John Creswell

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Captain John Creswell, R.N. (1 March, 1895 – 30 July 1973) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Creswell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 February 1917. Creswell was automatically promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 April 1924 after eight years' service as a Lieutenant.

The Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet recommended him for promotion as did the Rear-Admiral (S), and he was accordingly promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June 1929. He was reappointed in command of L.33, and superseded in command on 24 February 1930. On 5 May he was appointed to Victory for the Tactical Course which he completed on 4 July. On 15 July he joined the Royal Naval Staff College as a member of the directing staff.

On 26 July 1932 he was appointed to Vivid for command of the new sloop Falmouth which served on the China Station. He was superseded on 29 December 1933, and after his foreign service leave he requested to go on half pay, where he remained until he was appointed for a Tactical Course on 14 May 1934. On 26 September he was given charge of the War Game Room at Malta. An appointment to the light cruiser Castor in May 1935 was cancelled. On 9 April 1935 he again requested to go on half pay, which was periodically extended until April 1936.

Second World War

Creswell was appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Worcestershire on 7 October 1940 with the acting rank of Captain. He was in command when she was damaged by a torpedo from U-74 on 3 April, 1941.[1] On 12 May 1941 he was appointed for temporary service on a Selection Board for Temporary Entry officers, and on 19 May was given command of the auxiliary minelayer Southern Prince and also appointed Chief Staff Officer to Rear-Admiral (M).

He was placed on the Retired List with the rank of Captain from 1 March 1945 but didn't formally revert to the Retired List until 11 January 1946.

See Also

Bibliography

Papers


Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Victor C. Dorman-Smith
Captain of H.M.S. R 4
Jul, 1922[2] – early 1923
Succeeded by
Edward A. Aylmer
Preceded by
?
Captain of H.M.S. Falmouth
25 Jul, 1932[3]
Succeeded by
George F. N. Bradford

Footnotes

  1. Uboat.net page on Worcestershire.
  2. The Navy List. (January, 1923). p. 797.
  3. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 238.