William Charles Castle

Commander William Charles Castle (23 October, 1875 – 20 December, 1933) was an officer in the Royal Navy. His naval career was a patchwork of medical frailties and an underwhelming embrace by his superiors.

Life & Career

Castle gained four months time upon passing out of Britannia in December, 1890. His first appointment was to Howe in the Channel Squadron where Captain Boys reported on the newly crafted Midshipman on 22 September 1891: "No great ability. Backward."

In June 1892, Castle was docked one months time for misconduct. If this editor is reading the service record correctly, a letter sent from Nile detailed that Castle's offence was "crying". On 15 August, 1892, Castle was actually appointed to the Nile of the Mediterranean Squadron, where in 1893 Captain Noel reported Castle was "Dull & Slow."

Castle seemingly improved. One catalyst to his improvement may have been to get him out of the large ships and into torpedo craft. On 10 June, 1897, he received an appointment to the destroyer Contest, then operating out of Sheerness. On 10 August, he was moved over to the Virago, which was to serve in the Pacific Squadron. Castle was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 October, 1897 and was re-appointed in Virago, in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant. He remained with her until mid February, 1898.

A series of appointments in Isis, Pelorus and Blake took him to January, 1901 when he was appointed to Rainbow where he would serve on the Australian Station until mid-1904. He received his first command when appointed to Griffon as captain on 1 September, 1904.

Castle was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 1 October, 1905 and received an unsatisfactory inspection of Griffon in 1906, though his own reports had become customary where before they have been outright embarrassing.

Castle commanded a series of torpedo craft between 1904 and February, 1910 when he would receive an appointment to President, additional, to fulfill Coast Guard duties at Carricktergus. This protracted assignment would carry him through to the beginning of the War.

Great War

Castle was appointed, briefly, in command of the Zulu in September 1914. Almost immediately he was moved to command destroyer Greyhound on 6 September, 1914.

On 25 March 1915, he was admitted to Haslar Hospital with an old injury to his left leg.

His naval career petered out in a series of medical faults, culminating in a diagnosis of neurasthenia and neuralgia that invalided him from command of the monitor M.22 on 23 December, 1918.

Post-War

Castle was given the rank of Commander when he retired on 18 March, 1919 as being medically unfit. It appears he sought work with the Commission Internationale de Revataillement soon thereafter, perhaps in the Balkans.

He died in December 1933 at age 58, having been awarded a naval pension of 50 pounds per annum earlier that year.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by The Hon. Hubert G. Brand	Captain of H.M.S. Sylvia 14 Jul, 1904 – c. 1 Sep, 1904	Succeeded by Walter H. Cowan
Preceded by Harry C. J. R. West	Captain of H.M.S. Griffon 1 Sep, 1904 – 15 Oct, 1906	Succeeded by John R. Dodington
Preceded by George P. Leith	Captain of H.M.S. Conflict 4 Oct, 1906 – 22 Mar, 1909	Succeeded by Evelyn C. O. Thomson
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M. T.B. 21 22 Mar, 1909 – 1 Feb, 1910	Succeeded by Richard F. White
Preceded by M. Brock Birkett	Captain of H.M.S. Zulu 2 Sep, 1914 – 6 Sep, 1914	Succeeded by Lawrence D'O. Bignell
Preceded by Lawrence D'O. Bignell	Captain of H.M.S. Greyhound 6 Sep, 1914 – 14 Jan, 1915	Succeeded by Edward P. U. Pender
Preceded by John F. H. Cole	Captain of H.M.S. Vigilant 14 Jan, 1915 – 28 Apr, 1915	Succeeded by Colin A. G. Hutchison
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. M.15 3 May, 1915 – 9 Jun, 1915	Succeeded by Maurice B. Leslie
Preceded by Victor L. A. Campbell	Captain of H.M.S. M.24 19 May, 1916 – 21 Sep, 1916	Succeeded by Percival S. Rickcord
Preceded by Basil H. Piercy	Captain of H.M.S. M.22 20 May, 1918 – 23 Dec, 1918	Succeeded by George E. Coker