Difference between revisions of "Benjamin Wingate Barrow"

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Rear-Admiral Benjamin Wingate Barrow, D.S.O., Royal Navy (21 August, 1878 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Barrow was born in Arrah, India.

In December, 1897 he was admitted to Plymouth Hospital for an "uncertain period" with a diagnosis of "Gonoerheal Rhumatism".^[1]

Barrow was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1901.^[2]

He married Charlotte Constance Brooke on 29 August, 1908 at St. Paul's in Paddington.^[3] They would eventually have five children together.^[4]

Barrow was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1909.^[5]

Barrow was appointed in command of the destroyer Firedrake on 4 January, 1913.^[6]

The Great War

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Maori on 30 July, 1914.^[7]

Barrow was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1914. On 4 March, 1915, Maori helped sink U 8 off Dover, assisted by Ghurka. Barrow would eventually be awarded the D.S.O. for his part in this success, but his role in the war was not to last must longer, as on 7 May, 1915, Maori was mined and lost under his command and Barrow became a prisoner of war. Upon his repatriation, he was assigned to work in the Intelligence Division, dated 30 November, 1918.^[8]

Post-War

Barrow was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1920.^[9]

Barrow was appointed in command of the light cruiser Coventry in July, 1922.

He passed preliminary examinations as an interpreter in French in 1926, though he'd been speaking both French and German at some level since at least 1919.^[10]

He was temporarily appointed as Captain Superintendent of Contract Built Ships on 19 February, 1927. This would prove temporary, indeed, as he was gone after just four days to be appointed as "CS CBS". He would be in this mysterious post until 1 March, 1929.^[11]

Barrow was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 14 October, 1932 and placed on the Retired List the following day.^[12]

World War II

Like so many retired officers of his age, Barrow was thrown into convoy work as World War II began, first being appointed as Commodore of Convoy as a Commodore, Second Class, R.N.R. on 24 August, 1939. On 27 November, 1939 he was sent to the Liverpool Convoy Pool. Around April, 1942, he was sent to the Commodore in Charge and Commodore Superintendent, Simonstown vice Budgen.^[13]

In mid-July, 1944 he was called back and in October 1944 he reverted to the Retired List.^[14]

In 1947, Barrow moved to South Africa. He died at his home Bonaventure in Claremont, Cape Town.^[15]

See Also

Footnotes

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