Hugh Percival Buckle

Captain (retired) Hugh Percival Buckle (23 February, 1875 – 30 September, 1955) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Hugh Buckle was born in Gibraltar, the son of Captain H. E. Buckle of the Royal Engineers. He entered the Royal Navy with the March, 1889 intake term at Britannia. His first appointments in the service are obscured in his service record, but start with time in the second class battleship Camperdown in January, 1891 before moving into the Mediterranean in May 1892.

After some time in the destroyer H.M.S. Daring in 1896, Buckle was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 22 June, 1897.

Buckle resigned his commission due to private affairs on 18 November, 1898. His resignation's acceptance was cancelled when he requested that it be withdrawn on 27 February, 1899 and the Board took a favourable review of his request.

Buckle was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1909.

Buckle was appointed to Vindictive on 5 April, 1910 but was unable to join the ship as he was in ill health. On the 9th, he was admitted to Plymouth Hospital with neurasthenia. After taking some time to stabilise, he was appointed to the armoured cruiser Sutlej on 7 June, 1910. In mid-1911, he joined the Liverpool Coast Guard.

On 1 August, 1914, Buckle was lent to the Liverpool Naval Centre. In early 1915, he requested that he be allowed to retire owing to his health. A medical survey found him fit, but a change in occupation was suggested. He continued his work in Liverpool until being appointed to the first class protected cruiser Crescent on 11 May, 1915 as executive officer. Buckle asked that this order which seems unusual in consideration of his past be cancelled, but the Admiralty re-affirmed that he was to go. Accordingly, he stayed in Crescent until November, 1915. Shortly before Christmas, he was appointed as executive officer in the battleship Cæsar.

After a year in Caesar, Buckle was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Orbita in November, 1916.

In 1917, Buckle was blamed for grounding Orbita and cautioned to be more careful in future.

On the night of 7/8 February, 1918, Orbita sank the collier Dorisbrook, which had been servicing Orbita periodically over the last month, in a collision. This resulted in a Court of Enquiry and Buckle received an expression of Their Lordships' displeasure.

Buckle was invalided on 5 March 1918, being diagnosed with arterial disease. He went to Haslar Hospital for a time. By 30 April, 1918 he was suffering from neurasthenia, still at Haslar. On 6 June, he was declared fit for shore service, and on 18 September, fit for general service. On 3 August, he was placed in command of the first class protected cruiser Gibraltar, serving in her until mid-January, 1919. In the post-war Navy, he found himself at Liverpool, serving as D.O. (Division Officer?) until being placed on unpaid time in February, 1921.

Buckle was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 17 August, 1921. He was awarded a naval pension on £65 per annum in 1926 and lived until 1955.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Albatross Jul, 1900	Succeeded by Philip J. Stopford
Preceded by Philip J. Stopford	Captain of H.M.S. Mallard 26 Aug, 1901 – 10 Oct, 1901	Succeeded by George J. Todd
Preceded by John A. L. Hay	Captain of H.M.S. Sturgeon 10 Oct, 1901 – 5 Dec, 1901	Succeeded by Reginald A. Norton
Preceded by Douglas R. M. Nicholson	Captain of H.M.S. Flying Fish 16 Dec, 1901 – 23 Oct, 1903	Succeeded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe
Preceded by Henry St. G. S. Clive	Captain of H.M.S. Express 14 Jul, 1904 – 3 Jan, 1905	Succeeded by Denis G. Thynne
Preceded by Geoffrey B. Spicer-Simson	Captain of H.M.S. Gipsy 3 Jan, 1905 – 30 Jan, 1905	Succeeded by Hugh D. Marryat
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Liffey 27 May, 1905 – 1 Dec, 1905	Succeeded by James U. Farie
Preceded by Reginald F. Parker	Captain of H.M.S. Kennet 1 Dec, 1905 – 27 Jul, 1909	Succeeded by Henry C. D. Field
Preceded by James R. P. Hawksley	Captain of H.M.S. Cossack 10 Aug, 1909 – 5 Apr, 1910	Succeeded by George B. W. Young
Preceded by Henry Luxmoore	Captain of H.M.S. Orbita 24 Nov, 1916 – 6 Mar, 1918	Succeeded by Arthur L. Gresson
Preceded by Arthur H. Oldham	Captain of H.M.S. Gibraltar 3 Aug, 1918 – 17 Jan, 1919	Succeeded by Humphrey T. Walwyn