Sydney Lionel Kekewich Lawford

Commander Sydney Lionel Kekewich Lawford, R.N., Retired (11 August, 1881 – 13 September, 1952) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Reportedly suffering from appendicitis at R.N. Hospital, Hong Kong on 23 October, 1900, in mid-November, Lawford was to return to England. Arriving there on 6 December, he was not found fit enough for an operation until the end of March. It is not clear when he regained fitness.

Lawford was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 September, 1903.

Lawford was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 September, 1911.

Lawford was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 28 February, 1912. He accepted an appointment as Administrative Officer, East African Protectorates.

After a stint in command of Teviot, which suffered a collision with a French destroyer on 3 December 1916, Lawford was given command of the destroyer Nymphe. This lasted just a month, as he was tried by Court Martial on 8 February on a charge of having hazarded the ship. Though the charge was proven, it was later annulled as Lawford had not been on the bridge at the critical moment. Despite this reprieve, Lawford was granted his request to revert to his work under the Colonial Office.

His last evaluation, from Cdr. Skipwith in February 1917 notes that he spoke "Uganda", and had shown great keeness in Paravane experiments.

Lawford was promoted to the rank of Commander (retired) on 11 August, 1921.

World War II

In September 1939, Lawford was appointed to Gloucester III, additional, as Commanding Officer, C.C.B. Flotilla, Aden. This appointment lasted only two weeks, however.

On 10 June 1940, he was made a Commodore of Convoy, but three months later he was reverted to the Retired List as medically unfit.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Geoffrey Corlett	Captain of H.M. T.B. 92 12 Jun, 1905 – 1 Nov, 1906	Succeeded by Neston W. Diggle
Preceded by Morris E. Cochrane	Captain of H.M. T.B. 2 9 Aug, 1907 – 24 Jan, 1910	Succeeded by George H. I. Parker
Preceded by Julian M. Ogilvie	Captain of H.M.S. Crane 9 Nov, 1910 – 23 Mar, 1911[Inference]	Succeeded by James F. Houstoun
Preceded by James F. Houstoun	Captain of H.M.S. Spiteful 23 Mar, 1911 – 16 Jun, 1911	Succeeded by Sydney L. K. Lawford
Preceded by Forster D. Arnold-Forster	Captain of H.M.S. Rocket 16 Jun, 1911 – 25 Jul, 1911	Succeeded by Forster D. Arnold-Forster
Preceded by Sydney L. K. Lawford	Captain of H.M.S. Spiteful 25 Jul, 1911 – 18 Nov, 1911	Succeeded by William L. Elder
Preceded by William L. Elder	Captain of H.M.S. Boxer 18 Nov, 1911 – 28 Feb, 1912	Succeeded by George E. Casley
Preceded by Herbert Owen	Captain of H.M.S. Teviot 8 Sep, 1916 – 2 Jan, 1917	Succeeded by George L. M. Napier
Preceded by George A. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Nymphe 2 Jan, 1917 – Feb, 1917	Succeeded by Godfrey R. Chambers