Philip Wilfred Sidney King

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

Captain (retired) Philip Wilfred Sidney King (19 March, 1884 – 8 December, 1956) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

King was appointed in command of the 125 Footer Class first-class torpedo boat T.B. 67 as a Sub-lieutenant on 6 February, 1906. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1906 while in this appointment, but was superseded in her with Their Lordships' displeasure noted when he was found away without leave, on 19 October, 1906. King was sent to join the battleship Irresistible in the Mediterranean, staying with her for two years.[1]

In December, 1910, King was appointed to the destroyer Tartar as first lieutenant. In March, 1911, King was charged some three pounds Sterling for the cost of a diving effort to recover an anchor, shackle and chain which he'd lost overboard from the ship due to "want of attention." King left Tartar when he was appointed as Lieutenant & Commander of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 29 on 21 November, 1912.[2]

King was appointed in command of the destroyer Flying Fish on 3 February, 1914. This command would be briefly interspersed with command of Lurcher for three weeks in mid-1914, and he was appointed in command of the destroyer Flying Fish on 19 May.

Great War

Having been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1914, King applied for command of a monitor but remained in Flying Fish until being appointed to the new Laforey Class destroyer Liberty, to take command upon her commissioning, on 24 October, 1915.[3]

On 4 March, 1916, King applied unsuccessfully for command of an airship. This, however, meant that he was still in command of the destroyer Liberty when she fought at at the Battle of Jutland as one of six Harwich Force destroyers screening the Second Battle Cruiser Squadron.[4]

On 8 February 1917, while in command of Liberty as part of the Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, King rammed and sank UC 46 southeast of Goodwin Sands. This feat impressed the Admiralty and earned King a D.S.O., with which he was invested by the King on 28 March, 1917.[5][6]

On 30 April, 1917, King was appointed in command of the destroyer Undine.

Interbellum

King was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1919.[7]

King was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 17 July, 1930.[8]

World War II

King acted as D.S.T.O. (District Sea Transport Officer?) at Falmouth from September, 1939 and then briefly Southampton and in a French port prior to the fall of France. He was appointed to Caroline, additional, as D.S.T.O., Belfast on 27 June, 1940. He was mentioned in despatches for his good services over an unspecified period.

King died of bronchial and cardiac failure two days after his admission to Chatham hospital in December 1956.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Archibald S. May
Captain of H.M. T.B. 67
6 Feb, 1906[9] – 19 Oct, 1906[10]
Succeeded by
John A. Lees
Preceded by
John O. Barron
Captain of H.M. T.B. 29
21 Nov, 1912[11][12] – 7 Apr, 1913[13]
Succeeded by
Philip W. S. King
Preceded by
Nigel R. Fergusson
Captain of H.M. T.B. 3
7 Apr, 1913[14] – 13 Aug, 1913[15]
Succeeded by
Charles L. Fox
Preceded by
Richard F. White
Captain of H.M.S. Lurcher
24 Apr, 1913[16] – 19 May, 1914[17]
Succeeded by
Harold G. Campbell
Preceded by
Philip W. S. King
Captain of H.M. T.B. 29
13 Aug, 1913[18] – Feb, 1914[19]
Succeeded by
Geoffry B. Smith
Preceded by
Lawrence D'O. Bignell
Captain of H.M.S. Flying Fish
3 Feb, 1914[20] – 6 Apr, 1914[21]
Succeeded by
Philip W. S. King
Preceded by
Philip W. S. King
Captain of H.M.S. Flying Fish
19 May, 1914[22][23] – 24 Oct, 1915[24]
Succeeded by
John H. Jauncey
Preceded by
William J. F. Dunlop
Captain of H.M.S. Liberty
24 Oct, 1915[25][26] – late Apr, 1917[27]
Succeeded by
Colin S. Thomson
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Undine
30 Apr, 1917[28] – 2 Aug, 1919[29]
Succeeded by
George E. L. Atwood
Preceded by
Archibald E. Johnston
Captain of H.M.S. Wistaria
1 Sep, 1924[30][31] – 1926[32]
Succeeded by
Francis Q. Champness
Preceded by
Rupert E. Lubbock
Captain of H.M.S. Godetia
31 May, 1927[33][34] – 14 May, 1929[35]
Succeeded by
Lionel C. P. Tudway

Footnotes

  1. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  2. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  3. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  4. Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 10.
  5. Uboat.net page on U-boat losses.
  6. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  7. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  8. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  9. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  10. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  11. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  12. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 399.
  13. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  14. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  15. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  16. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  17. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  18. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  19. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  20. The Navy List. (April, 1914). p. 315.
  21. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  22. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  23. The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 394e.
  24. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  25. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  26. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 395v.
  27. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  28. The Navy List. (August, 1919). p. 922a.
  29. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  30. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 289.
  31. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  32. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79. Date of year MAY be 15 January.
  33. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 242.
  34. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.
  35. King Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/146. f. 79.