Austen Gerald Lilley

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Captain Austen Gerald Lilley (28 July, 1890 – 29 March, 1937) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

His first name is sometimes spelled as "Austin" in the Navy List editions.

Life & Career

Born in Hereford the son of a solicitor, it appears that Lilley entered Royal Naval College, Dartmouth directly – part of the Royal Navy's transition from training new cadets in H.M.S. Britannia as the new scheme was being primed.[1][Fact Check]

He gained two months' time on passing out and joining Drake on 15 May, 1907.[2]

In 1909, Lilley received instruction in navigation. After taking Part I and Part II in 1910-11, Lilley received his Watch Keeping certificate on 27 July, 1912.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 October, 1912 and was re-appointed in Boadicea in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant and contributed to the ship's good results in the 1912 Battle Practice. In early 1913, he underwent an appendectomy at King Edward VII Hospital. He emerged fit on 19 April and returned to Boadicea until October, 1913.[3]

Lilley was appointed to Attack as first lieutenant on 29 October, 1913 and was in her through 17 February, 1916 when he was appointed in command of T.B. 9, operating with the Nore Local Defence Flotilla. He lost T.B. 9 to a collision with the destroyer Matchless on 26 July. In the end, Lilley was commended for returning aboard the foundering boat to recover a confidential book that had been left behind.[4]

While captain of Forester, Lilley was commended by the Admiralty for his role in saving survivors of flotilla-mate H.M.S. Contest, which was torpedoed on 18 September, 1917.[5]

On 30 November 1917, Lilley was admitted to Plymouth Hospital with neurasthenia and was given three weeks to regain his health. It took him a bit more time, but he was back in hospital soon after being deemed ready for service on 18 January, 1918.[6]

After so much time out of action, Lilley was appointed in temporary command of the destroyer Tower on 1 August, 1918. On 6 September, the temporary designation was dropped.[7]

Post-War

Lilley married Beatrice Watkins Wells on 28 May 1919.

In January 1920 while in command of Tower, Lilley was commended for sweeping ahead of S.S. Edouard [illeg] on her passage from Dover to Flensburg.

Lilley was appointed in command of the destroyer Torch in August, 1920.[8]

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 October, 1920. On 6 November, 1920, Lilley grounded Torch off Odessa. A Court of Enquiry held on the 18th faulted him for approaching an unlit coast without sufficient margin of safety, but no disciplinary action was taken.[9][10]

In August, 1921, Lilley was appointed in command of Serapis. In October, 1922 he would be placed in command of Sparrowhawk. The rest of the decade would be spent in an impressive series of destroyer commands with some time off.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1926. On 6 July, he was appointed to Osprey for a short anti-submarine course.[11]

Lilley wrapped up the 1920s with a stint in command of the light cruiser Constance.

Lilley was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1933. he was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy from 31 August, 1933 to 28 October, 1935. He was warmly evaluated in this duty by Rear-Admiral Commanding His Majesty's Australian Squadron W. T. R. Ford, "I have formed a high opinion of Captain Lilley. He has had a most un-enviable task in organizing and training his destroyers under difficult and annoying conditions and restrictions in spite of which he has succeeded in bringing his Flotilla into a good state of efficiency."[12]

He was appointed Deputy Director of Personal Services on 8 October, 1936, vice Denison.[13]

