Martin Eric Dunbar-Nasmith

Admiral Martin Eric Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., K.C.B., K.C.M.G., (1 April, 1883 – 29 June, 1965) was an officer in the Royal Navy who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the Sea of Marmora in command of submarine E 11. He was born as Martin Eric Nasmith – he added the name Dunbar in 1923.

Life & Career

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 May, 1905.

On 16 October 1905, A 4 suffered a loss of trim while exercising in Stokes Bay, under command of Nasmith; the mishap was likely caused by a shifting of weight. The sub went down by the stern and grounded at Southsea beach, her batteries flooded as the crew was evacuated with the help of tugs. Chlorine gas was created, and a small explosion occurred. As the submarine was being towed back, the tow parted and the submarine sank without human casualty between Hamilton's Bank and the Spit.

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 May, 1913.

Great War

Nasmith was appointed in command of the submarine E 11 on 3 August, 1914. He was awarded the Victoria Cross for his exploits in her in the Sea of Marmora. Less widely recalled were his profound contributions to the Torpedo Control mechanisms available to British submariners, developing the Nasmith Director and then its refined brethren, the Is-Was.

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1915.

Nasmith was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1916.

He was appointed to Vulcan for command of the Third Submarine Flotilla on 7 February, 1917. In November, he left that command and was appointed to command Ambrose's Flotilla.

He was gazetted on 5 March, 1920 a C.B. for work in command of the Seventh Submarine Flotilla in the Baltic, and for serving as Senior Naval Officer at Reval.

On 20 August, 1921, he was appointed in command of the battleship Iron Duke. In February 1922, the death of an Able Bodied seamen while landing anchors prompted the C-in-C to inform Nasmith that such "responsible" work should not have been entrusted to a junior rating.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles J. C. Little	Captain of H.M.S. A 4 1 Jul, 1905 – 16 Oct, 1905	Succeeded by Kenneth J. Duff-Dunbar
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. C 7 May, 1907	Succeeded by Brownlow V. Layard
Preceded by Robert C. Halahan	Captain of H.M.S. C 18 14 Jan, 1911 – 15 Sep, 1911	Succeeded by Wilfrid B. Pirie
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. D 4 15 Sep, 1911 – 15 Aug, 1912	Succeeded by Kenneth M. Bruce
Preceded by Alexander R. Palmer	Captain of H.M.S. Arrogant 15 Aug, 1912 – 3 Aug, 1914	Succeeded by Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. E 11 3 Aug, 1914 – 1 Apr, 1916	Succeeded by John R. A. Codrington
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. J 4 1 Apr, 1916 – 16 Jan, 1917	Succeeded by Donald I. McGillewie
Preceded by Charles S. Benning	Captain of H.M.S. J 2 1 Jun, 1916 – 5 Jul, 1916	Succeeded by Gilbert H. Kellett
Preceded by Richard F. White	Captain of H.M.S. Vulcan 7 Feb, 1917 – c. Dec, 1917	Succeeded by Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by ?	Commander (S), Third Submarine Flotilla 7 Feb, 1917 – Nov, 1917	Succeeded by Andrew Wilmot-Smith as Lieutenant-Commander (S), Third Submarine Flotilla
Preceded by Vincent L. Bowring	Captain of H.M.S. Ambrose Nov, 1917 – Sep, 1918	Succeeded by Nicholas E. Archdale
Preceded by New Command	Commander (S), Ambrose's Flotilla Nov, 1917 – Sep, 1918	Succeeded by Cecil P. Talbot
Preceded by Leonard A. B. Donaldson	Captain of H.M.S. Lucia Sep, 1918 – 30 Oct, 1920	Succeeded by Cecil P. Talbot
Preceded by Leonard A. B. Donaldson	Captain (S), Tenth Submarine Flotilla Sep, 1918 – 30 Oct, 1920	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Richard A. S. Hill	Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke 20 Aug, 1921 – Oct, 1923	Succeeded by Frank F. Rose
Preceded by Charles J. C. Little	Director of the Trade Division 15 Apr, 1924 – 2 Jan, 1926	Succeeded by Richard A. S. Hill
Preceded by The Hon. Herbert Meade	Captain of Royal Naval College, Dartmouth 2 Jan, 1926 – 2 Jan, 1929	Succeeded by Sidney J. Meyrick
Preceded by Henry E. Grace	Rear-Admiral (S) 2 Sep, 1929 – 2 Sep, 1931	Succeeded by Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by Eric J. A. Fullerton	Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station 29 Apr, 1932 – 12 Dec, 1934	Succeeded by Frank F. Rose
Preceded by Sir Alfred D. P. R. Pound	Second Sea Lord 2 Sep, 1935 – 30 Sep, 1938	Succeeded by Sir Charles J. C. Little
Preceded by Reginald A. R. Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax	Commander in Chief, Plymouth Station 24 Oct, 1938 – 30 Apr, 1941	Succeeded by Charles M. Forbes
Court Appointments
Preceded by Montague E. Browning	Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom 19 Jun, 1945[Citation needed] – 12 Oct, 1962	Succeeded by Sir John H. Edelsten