Tom Bathurst Okell

Commander (retired) Tom Bathurst Okell, (8 March, 1897 – ) served in the Royal Navy. Some Navy Lists have his last name as "O'Kell".

Life & Career

The son of J. B. Okell, Esq., a surgeon from Nottingham.

Okell passed out of the Training Establishment in August, 1914 and was appointed to the first class protected cruiser Edgar. From 6 January, 1915 to 10 May, 1917 he was in the battleship Commonwealth, having applied for service in submarines in April, 1917. He served in C 35 from 7 August 1917 and K 16 from 15 January through 5 November, 1918.

Okell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 February, 1918; it had been adjusted from 15 July.

Okell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 February, 1926.

His command of two "L" class submarines in Group M submarines in reserve at Portsmouth was curtailed by a mental breakdown. He was placed on the Retired List as medically unfit on 13 March, 1929, with a diagnosis of "confusional psychosis" not attributable to or aggravated by his naval service.

Okell was promoted to the rank of Commander on 8 March, 1937.

See Also

• Service Records

Bibliography

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles O'Callaghan	Captain of H.M.S. H 48 23 Sep, 1922 – 21 Dec, 1923	Succeeded by George A. W. Voelcker
Preceded by Harry P. Kendall Oram	Captain of H.M.S. L 14 1 Dec, 1926 – 1928	Succeeded by Alexander S. Hutchinson
Preceded by Harry P. Kendall Oram	Captain of H.M.S. L 17 1 Dec, 1926 – 1928	Succeeded by Alexander S. Hutchinson