David Bruce Nicol

Captain David Bruce Nicol, R.N., Retired (13 February, 1888 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Swansea, Nicol gained two and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia and being appointed to join the battleship Magnificent on 15 January, 1904.

Nicol was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 January, 1909.

Nicol was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 037 on 23 December, 1911. She would be involved in the West River Patrol in China under his command until he was ordered to leave China and proceed to England in March, 1914. He arrived on 18 April, and on 5 June, 1914 was appointed to the armoured cruiser Carnarvon.

Great War

In mid-1915, Nicol applied for command of a destroyer. On 3 February, 1916, he was appointed in command of the River Class destroyer Foyle. In mid-1916, he exchanged this command for that of Peyton then quickly over to Garland before finally settling in command of the newly commissioned "R" Class destroyer Romola on 24 July, 1916. Nicol was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 January, 1917 and continued to serve in Romola until late January, 1918 when he was sent to oversee completion of H.M.S. Walrus.

Interbellum

Nicol was appointed in command of the destroyer Walrus on 28 January, 1918.

Nicol was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1923.

Nicol was appointed as executive officer in the light cruiser Dragon on 14 November, 1924.

Nicol was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 2 March, 1934.

World War II

Nicol returned to active employment on 24 August 1939, when he was appointed to H.M.S. Drake, to do duty as Chief of Staff to the Flag Officer-in-Charge, Cardiff, being borne in H.M.S. Lucifer.

He was appointed, additional, to the old armed merchant cruiser Edinburgh Castle, on 31 July, 1941, and as commanding officer of H.M.S. King Tom. [We can find no record of King Tom. She was clearly named after the Temne ruler of the country where the Province of Freedom, Sierra Leone, was first located. We assume she preceded H.M.S. Okapi as Depot Ship at Freetown.]

With effect from 22 September 1941 he was given command of Okapi (continuing to do duty in Edinburgh Castle).

He succeeded in command of Edinburgh Castle, vice Captain Edwin M.Palmer, who was appointed to H.M.S. Eland, in command, on 1 October 1941. On 16 October 1941 he again succeeded Palmer, this time in command of Eland, and as Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic.

On 11 March 1942, his appointment was varied: He was re-appointed in command of Eland, "in continuation," and to do duty as Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding, West Africa, Freetown.

He returned to England in 1943, where he was appointed to H.M.S. King Alfred II on 12 May 1943, to do duty as Member, Admiralty Selection Boards 9 & 9A, at Mowden School, in Hove. On 28 July 1943 he was appointed to H.M.S. Cochrane, to do duty as Captain, Landing Craft Base, Rosyth.

On 22 August 1944 he was given his last appointment - to H.M.S. Daedalus, to do duty as Maintenance Captain, Naval Air Stations Command, Lee-on-Solent.

He reverted to the Retired List in 1945.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles E. Maconochie	Captain of H.M. T.B. 058 6 Dec, 1909 – 23 Dec, 1911	Succeeded by Charles F. Stow
Preceded by Thomas L. Barnardiston as Captain of H.M. T.B. 37	Captain of H.M. T.B. 037 23 Dec, 1911 – Mar, 1914	Succeeded by Valentine M. Wyndham-Quin
Preceded by Henry D. C. Stanistreet	Captain of H.M.S. Foyle 3 Feb, 1916 – 8 Jun, 1916	Succeeded by Richard G. Bowyer
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Peyton 8 Jun, 1916 – 8 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Reginald S. Goff
Preceded by Reginald S. Goff	Captain of H.M.S. Garland c. Jun, 1916 – 8 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Eric J. Shelley
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Romola 24 Jul, 1916 – 28 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Edward C. Thornton
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Walrus 28 Jan, 1918 – 20 Apr, 1921	Succeeded by Francis Howard
Preceded by George E. L. Atwood	Captain of H.M.S. Undine 2 Aug, 1921 – 14 Feb, 1922	Succeeded by Cecil R. E. W. Perryman
Preceded by Cecil R. E. W. Perryman	Captain of H.M.S. Wild Swan 14 Feb, 1922 – 6 Jul, 1923	Succeeded by Kenneth G. Ramsey
Preceded by Francis H. G. Walker	Captain of H.M.S. Worcester 8 Oct, 1923 – c. Oct, 1923	Succeeded by Richard M. Welby
Preceded by Richard M. Welby	Captain of H.M.S. Serapis late Oct, 1923 – 4 Nov, 1924	Succeeded by Martin J. C. de Meric
Preceded by The Hon. George Fraser	Captain of H.M.S. Wryneck 21 Oct, 1925 – 31 Dec, 1926	Succeeded by Henry H. Bousfield
Preceded by Cuthbert H. Heath-Caldwell	Captain of H.M.S. Constance 27 Oct, 1932 – 24 Aug, 1933	Succeeded by Edward C. Thornton
Preceded by Edwin M. Palmer	Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle 31 Jul, 1941 – 16 Oct, 1941	Succeeded by Robert St. V. Sherbrooke