Edward Aylmer Digby
Commander (retired) Edward Aylmer Digby, (3 October, 1883 – ) served in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Born in London the son of Sir Kenelm Edward Digby, K.C.B..
Digby was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 July, 1903.
Digby obtained 971 of 1000 marks on his gunnery examination and was awarded the Goodenough Medal for the year ending 31 March, 1904. He contributed to very good gunlayer results in Bulwark in 1905.
He was placed on the Retired List on 23 April, 1906 for having very defective vision in both eyes due to a disease of his nervous system.
Digby was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander (retired) on 15 July, 1911.
Upon the outbreak of war, Digby was sent to H.M.S. Excellent. At the end of October, 1914 he was given command of her tender, the gunboat Indus.
On 6 May 1915, he was admitted to Chatham Hospital to attend to his vision and neurasthenia. Initially deemed fit for shore service only, he returned to Indus for four more months of what was presumably harbour command. Oddly, he was then appointed in command of the new sweeping sloop H.M.S. Poppy in December 1915. This tenure was cut short mid June 1916, when he was sent to Chatham Hospital for treatment. Following a special report on his condition, he was appointed to work with the Paravane Department, Portsmouth.
In recognition of his wartime service, Digby was promoted to the rank of Commander with seniority of 11 November, 1918. Digby sought, unsuccessfully, to be elected to Parliament in 1918 and again in 1931.
His Goodenough Medal was stolen at some point, and a duplicate was sent to him in August, 1928.
See Also
Bibliography
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. Poppy 1 Dec, 1915[1] – 18 Jun, 1916[2] |
Succeeded by Cosmo B. Hastings |
Footnotes
- ↑ Digby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/28. f. 431.
- ↑ Digby Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/28. f. 431.
