Walter Napier Thomason Beckett

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Captain Walter Napier Thomason Beckett, M.V.O., D.S.C., Royal Navy (25 March, 1893 – 10 March, 1941) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Beckett was the son of a civil engineer, Clifford Beckett, Esq.[1] He was missing the tip of an index finger which had been badly stitched up after a relatively minor childhood injury.

In late 1910, Beckett was admitted to Plymouth Hospital with a septic wound on his right ear. He was fit 19 days later. In mid September of 1911, he was admitted to Queensferry Hospital, requiring nine more days treatment for his ear.[2]

On 15 January, 1913, Beckett was made an Acting Sub-Lieutenant.[3]

He was appointed to Dido to work with T.B.Ds. on 8 October, 1913 and moved to Princess Royal on 13 November.[4]

On 15 January, 1914, he was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant. On 30 March, he was appointed to Attentive for T.B.Ds. before being appointed to the destroyer Legion on 14 July, to serve in her upon her commissioning.[5]

Great War

Beckett served in Legion from the start of the war, operating with the Third Destroyer Flotilla. On 7 October, 1914, he fought in the Battle off Texel.[6]

Beckett was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 November, 1915.[7]

Beckett was praised by the Admiralty for deftly organizing an attack on German destroyers on 7 April, 1917. He was awarded the D.S.C. for this action, gazetted on 12 May, 1917.[8]

In January, 1918 he was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital to be treated for haemorrhoids. This visit apparently evolved into treatment for urological issues and finally, in March, to involve surgery on a knee. On 11 April, 1918 he was declared fit.

Post-War

On 22 June, 1921, he was appointed in command of the new trawler Boyne. On 15 October, he was relieved spent two weeks on unpaid time before being appointed to the Ramillies on 1 November where he would serve for just over two years.[9]

He submitted a report illustrating the possible role C.M.Bs. might play on the China Station about this time.[10]

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 November, 1923.[11]

In 1924, he submitted a design for a "torpedo indicating device". The Admiralty concluded that it was not practical, but they conveyed their appreciation for his zeal and ingenuity in making the submission.[12]

Beckett married Gladys Hemery Lindon on 30 July, 1928 at St. Luke's in South Kensington, London.[13]

Beckett was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1929.[14]

In 1930, Beckett was cautioned by Rear Admiral (D) after he accidentally destroyed confidential books.

Beckett was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1936.[15]

Beckett was appointed in command of the battleship Centurion in April, 1937.

World War II

He was admitted to Haslar hospital on 10 January, 1940 for three days to treat an old sprain injury on his left ankle and was released fit for duty.[16]

He was appointed to the heavy cruiser Exeter to oversee her repairs on 30 November, 1940, slated to take command upon her commissioning. However, his health was failing him as this work continued. Before the ship was ready to return to service, Beckett died in hospital after an exploratory surgery undertaken in efforts to relieve damage to his lungs from poison gas exposure suffered long before.[17]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
John W. Durnford 		Captain of H.M.S. Somme
12 Nov, 1923[18] – 30 Sep, 1924[19] 		Succeeded by
Francis S. W. de Winton
Preceded by
Charles F. Bush 		Captain of H.M.S. Vendetta
17 Oct, 1924[20] – 31 Dec, 1926[21] 		Succeeded by
George M. Crockett
Preceded by
Ivo W. L. Frewen-Laton 		Captain of H.M.S. Velox
14 Apr, 1927[22][23] – 1928[24] 		Succeeded by
Roland F. B. Swinley
Preceded by
Herbert M. Hughes 		Captain of H.M.S. Whitley
14 Dec, 1928[25] – Mar, 1929[26] 		Succeeded by
Colin S. Thomson
Preceded by
Colin S. Thomson 		Captain of H.M.S. Versatile
Mar, 1929[27] – 25 Jun, 1929[28] 		Succeeded by
Edmund G. N. Rushbrooke
Preceded by
George M. Crockett 		Captain of H.M.S. Vendetta
25 Jun, 1929[29] – Sep, 1930[30] 		Succeeded by
Alvord S. Rosenthal
as Captain of H.M.A.S. Vendetta
Preceded by
Guy N. W. Boyes 		Captain of H.M.S. Voyager
Sep, 1930[31] – 12 Jan, 1931[32] 		Succeeded by
Thomas H. Troubridge
Preceded by
Philip H. Calderon 		Captain of H.M.S. Amazon
1 May, 1933[33] – 22 Sep, 1933[Inference] 		Succeeded by
William D. G. Weir
Preceded by
Francis Howard 		Captain of H.M.S. Winchester
5 Jan, 1934[34] – 21 Sep, 1936[35] 		Succeeded by
Edward L. Berthon
Preceded by
John D. A. Musters 		Captain of H.M.S. Centurion
20 Apr, 1937[36][37] – 4 Jan, 1938[38] 		Succeeded by
Alfred C. Collinson
Preceded by
Ralph Heathcote 		Captain of H.M.S. Broke
24 Sep, 1938[39] – 11 Oct, 1938[40] 		Succeeded by
Thomas B. Hill
Preceded by
John H. K. Clegg 		Captain (D), Seventh Destroyer Flotilla
24 Sep, 1938[41] – 11 Oct, 1938[42] 		Succeeded by
Llewellyn V. Morgan
Preceded by
Piers K. Kekewich 		Captain of Devonport Dockyard, Deputy Superintendent and King's Harbour Master
8 Jan, 1939[43] – 9 Sep, 1939[44] 		Succeeded by
Lawrence F. N. Ommanney
as Captain of Devonport Dockyard
Preceded by
Frederick S. Bell 		Captain of H.M.S. Exeter
Dec, 1940[45] – 11 Mar, 1941[46] 		Succeeded by
Oliver L. Gordon

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  2. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  3. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 6.
  4. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  5. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  6. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  7. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  8. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  9. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  10. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  11. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  12. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  13. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  14. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  15. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  16. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  17. ↑ Wikipedia.
  18. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  19. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  20. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  21. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  22. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 279.
  23. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  24. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  25. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 288.
  26. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  27. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  28. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  29. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  30. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  31. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  32. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  33. ↑ "Naval Appointments." The Times (London, England), Friday, Apr 07, 1933; pg. 9; Issue 46413.
  34. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  35. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  36. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1937). p. 222.
  37. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  38. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  39. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  40. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  41. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  42. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  43. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  44. ↑ Beckett Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/55/100. f. 100.
  45. ↑ Mackie, Colin. ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS.
  46. ↑ Gordon Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/118/87. f. 87.

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