View source for Fred Ernest Ayers

{{LCommRN}} '''Fred Ernest Ayers''' (14 August, 1883 &ndash; 6 December, 1921) served in the [[Royal Naval Reserve]] before joining the [[Royal Navy]] in 1913.

==Life & Career==
Ayers was promoted to the rank of {{SubRNR}} on 1 January, 1910.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 240/55/178.|C14618917}} f. 178.</ref>

As Acting Lieutenant, Ayers participated in the annual manoeuvres in the {{UK-Hogue|f=t}} from 9 July to 19 August, 1910.  Following this, he was appointed to the {{UK-LordNelson}} in December 1910, to the {{UK-Superb}} in mid-May 1911 and then to the {{UK-Viking}} from 2 August to 3 November, 1911.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 240/55/178.|C14618917}} f. 178.</ref>

Ayers was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRNR}} on 1 January, 1912.  On 1 April, 1913, he moved over to the Supplementary List as a {{LieutRN}} in the Royal Navy.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 240/55/178.|C14618917}} f. 178.</ref>

During the Great War, Ayers was first in {{UK-Patrol}}, having been appointed there in January, 1914.  On 14 December 1915, he was appointedf to the {{UK-Nymphe|f=t}}.  He was next appointed, perhaps, to {{UK-Larne}}, and this may have been intended as a command appointment, but it appears that [[Charles Granville Naylor|Charles G. Naylor]] was given that role (Ayer's Service Record is blurry).  In Mqarch 1916, ''Larne'' collided with an armed French drifter ''L'Amonette'' [?] and Ayers was cautioned to be more careful in future.  

He left ''Larne'' in mid June 1916 when he was appointed in command of {{UK-Leven}} for four and a half months, followed by a ten days in {{UK-Acheron}} before being appointed in command of {{UK-Pincher}} on 15 November, 1916 and lastly {{UK-Welland}} of the {{UK-DF|5}}, serving in the Mediterranean and the Aegean, from 20 January, 1917 through 10 August, 1918.  On 11 September, he was diagnosed with influenza and pleurisy and sent to Portsmouth to recover his health.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>

Around this time, Ayers was removed from command by the Commander-in-Chief pursuant to the contents of a letter.  He had received an unsatisfactory report from Captain (D), {{UK-DF|5}} [[George Knightley Chetwode|Chetwode]], who'd faulted Ayers on his command abilities and his drinking habits.  The Admiralty predictably offered their displeasure and demanded quarterly reports on his conduct and sobriety.  Ayers passed the first nicely and further reports were cancelled.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>

He was admitted to Shotley in April, 1920 with illegible complaints, he was soon discharged fit.

On 1 April, 1921, Ayers was promoted to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on the Supplementary List.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>

In December, 1921 he was admitted to Chatham Hospital with nephritis.  Given one month there, he died on 6 December 1921 from delirium tremens.<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+Fred+Ernest+Ayers Service Records]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ernest_Ayers}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Forrester|Henry Forrester]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Leven (1898)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Leven'']]'''<br>13 Jun, 1916<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>{{NLOct16|p. 395''uu''}} &ndash; 30 Oct, 1916<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Arthur Percy Melsom|Arthur P. Melsom]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Herbert William Wyld|Herbert W. Wyld]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Pincher (1910)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Pincher'']]'''<br>15 Nov, 1916<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>{{NLDec16|p. 396''o''}} &ndash; 20 Jan, 1917{{NLNov17|pp. 396''m'', 399''f''}}<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Philip Allan Heyder|Philip A. Heyder]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Philip Allan Heyder|Philip A. Heyder]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Welland (1904)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Welland'']]'''<br>20 Jan, 1917<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>{{NLNov17|p. 399''f''}} &ndash; 10 Aug, 1918<ref>Ayers Service Record.  In our PDF for [[Colin Rose St. George Tucker]]'s {{TNA|ADM 196/96/166.|}} f. 207.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[George Henry Newman|George H. Newman]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayers, Fred}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1883|1921}}
{{CatLComm|UK}}
{{CatDeceasedOnActiveService|UK}}
{{CatRNR}}
{{CatRN}}