Francis James Harold Dawson

File:Francis Dawson Magnificent.jpg

Dawson as a Midshipman in Magnificent, c. 1905.
From official officers' photograph in album of George Napier Tomlin.

Commander Francis James Harold Dawson, R.N., Retired (12 November, 1888 – ) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Insch, Aberdeenshire, Dawson gained three and a half months' time on passing out of Britannia. He was appointed to Magnificent in the Channel Fleet the same day – on 15 September, 1904.

On 21 May, 1909, Dawson was hospitalised in Plymouth after a motor vehicle accident. On 18 August, 1909, he was again fit.

Dawson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1910.

Dawson was appointed in command of the submarine C 20 on 19 October, 1912.

On 19 February, 1916, Dawson was admitted Queensferry Hospital with a concussion. He was fit again on 25 February. In December, 1916, he quit command of C 20 for an appointment in command of E 55.

On 11 December, 1917 Dawson ceded command of E 55 for an appointment to Dolphin for submarines. In 1918, he twice alternated in command of J 7 with Fitzroy Hamilton Dalrymple Byron.

Dawson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1918.

Post-War

In July 1920, Captain Talbot recorded that Dawson had proven satisfactory working in command of the sweeping sloop Iroquois and with submarines, but was inclined to be pig-headed.

On 8 January, 1921, Dawson was subjected to a Court Martial for having negligently or by default hazarded Marazion. The charge was proved and he was severely reprimanded.

On 15 June, 1922, Dawson was due home in London aboard Pyrrhus, as his services in submarines were no longer required. Dawson was required to pay half the cost of a stop-watch which went missing from Moorhen in February, 1924.

Having been recently informed that he was expected to offer his resignation, Dawson was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 28 November, 1928.

Dawson took a Sea Transport Officers' Training Course in 1932.

World War II

Dawson worked with the British Technical Mission in North America from the end of 1940. On 2 April, 1945, he was surveyed and found to be suffering from neurasthenia. Given some time to recover, he apparently never again passed muster and was marked as unfit for further naval service on 15 October, 1945.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Henry A. Binmore	Captain of H.M.S. A 12 4 Jun, 1912 – 19 Oct, 1912	Succeeded by William R. Schofield
Preceded by Andrew Wilmot-Smith	Captain of H.M.S. C 20 19 Oct, 1912 – Dec, 1916	Succeeded by Ralph E. Snook
Preceded by John B. Glencross	Captain of H.M.S. E 55 Dec, 1916 – 11 Dec, 1917	Succeeded by James L. Boyd
Preceded by Fitzroy H. D. Byron	Captain of H.M.S. J 7 28 May, 1918 – 27 Jun, 1918	Succeeded by Fitzroy H. D. Byron
Preceded by Fitzroy H. D. Byron	Captain of H.M.S. J 7 12 Aug, 1918 – 25 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by Oswald E. Hallifax
Preceded by Edmund Aikman	Captain of H.M.S. Iroquois 25 Feb, 1919 – Sep, 1921	Succeeded by Charles W. Tinson
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. Marazion 8 Jan, 1920 – 9 Mar, 1922	Succeeded by Victor E. Ward
Preceded by Victor P. Alleyne	Captain of H.M.S. Moorhen 27 Jan, 1923 – Mar, 1925	Succeeded by Aubrey B. Fanshawe