Reginald Thomas Dimsdale

Lieutenant Reginald Thomas Dimsdale (25 December, 1885 – 25 April, 1916) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Reginald was born on Christmas Day in Chelsea, the son of the Seventh Baron Dimsdale, J.P. of the Russian Empire.

Dimsdale was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant on 30 December, 1905.

On 12 January, 1907, he was appointed to Mercury for instruction in submarines. Dimsdale was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1908 as his instruction continued. In command of some submarine in 1908, a collision with a vessel called Elfin occurred in which five lives were lost. Dimsdale was found to to have committed an error in judgment for having disconnected the gas engines of the boat while proceeding into a shipping channel, as this meant that 90 seconds would be required before he could reverse his thrust. No further action was taken, however, and he completed his instruction on New Year's Day, 1910 and was appointed in command of A 9, the little submarine then tender to Forth.

He left A 9 when he was appointed in command of C 8 on 1 November, 1910.

Praised by Candy for his knowledge of the workings of petroleum engines and his "mechanical turn of mind", he was becoming what Commodore Keyes would eventually call a "reliable S/M Captain". However, on 1 May, 1911 Dimsdale damaged a dive plane on C 8 and was cautioned to be more careful in future.

Dimsdale was next appointed in command of the submarine C 15 on 12 June, 1912. He remained in command until 26 February, 1914 when he received an appointment to Argyll. The outbreak of war found him still engaged in Argyll.

Great War

Dimsdale left Argyll upon being appointed back to submarines, in command of C 21 on 1 September, 1915. This appointment would only last until the 25th of the month when he was appointed in command of the D 3.

Dimsdale left D 3 when he was appointed to the submarine E 22 on 19 April, 1916. This was a very unfortunate appointment, as he was killed just six days later when she was torpedoed by UB 18.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Andrew Wilmot-Smith	Captain of H.M.S. A 9 1 Jan, 1910 – 1 Nov, 1910	Succeeded by John T. Cull
Preceded by John R. G. Moncreiffe	Captain of H.M.S. C 8 1 Nov, 1910 – 12 Jun, 1912	Succeeded by Charles L. Kerr
Preceded by Charles L. Kerr	Captain of H.M.S. C 15 12 Jun, 1912 – 26 Feb, 1914	Succeeded by Robert R. Turner
Preceded by Vincent M. Cooper	Captain of H.M.S. C 21 1 Sep, 1915 – 25 Sep, 1915	Succeeded by William R. Richardson
Preceded by Robert R. Turner	Captain of H.M.S. D 3 25 Sep, 1915 – 19 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by William McK. Maitland-Dougall
Preceded by Godfrey Herbert	Captain of H.M.S. E 22 19 Apr, 1916 – 25 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by Vessel Lost