Percival Henry Gwynne James

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

Captain Percival Henry Gwynne James, (12 May, 1896 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Francis R. James, Esq., solicitor.

James served in the battleship Collingwood from the moment he passed out of the Training Establishment on 15 September, 1913 through 5 January, 1917, fighting in her at the Battle of Jutland. Following a course in Torpedo Control at H.M.S. Vernon, he was appointed to the destroyer Redoubt on 1 February, 1917.

James was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 November, 1917 and served in Redoubt through the end of the war.[1]

James was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 November, 1925.[2]

James was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1931.[3]

James was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1938.[4]

World War II

On 1 December, 1938, he was appointed as Naval Liaison Officer, Shanghai, vice Edwards. He held this post until being appointed in command of the Capetown Class light cruiser H.M.S. Capetown on 4 November, 1940. His time in command of the ship would be interspersed with periods of ill health during which Lt. Cdr. Henry Hutchinson Robson took over temporary command of the ship. The cause is not stated, but in 1946 he was hospitalised with phthisis. On 10 November 1940, he grounded the ship, eliciting displeasure in so doing. The ship was torpedoed by Template:IT-MAS213 off Eritrea on 6 April, 1941. A Board of Enquiry faulted his judgement in handling the aftermath, and the ship was placed under repair for a year thereafter.[5]

Placed on the Retired List as medically unfit on 12 January, 1948.[6]

See Also

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Alfred C. Collinson
Captain of H.M.S. Stormcloud
14 Aug, 1925[7][8] – Mar, 1929[9]
Succeeded by
Henry F. Waight
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Antelope
2 Dec, 1929[10] – 5 Mar, 1931[11]
Succeeded by
Percival H. G. James
Preceded by
Ion B. B. Tower
Captain of H.M.S. Wolsey
5 Mar, 1931[12]c. Jun, 1931[13]
Succeeded by
Charles M. Blackman
Preceded by
Percival H. G. James
Captain of H.M.S. Antelope
c. Jun, 1931[14] – Jan, 1932[15]
Succeeded by
John A. Giffard
Preceded by
Herbert A. C. Lane
Captain of H.M.S. Fearless
3 Jan, 1936[16][17] – 18 Jan, 1938[18]
Succeeded by
Kenneth L. Harkness
Preceded by
William A. R. Cartwright
Captain of H.M.S. Mackay
28 Sep, 1938[19] – 9 Oct, 1938[20]
Succeeded by
Philip L. Vian
Preceded by
William Spencer Leveson-Gower
Captain (D), Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla
28 Sep, 1938[21] – 9 Oct, 1938[22]
Succeeded by
Jocelyn S. C. Salter
Preceded by
Terence H. Back
Captain of H.M.S. Capetown
3 Nov, 1940[23] – 19 Jun, 1941[24]
Succeeded by
Henry H. Robson
Preceded by
Henry H. Robson
Captain of H.M.S. Capetown
24 Sep, 1941[25] – 17 Nov, 1942[26]
Succeeded by
Henry H. Robson
Preceded by
Cecil S. Sandford
Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke
24 Mar, 1943[27] – 12 Jan, 1944[28]
Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  2. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  3. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  4. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  5. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  6. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  7. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  8. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 271.
  9. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  10. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  11. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  12. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  13. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  14. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  15. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  16. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  17. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 239.
  18. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  19. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130. Day of month is blurry.
  20. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  21. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130. Day of month is blurry.
  22. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  23. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  24. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  25. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  26. Uboat.net page on the ship.
  27. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.
  28. James Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/130. f. 130.