Lilley was reported sick on shore on 15 March 1937. He would die two weeks later.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Philip A. Heyder
Captain of H.M. T.B. 9
17 Feb, 1916[14] – 26 Jul, 1916[15][16]
Succeeded by
Vessel Lost
Preceded by
Eric J. Shelley
Captain of H.M. T.B. 35
30 Aug, 1916[17][18] – 14 Jan, 1917[19]
Succeeded by
Oliver R. Wace
Preceded by
Wilfred A. Thompson
Captain of H.M.S. Forester
22 Jan, 1917[20][21] – 24 Jan, 1918[22]
Succeeded by
Richard T. Down
Preceded by
George P. Leith
Captain of H.M.S. Porpoise
24 Jan, 1918[23] – 20 Mar, 1918[24]
Succeeded by
Frederick W. F. Fegen
Preceded by
Mark P. C. Kerr
Captain of H.M.S. Tower
1 Aug, 1918[25] – 6 Mar, 1920[26]
Succeeded by
Valentine A. Raleigh
Preceded by
Charles L. Evan-Thomas
Captain of H.M.S. Llewellyn
6 Mar, 1920[27] – 2 Jun, 1920[28]
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Donal S. McGrath
Captain of H.M.S. Trusty
2 Jun, 1920[29] – Aug, 1920[30]
Succeeded by
Herbert Owen
Preceded by
Kenneth G. Ramsey
Captain of H.M.S. Torch
Aug, 1920[31][32] – Aug, 1921[33]
Succeeded by
Vernon S. Butler
Preceded by
Vernon S. Butler
Captain of H.M.S. Serapis
Aug, 1921[34] – Oct, 1922[35]
Succeeded by
Richard M. Welby
Preceded by
Richard M. Welby
Captain of H.M.S. Sparrowhawk
Oct, 1922[36] – Nov, 1922[37]
Succeeded by
John D. Harvey
Preceded by
George A. Scott
Captain of H.M.S. Venturous
20 Mar, 1923[38] – Sep, 1923[39]
Succeeded by
Vernon Hammersley-Heenan
Preceded by
Paul F. P. Berryman
Captain of H.M.S. Wanderer
20 Jun, 1924[40][41] – 19 Feb, 1925[42]
Succeeded by
Austen G. Lilley
Preceded by
John D. Harvey
Captain of H.M.S. Woolston
19 Feb, 1925[43] – 1 Apr, 1925[44]
Succeeded by
Charles G. Stuart
Preceded by
Austen G. Lilley
Captain of H.M.S. Wanderer
1 Apr, 1925[45][46] – 13 Mar, 1926[47]
Succeeded by
Donal S. McGrath
Preceded by
Hubert Vaughan-Jones
Captain of H.M.S. Thruster
Jul, 1926[48] – 28 Apr, 1927[49]
Succeeded by
Leon S. Acheson
Preceded by
Geoffrey S. Holden
Captain of H.M.S. Vanquisher
17 May, 1927[50][51] – Jun, 1929[52]
Succeeded by
Donal S. McGrath
Preceded by
Colin A. M. Sarel
Captain of H.M.S. Constance
27 Dec, 1930[53] – 5 Jan, 1931[54]
Succeeded by
Robert Mends
Preceded by
John G. Y. Loveband
Captain of H.M.S. Windsor
5 Jan, 1931[55] – 13 Apr, 1931[56]
Succeeded by
Charles T. Beard
Preceded by
George A. Scott
Captain of H.M.S. Watchman
31 Jul, 1931[57][58] – 31 Aug, 1933[59]
Succeeded by
John S. Crawford
Preceded by
Philip E. Phillips
as Captain of H.M.S. Stuart
Captain of H.M.A.S. Stuart
11 Oct, 1933[60]
Succeeded by
Cecil H. J. Harcourt

Footnotes

  1. "Cadetships in the Royal Navy." The Times (London, England), Friday, Dec 22, 1905; pg. 10; Issue 37897.
  2. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  3. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  4. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  5. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  6. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  7. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  8. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 876.
  9. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  10. Torch's Logbook.
  11. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/92/147. f. 147.
  12. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/92/147. f. 147.
  13. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/92/147. f. 147.
  14. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  15. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  16. Hepper. British Warship Losses in the Ironclad Era: 1860-1919. p. 66.
  17. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  18. The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 401.
  19. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  20. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  21. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 393v.
  22. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  23. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  24. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  25. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  26. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  27. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  28. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  29. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  30. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  31. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  32. The Navy List. (December, 1920). p. 876.
  33. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  34. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  35. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  36. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  37. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  38. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  39. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  40. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  41. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 287.
  42. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  43. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  44. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  45. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  46. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 287.
  47. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  48. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  49. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  50. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 278.
  51. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  52. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  53. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  54. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  55. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  56. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  57. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 291.
  58. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  59. Lilley Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/96/24. f. 24.
  60. The Navy List. (October, 1935). p. 298.