Richard William Uniacke Bayly

Lieutenant-Commander Richard William Uniacke Bayly (21 June, 1883 – 16 October, 1921) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Bayly was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 April, 1905.

Bayly was appointed in command of the destroyer Hunter on 15 January, 1910.

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Myrmidon on 3 November, 1912.

Bayly was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1913.

He was appointed in command of the destroyer Kennet on 13 June, 1913.

Bayly was appointed in command of the destroyer Mohawk on 18 February, 1914.

He was appointed to command the new destroyer Louis on 25 April, 1914, to take command as soon as she completed. Things did not go well. Bayly was cautioned and removed from command on 23 June, 1915 by order of a court of inquiry into drunkenness of the ship's officers. Perhaps as a consequence of this, he was appointed to Blake on 9 July. On 3 December, 1915, his standing in Blake was elevated to first and gunnery officer. In September, 1916, Captain Maxwell-Lefroy wrote that Bayly was "not of temperate habits. Hardworking & zealous officer. He has recently been drinking too much in spite of warnings & I must regretfully class him as qyuite unreliable in this matter." Quarterly reports on his sobriety were called for. The first, in January 1917 from Blake's Captain Campbell noted considerable drinking, but an improvement in this regard. Successive reports were similar, and his large wine bills were excused as involving the entertainment of officers from other ships.

He would retain his appointment in Blake until 6 June, 1918 when he would be again trusted with his own command, a nine-month stint in the sweeping sloop Crocus.

Post-War

On 20 March, 1919 Commander Mayne noted that Bayly's work was "not entirely sat[isfactory]", that his drinking was excessive, especially as recently illustrated in some misbehaviour ashore at the Lough Swilly Hotel, and that the January statement showed that Bayly was in debt to the Ward Room Mess Fund. A report from June, however, noted that his sobriety seemed sufficient. Bayly was appointed to Woolwich and to Victory for U.T. (unpaid time) in 1919. Bayly applied for retirement and also for Coast Guard service and was turned down on both counts.

In March, 1921 Bayly was sent to Aden to take charge of their wireless station. Reappointed in July, Bayly died of cirrhosis of the liver in Aden Hospital on 16 October, 1921.

See Also

• Wikipedia

Service Records

• The National Archives. ADM 196/143.
• The National Archives. ADM 196/48.

Naval Appointments
Preceded by George L. D. Gibbs	Captain of H.M.S. Fervent 1 Jan, 1910 – 15 Jan, 1910	Succeeded by Herbert E. W. C. Whyte
Preceded by Cecil R. Nicholl	Captain of H.M.S. Hunter 15 Jan, 1910 – 11 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Charles L. Fox
Preceded by Robert W. Myburgh	Captain of H.M.S. Star 11 Aug, 1910 – 6 May, 1911	Succeeded by Colin Mackenzie
Preceded by Barry E. Domvile	Captain of H.M.S. Bonetta 6 May, 1911 – 3 Nov, 1912	Succeeded by Laurence R. Palmer
Preceded by Anthony L. H. D. Coke	Captain of H.M.S. Myrmidon 3 Nov, 1912 – 13 Jun, 1913	Succeeded by James V. Creagh
Preceded by Charles F. Ballard	Captain of H.M.S. Kennet 13 Jun, 1913 – Dec, 1913	Succeeded by Edye K. Boddam-Whetham
Preceded by Bruce Lloyd-Owen	Captain of H.M.S. Mohawk 18 Feb, 1914 – 19 Mar, 1914	Succeeded by Edward R. G. R. Evans
Preceded by Julian H. Woodbridge	Captain of H.M.S. Crusader 30 Mar, 1914 – 20 Apr, 1914	Succeeded by George L. D. Gibbs
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Louis 25 Apr, 1914 – 23 Jun, 1915	Succeeded by Harold D. Adair-Hall
Preceded by Francis C. Platt	Captain of H.M.S. Crocus 6 Jun, 1918 – 5 Mar, 1919	Succeeded by Robert R. Hallowell-Carew