Walter Raleigh Gilbert

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Commander (retired) Walter Raleigh Gilbert, (22 February, 1889 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Ilfracombe, the son of Reverend W. R. Gilbert.[1]

He was awarded the Goodenough Medal for 1908.[2]

Gilbert was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 July, 1909. In 1910, he was commended for inventing a Course Indicating Instrument. It was not, however, adopted. In June of the same year, he compiled a table of the number of hits per minute that each gun in the fleet would be expected to obtain at a given range. He was commended for the vision of such a compilation, and it was decided that it should be printed in the next edition of Volume III of the Gunnery Manual.[3]

In August of 1913, Gilbert was hospitalised for two weeks to treat an injury to his knee. As 1914 began, he was declared unfit, but the reason is not stated. He was not declared fit until July, and was sent to H.M.S. Leviathan for the Test Mobilisation. Later in that year, he was sent to Dunkirk for gunnery duties under the N.T. (Naval Transport?) Officer, but in November was sent back to Leviathan to serve as her gunnery officer.[4]

After helping correct proofs for The Sight Manual, Gilbert was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 July, 1917. At the end of the war, he was serving as gunnery officer in the battleship Benbow.[5]

Gilbert was placed on the Retired List at his own request with gratuity on 5 October, 1920. In November 1921 he applied for an award for inventing a portable plotting table, resulting in an award of 150 guineas in December 1921. He was promoted to the rank of Commander on 22 February, 1929.[6]

World War II

Mobilised on 29 September 1938, he was sent to H.M.S. Excellent for book writing duties.

See Also

Bibliography

Footnotes

  1. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.
  2. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.
  3. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.
  4. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.
  5. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.
  6. Gilbert Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/52/50. f. 405.