Gordon McLeod Cameron

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Commander (retired) Gordon McLeod Cameron, D.S.O., R.N. (30 October, 1885 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Cameron was born in Gonda, India. He gained one and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia. His first naval appointment was to Repulse in the Channel Squadron, dated 15 September, 1901. He served in her until she paid off on 12 February, 1904.[1]

Cameron was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1907.[2]

Cameron was appointed Lieutenant & Commander of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 033 on December, 1909.[3]

Cameron was appointed in command of the destroyer Dee on 7 September, 1912.[4]

In October, 1913, a Court of Enquiry was convened to probe what was apparently a terrible firing performance from Dee. Cameron was cautioned. On 7 November, 1913, Dee collided with Teviot[5] and Cameron, who luckily seemed to avoid any mention of the accident in his service record, was that same day appointed to the pre-dreadnought Duncan. On 4 June, 1914 he was ordered to join Blake, which was then operating with the Second Destroyer Flotilla as a depot ship. On 4 December, 1914, Cameron was ordered to take command of the Fury during the illness of Lieutnant-Commander Charles Geoffrey Coleridge Sumner.

Cameron handed command of Fury back to Sumner on 18 March 1915 and on 25 March, after a brief leave, was appointed to the armoured cruiser Cornwall, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1915.[6]

On 2 February, 1916 Cameron was superseded in Cornwall. There is no explanation of where he was before his subsequent appoinment in command of destroyer Ophelia on 12 August, 1916.[7]

On 13 January, 1917, Ophelia and Norman collided and Cameron was informed in unusually strong language that "disregard of seamanlike action on his part on this occasion is considered reprehensible."[8]

On 23 April, 1917 Captain (D), Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla sent a telegram reporting that Cameron had been sent to Haslar Hospital, sick. He was discharged on 3 May with a diagnosis of influenza and slight pleurisy. He took the opportunity to attend and complete a Torpedo Control Course in Vernon. On 2 July, 1917 he was found fit and ordered to rejoin Ophelia, where some service stores were found missing. Cameron was told to be more careful in future.

On 10 September 1917, Cameron was sick with bronchitis, at Granton Hospital. He was discharged to Haslar, where he was found fit on 16 October. Cameron was appointed in command of the destroyer Firedrake on 26 October, 1917.[9]

The Admiralty felt that Firedrake played a part in destroying UC 51 on 13 November, 1917 and would eventually award Cameron a D.S.O. for his services in the action.[10] However, this submarine only departed Zeebrugge on 15 November and was destroyed on 17 November days later by a mine.[11][12]

Post-War

On 2 June 1921, a wire from Southampton reported Cameron suffered a severe concussion and possiuble skull fracture in a motor accident. He was taken to South Hants Hospital and later to Haslar. He was released on 9 September, to be re-surveyed. He was eventually found fit on 2 December 1921.[13]

Cameron was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 20 January, 1927.[14]

Cameron was admitted to Haslar on 28 March 1931 with sciatica[?], reporting that he was "quite well again" on 6 September, 1931.[15]

World War II

On 25 August 1939, appointed to Cochrane, additional, for the Boom Defence Department. Other shore-based appointments ensued, including one as Boom Defence Officer, Harwich on 27 June, 1944. Cameron reverted to the Retired List on 14 April, 1946. He was granted permission to go to Ceylon for about one year, departing perhaps on 10 October, 1947.[16]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Robert R. Hallowell-Carew 		Captain of H.M. T.B. 82
9 Aug, 1909[17] – Dec, 1909[18] 		Succeeded by
Henry D. Simonds
Preceded by
Henry D. Simonds 		Captain of H.M. T.B. 033
2 Dec, 1909[19][20] – 7 Sep, 1912[21] 		Succeeded by
Charles G. Naylor
Preceded by
F. Burges Watson 		Captain of H.M.S. Dee
7 Sep, 1912[22][23] – 7 Nov, 1913[24] 		Succeeded by
Francis W. D. Twigg
Preceded by
Alexander H. Gye 		Captain of H.M.S. Teviot
before 7 Nov, 1913[25] 		Succeeded by
Hugh R. Troup
Preceded by
Charles G. C. Sumner 		Captain of H.M.S. Fury
4 Dec, 1914[26] – 18 Mar, 1915[27] 		Succeeded by
Charles G. C. Sumner
Preceded by
George L. D. Gibbs 		Captain of H.M.S. Ophelia
12 Aug, 1916[28][29] – 26 Oct, 1917[30] 		Succeeded by
William H. Sandford
Preceded by
Aubrey T. Tillard 		Captain of H.M.S. Firedrake
26 Oct, 1917[31][32] – 17 Oct, 1919[33] 		Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  2. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1913). p. 13.
  3. ↑ The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 401a.
  4. ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 299.
  5. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Nov 08, 1913; pg. 5; Issue 40364. This source seems to reverse the identities of the two captains.
  6. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  7. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  8. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  9. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 794.
  10. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  11. ↑ Uboat.net
  12. ↑ Verschollen. p. 291.
  13. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  14. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  15. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  16. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  17. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  18. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  19. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 401a.
  21. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  22. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  23. ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1913). p. 300b.
  24. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  25. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Nov 08, 1913; pg. 5; Issue 40364.
  26. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  27. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  28. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  29. ↑ The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 396a.
  30. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  31. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.
  32. ↑ The Navy List. (September, 1919). p. 794.
  33. ↑ Cameron Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/43. f. 15.


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