Hamilton Colclough Allen

Rear-Admiral Hamilton Colclough Allen (10 August, 1883 – 7 December, 1964) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Allen was born in Bardney Lines, the son of Dr. W. H. Allen.

Allen was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 September, 1904.

Allen was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 September, 1912.

Allen was appointed to Australia on 24 May, 1913. Promoted to Commander on 31 December, 1916, Allen would spend much of the war in the battle cruiser, being reappointed once and eventually being discharged on 25 January, 1917 to the Admiralty. Soon enough, he was back in command, being appointed in command of the destroyer Doon on 8 February.

After stints of command in two other destroyers and in the destroyer Ophelia, on 2 October, 1918 Allen was appointed to Cormorant, additional to serve as Liaison Officer for duty with Rear Admiral F(?) working with the Brazilian Squadron. He would finish out the war in this role, being reassigned in March, 1919.

Post-War

Allen was appointed in command of the destroyer Tancred on 12 March, 1919.

Allen was appointed in command of the destroyer Wolsey on 11 January, 1921.

Allen was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1924. He married Dorothy Gilbanks on 30 June, 1925 in the Cathedral in Carlisle.

He was appointed in command of the light cruiser Curlew in June, 1927.

He was appointed in command of the battleship Iron Duke in October, 1933. On 11 April, 1934, he was Court Martialed on a charge of hazarding the battleship, but this was not proved.

Allen was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 1 October, 1935 and placed on the Retired List the next day in accordance with Order in Council of 9 March, 1914.

World War II

On 5 September, 1939, Allen was called back as a Commodore, Second Class in the Royal Naval Reserve to Eaglet II. In April, 1941, he was made a Captain and set up for work outside the Admiralty. Whatever his workstuff, his appointment was terminated on 11 June, 1945 and he reverted to the Retired List the next day. In a typically indecisive manner, he was called back a second time in October, 1945 to work with the Ministry of Labour and National Service as Senior Officer of the Appointments Office, serving as a Captain. He was finally reverted on 26 August, 1948.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Nelson Wheelwright	Captain of H.M.S. Dasher 21 Jan, 1909 – 26 Aug, 1909	Succeeded by F. Burges Watson
Preceded by Berwick Curtis	Captain of H.M.S. Locust 26 Aug, 1909 – 10 Sep, 1910	Succeeded by Bertie W. Bluett
Preceded by Bertie W. Bluett	Captain of H.M. T.B. 32 10 Sep, 1910 – 8 Dec, 1910	Succeeded by Henry R. Clifton-Mogg
Preceded by William G. Howard	Captain of H.M.S. Ouse 8 Dec, 1910 – 28 May, 1912	Succeeded by Edmund A. T. de P. de la Poer
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Lizard 28 May, 1912 – 24 May, 1913	Succeeded by Evelyn C. O. Thomson
Preceded by Harry A. D. Keate	Captain of H.M.S. Doon 8 Feb, 1917 – Apr, 1917	Succeeded by Herbert M. Denny
Preceded by Harry A. D. Keate	Captain of H.M.S. Waveney Apr, 1917 – 19 Jul, 1917	Succeeded by Charles C. de M. Malan
Preceded by John P. Champion	Captain of H.M.S. Maenad 19 Jul, 1917 – 12 Sep, 1917	Succeeded by Ralph G. H. Izat
Preceded by William H. Sandford	Captain of H.M.S. Ophelia 12 Sep, 1917 – Aug, 1918	Succeeded by Andrew B. Cunningham
Preceded by Frederick L. Cavaye	Captain of H.M.S. Tancred 12 Mar, 1919 – 11 Jan, 1921	Succeeded by Montague G. B. Legge
Preceded by John O. Barron	Captain of H.M.S. Wolsey 11 Jan, 1921 – c. mid Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Cecil R. Hemans
Preceded by Cecil R. Hemans	Captain of H.M.S. Valorous 14 Jul, 1921 – 5 Nov, 1922	Succeeded by Thomas C. C. Bolster
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Wren 5 Nov, 1922 – 1 Oct, 1923	Succeeded by Thomas C. C. Bolster
Preceded by Ralph Kerr	Captain of H.M.S. Valkyrie Oct, 1923 – 11 Jul, 1924	Succeeded by William J. Whitworth
Preceded by Hugh D. Hamilton	Captain of H.M.S. Caradoc 21 Aug, 1926 – May, 1927	Succeeded by Errol Manners
Preceded by Alfred H. Taylor	Captain of H.M.S. Curlew May, 1927 – 18 Mar, 1929	Succeeded by Stuart E. Holder
Preceded by Errol Manners	In Command, Physical Training School, Portsmouth 3 Sep, 1929 – 17 Aug, 1931	Succeeded by Henry E. C. Blagrove
Preceded by Richard Hayden O. Lane-Poole	Captain of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich 31 Aug, 1931 – 29 Sep, 1933	Succeeded by Henry H. Bousfield
Preceded by Richard M. King	Captain of H.M.S. Iron Duke 14 Oct, 1933 – 9 Jan, 1935	Succeeded by Francis H. G. Walker
Preceded by Richard M. King	Captain of H.M.S. Cardiff 16 Jan, 1935 – 1 Jul, 1935	Succeeded by Charles E. Hotham
Preceded by Richard M. King	Senior Officer, Reserve Fleet, The Nore 16 Jan, 1935 – 24 Jul, 1935	Succeeded by John H. Young
Preceded by Frank D. Morris	Captain of H.M.S. Vindictive 1 Jul, 1935 – 24 Jul, 1935	Succeeded by Frank D. Morris
Preceded by Charles E. Hotham	Captain of H.M.S. Cardiff 24 Jul, 1935 – 1 Oct, 1935	Succeeded by John H. Young