Rupert Stanley Gwatkin-Williams

Captain (retired) Rupert Stanley Williams, C.M.G. (2 February, 1875 – 2 August, 1949) served in the Royal Navy. He altered his last name to Rupert Stanley Gwatkin-Williams on 9 November, 1903, taking on the maiden name of his new bride, Evelyn.

Life & Career

Williams entered the training ship H.M.S. Britannia in January, 1889, having ranked foremost of forty-five successful candidates for naval cadetships with 1,321 marks.

Williams gained a considerable twelve months time on passing out of Britannia in December, 1890. He was promoted to the rank of Midshipman on 15 January, 1891 and was appointed to the armoured cruiser Imperieuse, additional, on 27 January, 1891, to be appointed to her when she next re-commissioned. This occurred on 27 January, 1891 and he went in her out to the China Station.

He served throughout the Boxer campaign and was present at the taking of the forts at Taku.

Williams was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 14 June, 1896.

Gwatkin-Williams was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1907.

On 2 March, 1909, Gwatkin-Williams was court martialled for not reporting the grounding of H.M.S. Seal, for making a false report in the ship's log, and making misleading entries in the log. He was severely reprimanded and dismissed the ship. Upon being superseded on 14 March, 1909, Gwatkin-Williams was appointed to President for service with the Queenstown Coast Guard. He would still be there when he elected to retire at his own request on 30 June, 1912, having refused permission to accept the rank of Captain. He was superseded in his Coast Guard appointment in September.

Great War

Gwatkin-Williams reported by letter upon outbreak of war that he had learned Portuguese and offering his services as an interpreter. This offer was noted and in the meantime, he was instead appointed in command of the armed boarding steamer Tara, a packet boat which had formerly been named Hibernia. She first operated off Ireland, but was sunk under his command by U 35 at the Gulf of Sollum near Egypt. Gwatkin-Williams was taken prisoner along with his crew and eventually placed under the watch of Arabs. On 14 March, 1916 they were rescued at Bir Hakeim by the Duke of Westminster's armoured car brigade. This was reported to the Admiralty by a letter from the Commander-in-Chief on the 18th. On the 26th, he was admitted to hospital in Alexandria, suffering from "slight neurasthenia."

Gwatkin-Williams was promoted to the rank of Captain on 6 April, 1916 as he pleaded that he might be offered to the Portuguese Navy for service. He was informed that there was no opportunity for this odd career option.

In June, 1917, the Senior Naval Officer, White Sea reported that Gwatkin-Williams had acted with great judgment in dealing with a submarine raid on shipping. On 25 April, 1918, he joined the armed merchant cruiser Edinburgh Castle as her Captain. He was appointed a C.M.G. for his services in charge of Auxiliary Patrols, White Sea, gazetted 3 June, 1918.

On 21 January, 1919, Gwatkin-Williams asked to be appointed as Vice-Consul at New York or elsewhere in the United States. He was reverted to the Retired List on 30 March, 1919.

He died on 2 August, 1949 at his home at Twickenham.

Personal Life

In addition to his 1903 marriage, which brought him two sons and a daughter, he married Florence Margaret Cross. This union had a son, who died at sea in 1944 and a daughter.

See Also

• Service Records
• Gwatkin-Williams, Captain R.S.. (c. 1921) Prisoners of the Red Desert, Being a Full and True History of the Men of the Tara. Thornton Butterworth, LTD, London.
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Colin K. MacLean	Captain of H.M.S. Roebuck 21 Mar, 1904 – 15 Sep, 1904	Succeeded by Frank F. Rose
Preceded by Randal Methven Lambert	Captain of H.M.S. Ribble 15 Sep, 1904 – 1 Apr, 1905	Succeeded by Arthur H. Oldham
Preceded by Arthur H. Oldham	Captain of H.M.S. Racehorse 1 Apr, 1905 – 1 Jan, 1906	Succeeded by Frank F. Rose
Preceded by Frank F. Rose	Captain of H.M.S. Ranger 1 Jan, 1906 – 1 Nov, 1906	Succeeded by John B. Thomas
Preceded by Charles W. Cock	Captain of H.M.S. Zebra 1 Nov, 1906 – 21 Mar, 1907	Succeeded by Harold G. Innes
Preceded by Harold G. Innes	Captain of H.M.S. Erne 21 Mar, 1907 – 15 Jun, 1908	Succeeded by Claude Seymour
Preceded by Harold V. Dundas	Captain of H.M.S. Seal 15 Jun, 1908 – 14 Mar, 1909	Succeeded by George J. Todd
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Tara 9 Aug, 1914 – 5 Nov, 1915	Succeeded by Vessel Lost
Preceded by Charles E. W. Pyddoke	Captain of H.M.S. Intrepid 25 May, 1916 – 18 Dec, 1916	Succeeded by Rupert S. Gwatkin-Williams
Preceded by Rupert S. Gwatkin-Williams	Captain of H.M.S. Intrepid 31 Mar, 1917 – 17 Jan, 1918	Succeeded by Stuart S. Bonham-Carter
Preceded by Herbert J. T. Marshall	Captain of H.M.S. Edinburgh Castle Feb, 1918 – 25 Feb, 1919	Succeeded by Edwin M. Palmer