by
Denis G. Thynne
Preceded by
Geoffrey B. Spicer-Simson
Captain of H.M.S. Gipsy
3 Jan, 1905[21] – 30 Jan, 1905[22]
Succeeded by
Hugh D. Marryat
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Liffey
27 May, 1905[23] – 1 Dec, 1905[24]
Succeeded by
James U. Farie
Preceded by
Reginald F. Parker
Captain of H.M.S. Kennet
1 Dec, 1905[25][26] – 27 Jul, 1909[27]
Succeeded by
Henry C. D. Field
Preceded by
James R. P. Hawksley
Captain of H.M.S. Cossack
10 Aug, 1909[28][29] – 5 Apr, 1910[30]
Succeeded by
George B. W. Young
Preceded by
Henry Luxmoore
Captain of H.M.S. Orbita
24 Nov, 1916[31] – 6 Mar, 1918[32]
Succeeded by
Arthur L. Gresson
Preceded by
Arthur H. Oldham
Captain of H.M.S. Gibraltar
3 Aug, 1918[33][34] – 17 Jan, 1919[35]
Succeeded by
Humphrey T. Walwyn

Footnotes

  1. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  2. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  3. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  4. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  5. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  6. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  7. Ship's Log.
  8. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  9. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 182.
  10. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  11. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  12. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  13. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  14. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  15. "Naval & Military intelligence" The Times (London). Friday, 6 December 1901. (36631), p. 6.
  16. The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 257.
  17. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  18. "Appointments for the Naval Manoeuvres." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 09, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37442.
  19. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  20. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  21. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  22. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  23. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  24. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  25. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  26. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 335.
  27. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  28. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  29. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 297.
  30. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  31. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  32. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  33. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.
  34. The Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 800.
  35. Buckle Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/117. f. 117.