Jack Grant Bickford

Captain Jack Grant Bickford, D.S.C., D.S.O. (12 June, 1897 – 10 September, 1940) served in the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Jack G. Bickford, Esq..

On 15 September 1913, Bickford was appointed to the battleship Temeraire, in which he served through 26 October 1916, fighting in her at the Battle of Jutland, transferring into the Navy from the Royal Naval Reserve on 25 March, 1915.

Bickford was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 May, 1919.

Bickford was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 May, 1927.

Bickford was blamed for grounding the destroyer Arrow on 1 August, 1932 but was nonetheles promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1932.

World War II

Bickford was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1939.

He was awarded his D.S.O. posthumously for action at Dunkirk. He died in command of H.M.S. Express after she lost her bow back to the bridge after she struck a mine.

See Also

• H.M.S. Temeraire at the Battle of Jutland
• Service Records

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Geoffrey C. Fryer	Captain of H.M.S. Torrid 24 Mar, 1928 – 15 Aug, 1928	Succeeded by Eric B. K. Stevens
Preceded by David J. R. Simson	Captain of H.M.S. Wren 15 Aug, 1928 – 25 Aug, 1930	Succeeded by John Bostock
Preceded by Arthur L. Pears	Captain of H.M.S. Arrow 10 Oct, 1930 – 3 Oct, 1932	Succeeded by Reginald F. Morice
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Hotspur Oct, 1936	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Alan MacG. Sheffield	Captain of H.M.S. Acasta 28 Jun, 1939 – 25 Aug, 1939	Succeeded by Percy J. Oliver
Preceded by Alfred J. L. Phillips	Captain (D), Twentieth Destroyer Flotilla 25 Aug, 1939 – 1 Sep, 1940	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Percy J. Oliver	Captain of H.M.S. Express 29 Aug, 1939 – 1 Sep, 1940	Succeeded by David H. Maitland-Makgill-Crichton