Barry Victor Sturdee

Commander (retired) Barry Victor Sturdee, R.N. (16 July, 1887 – 21 February, 1951) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

The son of Reverend E. J. Sturdee was born in Blackawton, Devon.

Sturdee was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 March, 1908. In November, 1909, he was described by Captain Eyre of Canopus as being "rather slow", despite having some facility in French. He served next in Inflexible from early 1910 to late October, 1911 in which span he demonstrated improvement, and after which he was appointed to the destroyer Larne as first officer. Upon being sent away to Superb in May 1913, Lt. Cdr. Tillard noted that Sturdee was by now a "capable ex[ecutive]. offr of a T.B.D.."

At the outbreak of war, Sturdee was in the battleship Superb, and had to that point only served in large ships. Superseded on 15 June, 1915, he was treated for varicose veins at Haslar Hospital before being appointed in his first command, the monitor M.21, after her first commander was invalided.

Sturdee was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 March, 1916.

In 1917, Sturdee was sent to a hospital ship for "mental observation", which prompted a diagnosis of "mental disturbance," prompting his return to England in July to be admitted to Haslar. He was found fit on 24 August 1917. Vice-Admiral Thursby wrote of Sturdee the next day, "eccentric and unstable character. In constant trouble with his officers." He was appointed in command of the sweeping sloop Carnation.

On 25 November 1917, a Court of Enquiry was convened to probe a collision between Carnation and the sweeping sloop Pansy. Sturdee was cautioned to be more careful in future as a result.

In 1919, Sturdee was one of many men tasked with post-war mine clearance. He was censured that year when his sweeping sloop H.M.S. Lupin collided with the S.S. Annie Johnson.

Sturdee was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 26 April, 1920 and promoted to the rank of Commander (retired) on 16 July, 1927.

In mid-1935, he was granted a commission as a Colonel in the Regular Army Reserve of Officers, and his name thereby being removed from the retired List at his own request.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Bolton M. Eyres Monsell	Captain of H.M.S. M.21 5 Jul, 1915 – 15 Dec, 1915	Succeeded by Eric G. Robinson
Preceded by Herbert M. Denny	Captain of H.M.S. M.16 16 May, 1916 – 16 Jun, 1917	Succeeded by Gerald L. Hodson
Preceded by Stafford H. Dillon	Captain of H.M.S. Carnation 25 Aug, 1917 – Sep, 1918	Succeeded by Barry V. Sturdee
Preceded by William C. O'G. Cochrane	Captain of H.M.S. Myosotis Sep, 1918 – 17 Sep, 1918	Succeeded by Frederick C. Corbyn
Preceded by Barry V. Sturdee	Captain of H.M.S. Carnation 1 Oct, 1918 – 6 Dec, 1918	Succeeded by Colin R. St. G. Tucker
Preceded by Richard J. R. Scott	Captain of H.M.S. Lupin 6 Dec, 1918 – 30 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by Herbert H. J. F. Teale
Preceded by ?	Second-in-Command, First Fleet Sweeping Flotilla 6 Dec, 1918 – 30 Apr, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Richard H. L. Bevan	Captain of H.M.S. Godetia 30 Apr, 1919 – 24 May, 1919	Succeeded by Herbert H. J. F. Teale
Preceded by Richard H. L. Bevan	Senior Officer, First Fleet Sweeping Flotilla 30 Apr, 1919 – Nov, 1919	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Herbert H. J. F. Teale	Captain of H.M.S. Lupin 24 May, 1919 – Nov, 1919	Succeeded by George C. H. Lawson