George Hector Creswell

Rear-Admiral George Hector Creswell, D.S.C.,D.S.O. R.N., Retired (17 June, 1889 – ) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Wimbledon.

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1911.

Great War

Creswell was appointed in command of the Dove on 8 May, 1915.

Creswell was appointed in command of the Dee on 1 January, 1916.

Creswell was appointed in command of the Phoebe on 23 December, 1916.

Creswell was appointed in command of the Laforey Class destroyer Lochinvar on 20 March, 1917. He stayed in her only briefly, as he was appointed in command of her sister, Lookout on 11 April, 1917. Command of Lookout temporarily fell to Reginald Nash after Creswell was stricken by influenza on 30 January, 1918. Creswell was declared fit again on 15 February.

Creswell was appointed in command of the Liberty on 21 June, 1918. Creswell was mentioned in despatches for his services in destroyers in the first half of 1918, gazetted 11 December, 1918.

Post-War

Cresswell was appointed in command of the destroyer Tomahawk on 31 December, 1918.

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1919. On 11 December 1919, he applied for the Greek Naval Mission.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean expressed his appreciation of Creswell's work in command of Tomahawk between 13 and 24 January, 1920 in the time leading up to the evacuation of Novorrosisk on 26 March.

On 5 March, 1921, Creswell was thanked for his invention of a sight for anti-aircraft pom-pom guns.

On 26 January, 1923, the Senior Naval Officer, Gibraltar wired the Admiralty to report that Creswell was in very ill with appendicitis in a military hospital. On 7 February, he was finally out of danger, but his recovery proved complicated enough that he was sent back to England by P. & O. steamer Macedonia. He was not again fir until 2 May, 1923.

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1924. In October 1925, he took a two day course in anti-aircraft gunnery, at Biggin Hill.

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1931.

World War II

Captain of Afridi from 11 December, 1937 until 2 January, 1940, and from 3 May, 1938 to 1 May, 1939, Captain (D) of "First Tribal Flotilla" and then to the end of his captaincy as Captain (D) of Fourth Destroyer Flotilla. In 1939, however, there was a collision between Afridi and the light cruiser Penelope.

Creswell was awarded a D.S.O. for his anti-submarine work in the first three months of the war.

Creswell was placed on the Retired List on 6 February, 1942.

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 March, 1946.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Delorest J. D. Noble	Captain of H.M.S. Dove 8 May, 1915 – 1 Jan, 1916	Succeeded by Cyril Edwards
Preceded by Charles L. M. M. Crichton	Captain of H.M.S. Dee 1 Jan, 1916 – 23 Nov, 1916	Succeeded by Guy O. Maund
Preceded by Ralph M. Mack	Captain of H.M.S. Phoebe 23 Dec, 1916 – c. 31 Dec, 1916	Succeeded by Hubert E. Gore-Langton
Preceded by Charles H. Knox-Little	Captain of H.M.S. Lochinvar 20 Mar, 1917 – 11 Apr, 1917	Succeeded by Frederick R. M. Johnson
Preceded by Maurice B. R. Blackwood	Captain of H.M.S. Lookout 11 Apr, 1917 – 21 Jun, 1918	Succeeded by Philip A. Heyder
Preceded by Humphrey B. Jacomb	Captain of H.M.S. Liberty 21 Jun, 1918 – 31 Dec, 1918	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Edward R. M. Geake	Captain of H.M.S. Tomahawk 31 Dec, 1918 – 28 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by Ambrose T. N. Abbay
Preceded by L. T. Creery Hill	Captain of H.M.S. Thisbe 28 Jan, 1921 – c. 20 Sep, 1921	Succeeded by Cyril Gore
Preceded by Philip G. Wodehouse	Captain of H.M.S. Waterhen 17 Aug, 1922 – Feb, 1923	Succeeded by John B. Spurgin
Preceded by Edward C. Thornton	Captain of H.M.S. Vivacious 6 Jun, 1923 – Feb, 1925	Succeeded by John S. Prescott-Roberts
Preceded by Edward C. Denison	Captain of H.M.S. Serapis 27 May, 1925 – 1 Jan, 1926	Succeeded by Charles H. Knox-Little
Preceded by Donal S. McGrath	Captain of H.M.S. Vanquisher 31 Oct, 1929 – Oct, 1931	Succeeded by David J. R. Simson
Preceded by Frederick H. G. Dalrymple-Hamilton	Captain of H.M.S. Malcolm 30 Jun, 1932 – May, 1933	Succeeded by Walter J. Phipps
Preceded by James Powell	Captain of H.M.S. Sandhurst May, 1933 – 15 May, 1935	Succeeded by Brian Dean
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Afridi 11 Dec, 1937 – 2 Jan, 1940	Succeeded by Philip Louis Vian
Preceded by Philip L. Vian	Captain (D), First Destroyer Flotilla 2 May, 1938 – 1 May, 1939	Succeeded by George E. Creasy
Preceded by Rhoderick R. McGrigor	Captain (D), Fourth Destroyer Flotilla 1 May, 1939 – 2 Jan, 1940	Succeeded by Philip Louis Vian
Preceded by Mark T. Collier	Captain of H.M.S. Arethusa 21 Nov, 1942 – Dec, 1942	Succeeded by Mark T. Collier