Thomas Benjamin Stratton Adair
Rear-Admiral Thomas Benjamin Stratton Adair, Royal Navy, Retired (6 November, 1861 – 12 August, 1928) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Adair was born in Gosport, Hants, the son of Colonel Adair.[1]
Adair was awarded the Goodenough Medal for 1881, being the Sub-Lieutenant who achieved the highest gunnery examination for the year and while also achieving a first-class certificate in seamanship.[2]
Adair was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 6 May, 1882. He was involved in the occupation of Somalia in 1882, being placed in charge of a Gatling gun at Nefiche, serving in Orion before joining Hector, additional for the 1883 Summer Cruise. In June 1884, he obtained a certificate in gunnery, earning an £80 prize.[3]
After serving as gunnery officer in Minotaur and Sans Pareil, Adair was promoted to the rank of Commander on 1 January, 1894.[4]
He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1899.[5]
On 22 September 1902, he was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser Gladiator, taking command on 11 October. He took special pains to ensure that his crew was taught how to swim. In 1904, he helped contribute to a report on fire control.[6]
Adair was appointed in command of the battleship Montagu on 12 September 1904, an assignment that was to prove unfortunate, as on 30 May 1906 he ran the battleship hard aground on Lundy Island off North Devon in a thick fog. Adair's Court-Martial began aboard H.M.S. Victory on 15 August and resulted in him receiving a severe reprimand and dismissal from his ship on the 20th.[7]
In his book Whispers from the Fleet, Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher G. F. M. Cradock referred to "the regret felt throughout the Navy for the one man who suffered—A victim of unexpected circumstances."[8]
He was placed on the Retired List on 8 March, 1907.[9]
Adair died suddenly of pneumonia on 12 August 1928 at a Glaswegian nursing home.[10]
Bibliography
- "Rear-Admiral T. B. S. Adair" (Obituaries). The Times. Tuesday, 14 August, 1928. Issue 44971, col B, p. 12.
- Cradock, Rear-Admiral Christopher G. F. M. (1908). Whispers from the Fleet. Portsmouth: Gieve's.
Service Records
- The National Archives. ADM 196/87.
- The National Archives. ADM 196/42.
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by Frederick O. Pike |
Captain of H.M.S. Gladiator 22 Sep, 1902[11] – 21 Dec, 1903[12] |
Succeeded by William F. De Salis |
| Preceded by Arthur M. Farquhar |
Captain of H.M.S. Renown 18 Jul, 1904[13] – 12 Sep, 1904 |
Succeeded by Thomas D. L. Sheppard |
| Preceded by John Denison |
Captain of H.M.S. Montagu 12 Sep, 1904[14] – 20 Aug, 1906[15] |
Succeeded by Vessel Lost |
Footnotes
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26471. p. 7581. 29 December, 1893.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27150. p. 3. 2 January, 1900.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Cradock. Whispers from the Fleet. p. 366.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ "Appointments for the Naval Manoeuvres." The Times (London, England), Saturday, Jul 09, 1904; pg. 12; Issue 37442.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
- ↑ Adair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 8.
