Reginald James Newall Watson

Captain Reginald J. N. Watson, 1918.
Portrait: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Captain (retired) Reginald James Newall Watson D.S.O., R.N. (17 November, 1877 – 5 April, 1930) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Reginald Watson was one of five sons (a younger brother being Harold Newall Watson) of W. Newall Watson of Liverpool. He gained eight months' time on passing out of Britannia in July 1893 and was appointed to join Howe in the Mediterranean the following month. In December, he was transferred to the first class protected cruiser Hawke, which was also serving in the Mediterranean.

Watson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1899.

On 30 September 1900, Watson was appointed to H.M.S. Excellent to qualify as Lieutenant (G). He emerged, qualified Second Class in June of 1904 and joined the Junior Staff at Excellent. Taking time to command Flirt for the Annual Manoeuvres of 1904, on 3 January, 1905 Watson was appointed to the battleship Goliath as gunnery officer where the efficiency of the gunnery staff would reflect great credit upon him. Later that year, Watson was thanked for his ingenuity in inventing an Aiming Rifle. When Goliath paid off in June 1907, Watson spent the next eighteen months alternating between time at Excellent re-qualifying in gunnery and teaching gunnery at Shotley Barracks. In late 1909, Watson was made gunnery and first Lieutenant in the first class protected cruiser Powerful on the Australia Station. He remained in Powerful until she paid off in March of 1912.

Watson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1912.

Following some time as gunnery officer in Royal Arthur and Aboukir, Watson was appointed in command of the destroyer Panther on 27 February, 1913. In mid November, however, he was appointed to Gibraltar, operating out of Queenstown. He would serve in her until being appointed to Illustrious in November 1914.

On 26 November, 1915, Illustrious paid off. Watson was appointed in mid December to Vengeance.

On 1 August, 1916, Watson "ably" conducted the landing and subsequent defence of the captured port of Sadani in German East Africa. This coup was followed by the capture of Bagamoyo on 8 August, where Watson was awarded a D.S.O. after he conducted the landing and led the landing party and "carried it through in the face of unexpectedly superior forces with a dash & energy worthy of the highest commendation."

On 5 March 1917, Vengeance paid off. At the end of the month, Watson was appointed to Marshal Ney, to assume command upon her commissioning.

Watson was appointed in command of the monitor Lord Clive in January, 1918.

Watson was mentioned in despatches for his service in operations against Zeebrugge and Ostend on the night of 22-23 April, 1918.

Watson was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1918.

In September, 1918, Watson was awarded the French Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur.

On 6 November, 1918, he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Amphitrite, during a temporary absence of Captain Cyril Peel.

Post-War

On 1 February, 1919, Watson was appointed in command of the light cruiser H.M.A.S. Melbourne for a passage to Australia, during which time he failed to impressed Commodore Dumaresq with his efforts to control ill-discipline among the crew. He remained in command until October when he was placed on half pay.

In 1920, Watson attended a War Course and a Senior Officers' Technical Course.

Watson was appointed in command of the battleship Monarch on 8 July, 1921, but was temporarily superseded four days later so he could be lent to command Vindictive while Monarch engaged in trooping duties. Watson re-joined Monarch on 18 August and remained in her command until mid 1922.

Watson died "at sea" on 5 April, 1930.

See Also

• Wikipedia
• Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Harold D. Briggs	Captain of H.M.S. Flirt 14 Jul, 1904 – 1904	Succeeded by John Kiddle
Preceded by Claude A. Rombulow-Pearse	Captain of H.M.S. Panther 27 Feb, 1913 – 16 Aug, 1913	Succeeded by Francis A. Clutterbuck
Preceded by Kenneth G. B. Dewar	Captain of H.M.S. Marshal Ney 26 Mar, 1917 – Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Henry Luxmoore
Preceded by Bernard St. G. Collard	Captain of H.M.S. Lord Clive Jan, 1918 – 1 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by Wellwood G. C. Maxwell
Preceded by Cyril Peel	Captain of H.M.S. Amphitrite 6 Nov, 1918 – 1 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by George P. England
Preceded by Edward A. Rushton	Captain of H.M.A.S. Melbourne 1 Feb, 1919 – 20 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by Claude L. Cumberlege
Preceded by Frank Powell	Captain of H.M.S. Monarch 8 Jul, 1921 – 12 Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Reginald J. N. Watson
Preceded by Frank Powell	Captain of H.M.S. Vindictive 12 Jul, 1921 – 18 Aug, 1921	Succeeded by Charles A. Carey
Preceded by Reginald J. N. Watson	Captain of H.M.S. Monarch 18 Aug, 1921 – 2 Jul, 1922	Succeeded by Francis B. Favell