Andrew Lancelot Besant

Commander Andrew Lancelot Besant, C.B.E., R.N., Retired (10 August, 1895 – 1970) was an submarine officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born the son of Reverend J. C. E. Besant, vicar of Sydney.

Besant gained no time on passing out of the Training Establishment on 15 May, 1913. He served first in battleship Centurion from that date to 27 March, 1916. On 29 March, he was appointed to the "M" Class destroyer Mary Rose of the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla. He would fight in that ship at the Battle of Jutland. On 25 August, 1916 he was appointed to her sister ship, H.M.S. Marvel. He served in her until being appointed to Dolphin for instruction in submarines on 9 December, 1916.

He completed his training on 5 February, 1917 and was appointed to Bonaventure for service in submarines of the Second Submarine Flotilla. He was soon placed in C 9, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 April, 1917. He remained with C 9 until being appointed to Lucia for further submarine work in the Tenth Submarine Flotilla in mid-September. By mid-November, he was assigned to E 27. He served the remainder of the war in her. In November 1919 he was sent to oversee submarines that were under Care and Maintenance Parties at Devonport.

On 5 August, 1920, Besant was placed in command of four "H" class boats in reserve submarine group "F" at Portland: H 21, H 25, H 26 and H 29.

Besant was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 April, 1925.

Besant was appointed in command of the "P" class submarine Pandora on 30 January, 1930. Some time later that year, a leading cook named Dewey was lost when because he'd not gotten below before the submarine dived. The Admiralty found Besant to blame for having failed to ensure that men he'd permitted on deck had gotten below before submerging. A Court Martial, for this or another incident, proved charges against Besant of having by negligence or default hazarded Pandora. He was severely reprimanded. In February, 1931 he was superseded in Pandora. In April, he was placed in command of X1.

Shortly after being superseded in command of X 1, Besant reverted to General (as opposed to Submarine) Service on 21 January, 1932 and was appointed to Portsmouth to being a year on training duties.

In 1933, Besant was appointed to Hong Kong. This was followed by various staff appointments and a temporary appointment in Durban.

World War II

Besant started on the staff of the Flag Officer in Charge, Greenock.

Though Besant was placed on the Retired List on account of age with the rank of Commander on 10 August, 1940, he continued to work at a wide variety of appointments through the end of the war. On 6 April, 1943, he was gazetted for a mention in despatches for his "bravery and skill in the hazardous operations in which the Allied Forces were landed in North Africa." He was awarded a C.B.E. for distinguished service in the war in Europe, gazetted 11 December, 1945.

See Also

• Twelfth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland
• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Alexander McG. McCulloch	Captain of H.M.S. H 21 5 Aug, 1920 – 3 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by John D. de M. Leathes
Preceded by Oliver North	Captain of H.M.S. H 29 5 Aug, 1920 – 3 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by The Hon. Walter S. Carson
Preceded by Clive A. Robinson	Captain of H.M.S. H 25 5 Aug, 1920 – 3 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by John D. de M. Leathes
Preceded by Aubrey C. Newbold	Captain of H.M.S. H 26 5 Aug, 1920 – 3 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by John D. de M. Leathes
Preceded by Arthur E. Hodgson	Captain of H.M.S. H 33 3 Jan, 1921 – Jan, 1922	Succeeded by John H. Macnair
Preceded by Leslie H. Ashmore	Captain of H.M.S. L 52 7 Feb, 1922	Succeeded by Alastair S. Cumming
Preceded by The Hon. Walter S. Carson	Captain of H.M.S. L 15 10 Apr, 1923 – 15 Oct, 1924	Succeeded by William L. Berridge
Preceded by James L. Boyd	Captain of H.M.S. L 25 15 Dec, 1926 – 1 Sep, 1927	Succeeded by Edward M. Loly
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Pandora 30 Jan, 1930 – Feb, 1931	Succeeded by William D. Stephens
Preceded by Lancelot M. Shadwell	Captain of H.M.S. X1 9 Apr, 1931 – 30 Dec, 1931	Succeeded by John H. Macnair