Geoffrey Layton

Admiral Geoffrey Layton, D.S.O., K.C.G., K.C.M.G., G.B.E. (20 April, 1884 – 4 September, 1964) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Born in Glendale, Liverpool.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 November, 1905.

On 1 November, 1906 Layton was appointed to Forth for command of submarines. On New Year's Day, 1909, he moved to Vulcan for more of the same.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 November, 1913.

Great War

Layton was appointed in command of the submarine E 13 on 2 September, 1914. The submarine was lost when it ran aground on the Danish coast when trying to enter the Baltic. German destroyers sunk her by gunfire in Danish territorial waters. The officers and crew were interned in Copenhagen, but Layton was able to escape to Norway on 29 October. He returned to Newcastle by the S.S. Venus, arriving around 1 November.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1916.

Post-War

In July, 1920, Layton was appointed in command of the depot ship Maidstone and of the Third Submarine Flotilla.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1922.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 24 January, 1935.

Layton was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 22 October, 1938.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. B 7 c. late 1906	Succeeded by John B. Glencross
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. C 21 5 Jan, 1909 – 8 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Thomas C. Meryon
Preceded by John K. P. Sherlock	Captain of H.M.S. C 23 15 Aug, 1912 – 1913[Inference]	Succeeded by Henry G. Higgins
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. E 13 2 Sep, 1914 – 19 Aug, 1915	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. S 1 4 Nov, 1915 – 15 Nov, 1916	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. K 7 15 Nov, 1916 – 8 Dec, 1916	Succeeded by Gilbert H. Kellett
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. K 6 8 Dec, 1916 – Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Frederick C. C. Kennedy
Preceded by Albert P. Addison	Captain of H.M.S. Maidstone Jul, 1920 – 7 Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Robert B. Ramsay
Preceded by Martin E. Nasmith	Commander (S), Third Submarine Flotilla Jul, 1920 – 7 Jul, 1921	Succeeded by Robert B. Ramsay
Preceded by Cecil P. Talbot	Captain of H.M.S. Lucia 14 Jul, 1921 – 14 Apr, 1924	Succeeded by Robert B. Ramsay
Preceded by Max K. Horton	Captain of H.M.S. Conquest 15 Apr, 1924 – 31 Dec, 1924	Succeeded by Robert R. Turner
Preceded by Max K. Horton	Captain (S), First Submarine Flotilla 15 Apr, 1924 – 31 Dec, 1924	Succeeded by Reginald B. Darke
Preceded by Geoffrey S. Arbuthnot	Captain of H.M.S. Suffolk 9 Jan, 1931 – 16 Nov, 1931	Succeeded by John H. Godfrey
Preceded by John H. Godfrey	Captain of H.M.S. Kent 16 Nov, 1931 – 13 Jan, 1932	Succeeded by Thomas B. Drew
Preceded by Thomas F. P. Calvert	Captain of H.M.S. Renown 18 Aug, 1933 – 3 May, 1934	Succeeded by Henry R. Sawbridge
Preceded by James F. Somerville	Commodore-in-Command, Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth 4 May, 1934 – 17 Feb, 1936	Succeeded by Harold T. C. Walker
Preceded by Sir Andrew B. Cunningham as Vice-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron	Rear-Admiral Commanding Battle Cruiser Squadron 23 Jul, 1938 – Jan, 1939	Succeeded by William J. Whitworth
Preceded by Charles E. Kennedy-Purvis	Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Station 10 Sep, 1938 – 20 Nov, 1939	Succeeded by John C. Tovey
Preceded by William W. Fisher	Vice-Admiral Commanding, First Battle Squadron Jan, 1939 – 20 Nov, 1939	Succeeded by Henry D. Pridham-Wippell
Preceded by ?	Rear-Admiral Commanding, Eighteenth Cruiser Squadron 20 Nov, 1939 – 15 Jun, 1940	Succeeded by G. Frederick B. Edward-Collins
Preceded by Lewis G. E. Crabbe as Acting Commander-in-Chief, China Station	Commander-in-Chief, China Station 10 Jul, 1940 – 10 Dec, 1941	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Geoffrey Arbuthnot as Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station	Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet 10 Dec, 1941 – 1942	Succeeded by Sir James F. Somerville