Walter Herman Gordon Fallowfield

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Captain Walter Herman Gordon Fallowfield (27 April, 1888 – 6 December, 1954) was an officer in the Royal Navy who served in both World Wars.

Life & Career

Born in Ayrshire, Fallowfield was raised by a Mrs. Mackintosh.

Fallowfield was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1910.[1]

Fallowfield was appointed to Basilisk, part of the Malta Flotilla as first officer on 7 January, 1914. He was made her captain on 9 May, 1915 when Commander Henry Haire-Forster was invalided, and was credited in some sources with destroying U 32 on 8 May, 1918 in concert with H.M.S. Wallflower. Later analysis suggests, however, that it was Wallflower which sank U 32 and that Basilisk in company with the American armed yacht U.S.S. Lydonia sank UB 70 some 10 degrees further west, or more likely (in the view of German records) attacked and only damaged U 38.[2]

Fallowfield was considered for a D.S.C. in light of this success, but this seemed to falter on procedural issues. Shortly after Basilisk paid off on 31 May, 1918, Fallowfield was appointed in command of the destroyer Marvel and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1918.[3]

Fallowfield was appointed in command of the destroyer Veteran on 29 October, 1919.[4]

Fallowfield was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1924.[5]

Fallowfield was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1931.[6]

On 26 October, 1936, Fallowfield took over command as Captain-in-Charge, H.M. Naval Establishments at Ceylon, vice Sandford. His tenure here lasted two years. In mid February 1939 he was made captain of the heavy cruiser Cumberland.

World War II

Fallowfield commanded the heavy cruiser Cumberland when she responded to bolster the blockade of Montevideo following the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, bringing the vessel to the action from the Falklands, where she had been self refitting, in the commendable time of 34 hours. This was judged "a most creditable performance."[7]

Fallowfield was placed on the Retired List on 9 July, 1941 and continued to serve in a variety of capacities, including an appointment in command of Malaya in late 1944 to early 1945 and of Kent

Fallowfield reverted to the Retired List as medically unfit on 12 April, 1946, as he had been judged mentally ill. Treatments for same continued to the end of his life, but he never regained his faculties despite some improvement in 1948.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Henry Haire-Forster
Captain of H.M.S. Basilisk
9 May, 1915[8] – 31 May, 1918[9]
Succeeded by
Villiers J. H. H. Sankey
Preceded by
Evelyn H. B. L. Scrivener
Captain of H.M.S. Marvel
22 Jun, 1918[10][11] – 1 May, 1919[12]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
John M. Smith
Captain of H.M.S. Mameluke
1 May, 1919[13] – Oct, 1919[14]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Veteran
29 Oct, 1919[15][16] – May, 1921[17]
Succeeded by
Cecil H. H. Sams
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Dundee
23 Mar, 1933[18] – 12 Oct, 1935[19]
Succeeded by
John H. Edelsten
Preceded by
Cecil S. Sandford
Captain in Charge, Ceylon
18 Sep, 1936[20] – Oct, 1938
Succeeded by
Edward L. Berthon
Preceded by
John C. Leach
Captain of H.M.S. Cumberland
15 Feb, 1939[21] – 29 Feb, 1940[22]
Succeeded by
The Hon. Guy H. E. Russell
Preceded by
Francis H. W. Goolden
In Command, Shotley Training Establishment
21 May, 1940[23] – 25 Apr, 1944[24]
Succeeded by
William G. A. Robson
Preceded by
Francis H. W. Goolden
Captain of H.M.S. Ganges
21 May, 1940[25] – 25 Apr, 1944[26]
Succeeded by
George L. D. Gibbs
Preceded by
Donald H. Fuller
Captain of H.M.S. Malaya
5 Dec, 1944[27] – 26 Feb, 1945[28]
Succeeded by
Douglas C. Lang
Preceded by
Douglas C. Lang
Captain of H.M.S. Kent
27 Feb, 1945[29] – 14 Oct, 1945[30]
Succeeded by
Philip H. Calderon

Footnotes

  1. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  2. Reported destruction of submarines Aug. 1914 to Jan. 1919 {TNA|ADM 239/26.|}} p. 28 and Der Handelskrieg mit U-Booten, Vol. 5, p. 166. Special thanks to Michael Lowrey for pointing this out.
  3. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  4. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 883.
  5. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  6. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  7. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  8. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  9. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  10. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  11. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 844.
  12. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  13. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  14. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  15. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  16. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 883.
  17. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  18. The Navy List. (October, 1935). p. 236.
  19. "Naval Appointments." The Times (London, England), 17 July 1935, p. 8.
  20. The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 258.
  21. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  22. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  23. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  24. Gibbs Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/57/166. f. 371.
  25. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  26. Gibbs Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/57/166. f. 371.
  27. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  28. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  29. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.
  30. Fallowfield Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/242. f. 243.