Roland Leeds
Lieutenant-Commander Roland Montagu Leeds (19 April, 1893 – 29 March, 1933) served in the Royal Navy. He dropped his middle name on 19 April, 1914 and there is a remote chance that his first name was actually Ronald – his service record notes only that "he signs himself so, 30 July 15".[1]
Life & Career
The son of W. H. Montagu Leeds, Esq..
Leeds spent the first eighteen months of the war in the destroyer Welland on the China Station.[2]
Leeds was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 February, 1916 and made second-in-command of the destroyer Acheron. He fought in her at the Battle of Jutland as part of the First Destroyer Flotilla.[3]
Leeds was extremely gifted in language, speaking French, Spanish and Japanese well enough to act as an interpreter (perhaps more). He won the Ryder Memorial Prize for 1916.[4]
In February 1917, he was appointed to the destroyer Rapid, again as second-in-command. He would command the ship for about one month shortly after the war ended.[2]
Leeds was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 April, 1924.[5]
Leeds took ill in Argentina in 1933 and died following an appendectomy.[6]
See Also
- Service Records
- First D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland
- Obituary. The Times (London, England) 1 April, 1933. p. 12.
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Henry C. Rawlings |
Captain of H.M.S. Rapid 13 Dec, 1918[7][8] – 31 Jan, 1919[9] |
Succeeded by Orrell Bake |
Footnotes
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Obituary.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 890.
- ↑ Leeds Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/187. f. 187.
