H.M.S. Witherington (1919)

H.M.S. Witherington (1919)
Pendant Number:	D.76 (Oct 1919)
Builder:	J. Samuel White
Ordered:	Apr, 1918 (2nd Order)
Launched:	16 Apr, 1919
Completed:	10 Oct, 1919
Commissioned:	10 Sep, 1919
Sold:	20 Mar, 1947
Fate:	Wrecked 29 Apr, 1947

H.M.S. Witherington was one of fifteen destroyers of the Modified "W" class.

Service

Witherington was commissioned on 10 September, 1919.

She was re-commissioned on 6 July, 1923 for service with the Third Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean.

Re-commissioned on 2 February, 1926 for service with the Third Destroyer Flotilla, this time on the China Station.

Re-commissioned at Portsmouth on 16 October, 1928 for service with the Third Destroyer Flotilla, now back in the Mediterranean.

Re-commissioned in Reserve at Portsmouth on 17 April, 1931 and reduced to Maintenance Reserve on 24 June, 1932.

Equipment

In 1923, she was one of five destroyers and flotilla leader types to be given new, opalescent glass dials with sixteen orders for their Chadburn's Torpedo Telegraphs, an increase from the 12 orders in the original design. They required new gearing to match. It was resolved that further installations of this type should occur "as soon as financial conditions permit of it."

Captains

Dates of appointment are provided when known.

• Commander James R. C. Cavendish, 21 August, 1919 – 19 February, 1920
• Lieutenant-Commander Vernon Hammersley-Heenan, 5 February, 1920 – 12 February, 1920
• Commander Edward McC. W. Lawrie, 12 February, 1920 – 3 January, 1922
• Commander Cecil H. H. Sams, 3 January, 1922 – January, 1923
• Commander Eric Q. Carter, 3 January, 1923 – July, 1923
• Commander Edward McC. W. Lawrie, July, 1923 – January, 1924
• Commander Astley D. C. Cooper-Key, 1 January, 1924 – 15 January, 1926
• Commander Edye K. Boddam-Whetham, 15 January, 1926
• Commander William E. B. Magee, 1 December, 1927 – 24 August, 1928
• Commander Geoffrey S. Holden, 24 August, 1928 – 12 September, 1928
• Lieutenant-Commander Francis Douglas-Watson, 12 September, 1928 – 11 August, 1931^{[Fact Check]}
• Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey C. Fryer, 31 July, 1939 – 4 December, 1939
• Lieutenant-Commander Jack B. Palmer, 4 December, 1939 – April, 1941
• Lieutenant in Command William E. C. Fairchild, April, 1941 – 23 October, 1941
• Lieutenant in Command Richard Horncastle, 23 October, 1941 – August, 1942
• Commander Charles G. Thompson, August, 1942 – 2 October, 1942
• Lieutenant-Commander Marcus H. R. Crichton, 2 October, 1942 – 19 May, 1943
• Lieutenant-Commander Robert B. S. Tennant, 19 May, 1943 – mid 1944

See Also

• Wikipedia