Rowland Henry Bather

Rear-Admiral Rowland Henry Bather, C.B.E., R.N., Retired (26 November, 1873 – 25 December, 1961) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Bather was born in Kensington, the son of Arthur H. Bather, Assistant Accountant-General of the Navy. He was educated at the Summerfield School in Oxford.

Entering the Navy on 15 January, 1887, he passed out of Britannia in December, 1888, gaining five months time.

Bather was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1896.

He was appointed to his first command, of Cynthia in May, 1902, but this was cancelled in favour of an appointment to command Recruit while Alan Cameron Bruce took Cynthia to Malta in his place.

On 20 October, 1903, Bather was appointed to Kangaroo in the Mediterranean, though apparently not in command. On 1 February, 1905, he moved from her to another destroyer in the Mediterranean, H.M.S. Erne. Bather married Evelyne Alice Eleanor Burne on 10 May, 1906 in Christchurch, leaving Erne on 28 May to take up command of the destroyer Sylvia. They would have two sons and one daughter.

On 30 June, 1907, Bather was promoted to Commander and re-appointed in command of Sylvia. He would remain in her until being appointed in command of the destroyer Bonetta on 17 June, 1909. The burden of small ship command was lifted when he left Bonetta to take up a one year appointment in the battleship Cæsar on 9 August, 1910.

In August 1911 he took up an appointment in Devonport for drafting work. He remained there until 4 February, 1913 when he was appointed in command of the first class protected cruiser Theseus, where he would also assume training duties. Captain Hugh Edwards took command on 1 August, 1914, but Bather remained in the ship until 23 November.

Great War

Bather was discharged from command of Theseus on 23 November, 1914 to take command of the armed merchant cruiser Hilary when she was commissioned. He was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain.

In March, 1916, Bather was appointed in command of the depot ship Diligence, and as Captain (D) of the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1916 and re-appointed in command of Diligence.

Post-war

He was appointed in command of the battlecruiser Glorious on 12 January, 1921.

Bather was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 July, 1922 and promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 July, 1927.

His wife, Evelyne, died in 1931. He was remarried on 4 April, 1932 to Hilda Brook.

World War II

Bather served in the Home Guard from at least 1940.

See Also

• Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Cecil E. Rooke	Captain of H.M.S. Recruit 30 May, 1902 – 11 Jun, 1902	Succeeded by Wilfred Henderson
Preceded by Cecil D. S. Raikes	Captain of H.M.S. Electra 11 Jun, 1902 – Aug, 1902	Succeeded by Rowland H. Bather
Preceded by Arthur J. Davies	Captain of H.M.S. Lightning Aug, 1902 – 30 May, 1903	Succeeded by Vincent L. Bowring
Preceded by Rowland H. Bather	Captain of H.M.S. Electra 21 Jul, 1903 – 19 Aug, 1903	Succeeded by Henry C. R. Brocklebank
Preceded by Charles E. W. Pyddoke	Captain of H.M.S. Kangaroo 20 Oct, 1903 – 1 Feb, 1905	Succeeded by John Luce
Preceded by John Luce	Captain of H.M.S. Erne 1 Feb, 1905 – 28 May, 1906	Succeeded by Walter R. G. Petre
Preceded by Vaughan A. E. Hanning-Lee	Captain of H.M.S. Sylvia 28 May, 1906 – 17 Jun, 1909	Succeeded by Leonard W. Patch
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Bonetta 17 Jun, 1909 – 9 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Hugh J. Tweedie
Preceded by Cyril T. Hewlett-Cooper	Captain of H.M.S. Theseus 4 Feb, 1913 – 1 Aug, 1914	Succeeded by Hugh Edwards
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Hilary 23 Nov, 1914 – after 24 Feb, 1916	Succeeded by Frederic W. Dean
Preceded by Frederic W. Dean	Captain of H.M.S. Diligence Mar, 1916 – 1 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by James D. D. Stewart
Preceded by The Hon. Herbert Meade	Captain (D), Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla 3 Jul, 1918 – 24 Nov, 1918	Succeeded by Anselan Stirling
Preceded by Roger L'E. M. Rede	Captain of H.M.S. Seymour 1 Mar, 1919 – 1 Oct, 1919	Succeeded by Alfred E. Evans
Preceded by John C. Hodgson	Captain of H.M.S. Bruce 1 Oct, 1919 – 21 Dec, 1920	Succeeded by Dashwood F. Moir
Preceded by Argentine H. Alington	Captain of H.M.S. Glorious 12 Jan, 1921 – 16 May, 1922	Succeeded by Alfred A. Ellison
Preceded by Alfred A. Ellison as Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet Devonport	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Devonport Reserve 15 Apr, 1922 – 1 Jul, 1922	Succeeded by John E. Cameron as Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet Devonport