Victor Gallafent Gurner

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Vice-Admiral Victor G. Gurner as a Captain, 1918.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Vice-Admiral Victor Gallafent Gurner, Royal Navy, Retired (15 January, 1883 – 18 October, 1950) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

On 24 December, 1884 Gurner was appointed to the battleship Superb.

On 29 January, 1891 Gurner was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, dated 14 July, 1889.

On 7 January, 1900 Gurner was temporarily attached to the battleship Howe and 1 March was appointed in command of the B-Class destroyer Seal. On 1 March, 1901 he was appointed to the old battleship Alexandra. On 28 May he was appointed First Lieutenant of the armoured cruiser Cressy.

In 1903 Gurner was thanked for his ingenuity in designing a submersible target.

On 30 June, 1904 Gurner was promoted to the rank of Commander.[1] On 3 December he was appointed to H.M.S. Monmouth.

On 3 June, 1909 Gurner took command of the Philomel in the East Indies Squadron. He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1910.[2] On 21 August, 1911 he was appointed to President for the signal and war course. On 23 September, 1912 he was appointed to President for the gunnery course and on 21 October for the torpedo course.

He was appointed in command of the depot ship Leander on 16 December, 1912.[3]

On 7 July, 1913 Gurner was the Prosecuting Officer at the Court-Martial held at Devonport. The accused was Lieutenant James Richard Maitland Makgill Crichton, who had stranded the destroyer Express on 5 May. Maitland-Makgill-Crichton was ordered to be severely reprimanded.

Great War

In September 1916, Gurner was placed in command of the armoured cruiser Antrim, remaining with her until 1918.

On 4 March, 1918 Gurner was appointed Commodore-in-Charge of Naval Establishments, Hong Kong with the rank of Commodore, Second Class, and took up the appointment on 18 May.[4] He had been relieved by Captain William Bowden-Smith on 1 April, 1918. In 1918 he was mentioned in despatches.

Gurner was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 July, 1921, vice Leatham. He was placed on the retired list at his own request on 2 July.[5]

Gurner was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 4 October, 1926.[6]

Gurner died on 18 October, 1950. His funeral took place at South Stoke, Oxon, on Trafalgar Day, 21 October.

Service Record


Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Arthur J. Payne
Captain of H.M.S. Seal
1 Mar, 1900[7] – 1 Mar, 1901[8]
Succeeded by
Harry L. Wells
Preceded by
John R. Segrave
Captain of H.M.S. Philomel
27 Jul, 1909[9] – 17 Jan, 1911[10]
Succeeded by
Norman L. Stanley
Preceded by
Judge D'Arcy
Captain of H.M.S. Leander
16 Dec, 1912[11][12] – 1 Apr, 1914[13]
Succeeded by
Laurence R. Oliphant
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Laurentic
1 Nov, 1914[14][15] – 13 Sep, 1916[16]
Succeeded by
Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by
Reginald A. Norton
Captain of H.M.S. Antrim
c. 1 Sep, 1916 – 13 Sep, 1916[17]
Succeeded by
Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by
Reginald A. Norton
Captain of H.M.S. Antrim
late 1916 – 23 Jan, 1918[18]
Succeeded by
John D. Allen
Preceded by
Charles A. Radcliffe
Captain of H.M.S. London
23 Jan, 1918[19] – Feb, 1918[20]
Succeeded by
Adrian H. Smyth
Preceded by
Henry G. G. Sandeman
Commodore in Charge at Hong Kong
4 Mar, 1918[21] – 1 Apr, 1920[22]
Succeeded by
William Bowden-Smith
 

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 27691. p. 4182. 1 July, 1904.
  2. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28452. p. 4. 2 January, 1911.
  3. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 338.
  4. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 7.
  5. The London Gazette: no. 32384. p. 5487. 8 July, 1921.
  6. The London Gazette: no. 33209. p. 6440. 8 October, 1926.
  7. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  8. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  9. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  10. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  11. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 338.
  12. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  13. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  14. The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 401n.
  15. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  16. Ship's Log
  17. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/97. f. 97.
  18. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43/97. f. 97.
  19. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  20. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.
  21. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1918). p. 8.
  22. Gurner Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 97.