Thomas Balfour Fellowes

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Captain Thomas Balfour Fellowes, R.N. (13 July, 1891 – 11 February, 1974)[1] served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Hounsom Butler Fellowes, O.B., J.P. for Herts. Fellowes emerged from the Training Establishment with a meagre half months' time in seniority on 15 May, 1908 and was appointed to join the Britannia in the Channel.

He served in the destroyer Amazon, Juno, St. Vincent, Dreadnought, Bellerophon, Albatross and finally Inflexible before being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 October, 1913. He completed training in engine room duties in Inflexible before being appointed to Egmont, additional, for the "30 knotter" Desperate on 8 November, 1913. On 10 January, 1914, he was appointed once again to join the battleship Dreadnought.

Fellowes left Dreadnought when he was appointed to Unity as her first officer on 16 May, 1916. On 6 June, he moved to Opportune, also serving as first officer. Fellowes received his first command appointment when he was sent in February 1917 to assume command of the patrol boat P36 upon her commissioning. He commanded the small patrol craft until being appointed to Mosquito, to take command upon her commissioning.

On 5 February 1918, Fellowes's Mosquito was escorting a convoy when the Anchor Line/Cunard troopship SS Tuscania was torpedoed and sunk in the North Channel, off Islay by UB 77 as the convoy approached Liverpool. This would be the first troopship carrying American troops sunk in WWI and the only one sunk under protection of a British convoy. Mosquito assisted in the rescue of American troops.[2]

On 29 March 1918, Fellowes was appointed in command of Ophelia. He remained there only until 23 July, when he was appointed to Lion, additional, to serve on the staff of Vice-Admiral Pakenham.

Post-War

Fellowes was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 October, 1921.

On December 13, 1921 Fellowes married Anne Evelyn Frances Twysden.[3]

Fellowes was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1924.

Fellowes was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1934.

On 6 May, 1938 he was superseded as Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral, Gibraltar by Geoffrey R. S. Watkins.[4]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. P36
1 Feb, 1917[5] – 3 Oct, 1917
Succeeded by
Irvine G. Glennie
Preceded by
Donal S. McGrath
Captain of H.M.S. Mosquito
3 Oct, 1917 – 8 Mar, 1918
Succeeded by
Maurice A. Brind
Preceded by
Andrew B. Cunningham
Captain of H.M.S. Ophelia
29 Mar, 1918 – 20 Jul, 1918
Succeeded by
Lawrence D'O. Bignell
Preceded by
John Hassard-Short
Captain of H.M.S. Sesame
22 Mar, 1919[6] – 7 Jul, 1919
Succeeded by
Alexander L. Fletcher
Preceded by
Henry I. M. L. Scott
Captain of H.M.S. Oriana
7 Jul, 1919 – 6 Nov, 1919
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
David J. R. Simson
Captain of H.M.S. Spear
15 Jan, 1922[7] – 30 Sep, 1923
Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Francis B. Hanson
Captain of H.M.S. Torch
4 Dec, 1923 – 1 Apr, 1924
Succeeded by
David J. R. Simson
Preceded by
Gerald M. McKenna
Captain of H.M.S. Voyager
1 Apr, 1924[8] – 31 Dec, 1926
Succeeded by
George H. Faulkner
Preceded by
John de C. Richards
Captain of H.M.S. Daring
1 Dec, 1932[9]
Succeeded by
Louis F. A. V. N. Mountbatten

Footnotes

  1. Ancestry.com [pay to view site], England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
  2. Email from Marilyn Gahm, Spooner, Wisconsin USA to Tone, 20170205.
  3. Emailed article by/from Marilyn Gahm of Spooner, Wisconsin to Tone. 20170208.
  4. Watkins Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/154. f. 239.
  5. The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 396e.
  6. The Navy List. (June, 1919). p. 906.
  7. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 271.
  8. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 286.
  9. The Navy List. (January, 1933). p. 229.