Valentine Egerton Bagot Phillimore

Captain Valentine Egerton Bagot Phillimore, C.B.E., D.S.O. (14 February, 1875 – 24 October, 1945) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Sir Admiral Augustus Phillimore, K.C.B. was born on Valentine's Day, no doubt inspiring his given name. He gained 10 months time on passing out of Britannia in December, 1889 and proceeding to his first appointment to the second class battleship Camperdown on 15 January, 1890.

Phillimore was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1896 while serving in the battleship Magnificent in the Channel Squadron.

His early career included two years spent in Victoria from 1890, a little over a year in Canada and Blake on the North American station, then nearly three more years in the Channel Squadron in Empress of India and Magnificent, ending on 27 May, 1898.

Phillimore was yet to find his true calling in the navy. The last posting he had to suffer before getting to it was three and a half years in China serving in the second class battleship Barfleur, from mid 1898 to 21 January, 1902. Finally free of the big-ship appointments, Phillimore was appointed to Theseus for command of the "D" Class destroyer Ariel, stationed in the Mediterranean, on 11 March, 1902. He would spend an unusually long time in his first command, two and a half years.

In June, 1904, he was appraised as a "Very Good Comdr of Destroyer" by Captain de Robeck.

Phillimore was appointed Lieutenant in command of the destroyer Greyhound on 3 January, 1905.

Phillimore was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1905.

On 30 January, 1912, Phillimore was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Thetis.

Phillimore was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1913.

Great War

Phillimore was appointed in command of the newly-commissioned armed merchant cruiser Alsatian n 4 August. On 1 December, he moved over to take command of the Motagua. In mid January, 1915 he was appointed to take charge of net drifters based in Falmouth. On 26 January, he was placed in Dreel Castle, acting as Captain in Charge, Falmouth. This posting was soon modified to be Captain in Charge of Auxiliary Patrol & Net Drifters in Area XIV. He would stay there until being appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Astræa in May, 1916, a posting that would last two years.

Phillimore ended the war in Queen, additional, and for duty as Senior Naval Officer, Genoa, being appointed on 18 September, 1918.

Post-War

On 14 January, 1920, Phillimore left Genoa and worked the remainder of the year for the Naval Intelligence Division. In early 1921, he was sent to Constantinople "until ratification of the Peace with Turkey & thereafter taking instructions from H.M. Ambassador at Constantinople." Despite actual settlement of diplomatic affairs with Turkey proving much more protracted, Phillimore was sent back to England on 25 April, 1921 and returned to a single month's work in the Naval Intelligence Division. Phillimore was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 14 June, 1922.

Phillimore died of cancer in October, 1945 after suffering treatment for the disease at Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar and Mount Vernon since September, 1944.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Arthur W. Lowis	Captain of H.M.S. Ariel 11 Mar, 1902 – Nov, 1904	Succeeded by Joseph A. Shuter
Preceded by Wilmot S. Nicholson	Captain of H.M.S. Greyhound 3 Jan, 1905 – 23 May, 1905	Succeeded by Frederick H. Hallowes
Preceded by Neston W. Diggle	Captain of H.M.S. Hasty 23 May, 1905 – 1 Jan, 1906	Succeeded by Ernest L. Cardale
Preceded by Frederick H. Hallowes	Captain of H.M.S. Greyhound 1 Jan, 1906 – 28 May, 1906	Succeeded by Denis G. Thynne
Preceded by Allan F. Everett	Captain of H.M.S. Exe 28 May, 1906 – 6 Jul, 1906	Succeeded by Percy W. Pontifex
Preceded by Philip H. Waterer	Captain of H.M.S. Wolf 6 Jul, 1906 – 9 Apr, 1908	Succeeded by Arthur B. F. Dawson
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Tartar 9 Apr, 1908 – 4 Jan, 1910	Succeeded by Lionel G. Preston
Preceded by John E. Cameron	Captain of H.M.S. Foam 4 Jan, 1910 – 1911	Succeeded by Gerald C. Dickens
Preceded by Reginald F. Parker	Captain of H.M.S. Thetis 30 Jan, 1912 – 30 Jan, 1914	Succeeded by William G. A. Kennedy
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Alsatian 4 Aug, 1914 – 1 Dec, 1914	Succeeded by George Trewby
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Motagua 1 Dec, 1914 – 14 Jan, 1915	Succeeded by John A. Webster
Preceded by ?	Senior Officer in Charge, Auxiliary Patrol Area XIV 15 Apr, 1915 – May, 1916	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Cyril T. M. Fuller	Captain of H.M.S. Astræa May, 1916 – May, 1918	Succeeded by Francis M. Austin