George Geoffrey Codrington

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Commander George Geoffrey Codrington, R.N., Retired (2 May, 1874 – 29 September, 1946) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Codrington was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1895.[1]

Some time between 1895 and 1898, Codrington "accidentally punctur[ed] a seaman's leg with his sword," which was deemed "unofficerlike conduct."

Codrington was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1903.

On 16 June 1904, Codrington's destroyer Sparrowhawk was patrolling the mouth of the Yangtze with Whiting and Janus. Codrington led the trio to an anchorage at the northern end of Raffles Island and struck an object at 3.08pm, initiating flooding in his forward stokehold, which was evacuated and sealed as she settled on the obstruction, stabilized by anchors. As the high tide approached, Sparrowhawk's fore guns were unshipped and moved aft and the contents of her forward magazines passed to her consorts. Though this allowed her to be floated free at 11pm and the battleship Glory arrived and came alongside with pumps, the water advanced and the destroyer was lost at 7am the next day, sinking by the head. Codrington was not blamed for the loss, as the danger which had befallen his command was found to be uncharted and no due caution was left unexercised.[2]

On 1 August 1907, he was posted to the Belmullet Coast Guard, where he remained for four and a half years.

In early 1912, he took a four-week course in Wireless Telegraphy at the torpedo training school H.M.S. Vernon. This training was deemed good enough to place him at the Cleethorpes W/T Station, appointed 27 March 1912. On 24 September he was admitted to Chatham Hospital to be treated for syphilis (secondary). He was found fit on 19 October.

Codrington remained at Cleethorpes through the war, being promoted to the rank of Acting Commander on 22 June, 1916 until being placed on the Retired List at his own request on 15 September, 1919. On 20 September, he was promoted to Commander (retired), dated 15 September.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Harry C. J. R. West
Captain of H.M.S. Porcupine
23 Jan, 1902[3] – 1 Aug, 1902
Succeeded by
Robert C. Hamilton
Preceded by
Robert G. D. Dewar
Captain of H.M.S. Hardy
1902 – 14 Jan, 1903
Succeeded by
Frederick B. Noble
Preceded by
Basil A. Austen
Captain of H.M.S. Angler
1 Aug, 1902 – 1902
Succeeded by
Robert C. Hamilton
Preceded by
Charles P. Mansel
Captain of H.M.S. Otter
14 Jan, 1903[4] – 28 Oct, 1903
Succeeded by
John Kiddle
Preceded by
Oscar V. de Satgé
Captain of H.M.S. Sparrowhawk
29 Oct, 1903 – 17 Jun, 1904[5]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Archibald C. Goolden
Captain of H.M.S. Leopard
3 Jan, 1905 – 31 Jul, 1905
Succeeded by
Bernard E. Prichard
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Wear
31 Jul, 1905[6] – 17 Apr, 1906
Succeeded by
Thomas N. James

Footnotes

  1. The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 16.
  2. Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 17.
  3. The Navy List. (May, 1902). p. 293.
  4. The Navy List. (May, 1903). p. 287.
  5. Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 17.
  6. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 397.