Cyril Percy Ryan

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Captain Cyril Percy Ryan, C.B., Royal Navy, Retired (4 December, 1874 – 20 May, 1940) served in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Ryan was born in Kilkenny, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel E. Ryan.

Ryan took his entrance exams with the Britannia term of March, 1889, ranking ninth in order of merit in a small field of fourteen successful candidates, but apparently joined on 15 July.[1]

In February 1895, Captain Jenkings of H.M.S. Collingwood noted Ryan's skill with electrical machinery.[2]

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in June, 1898.[3]

On 17 July, 1906, Charles Beresford, the Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean reported that Ryan had been "of great service in experimenting with W/T in Destroyers & is an excellent all-round officer." Ryan was allowed to take out a patent for an Electric Life Buoy Release apparatus he had invented.[4]

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Commander in June, 1908.[5]

He was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 1 July, 1911.[6]

Great War

In Autumn of 1914, Ryan was put to work at Hawkcraig, developing Hydrophones for use in submarine detection. His first models were shore-based installations for controlling minefields.[7]

On 18 February, 1915, he was appointed to work with the Hydrophone Service.[8] The Annual Report of the Torpedo School for that year cited a hydrophone he'd developed for shore-based installations as being the most satisfactory model yet produced. His memorandum on the device noted that it was easier to hear a submerged submarine at a given horsepower than a surfaced one, that iron ships were more easily heard than wooden ones, and that paddlewheelers were easiest to ignore/reject.[9]

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Acting Captain on 1 October, 1916, and re-appointed with the Hydrophone Service.[10]

On 1 April, 1917, he was appointed to Tarlair, additional to lead the Hawkcraig Experimental Station, Aberdour. A considerable number of Lieutenants R.N.V.R. fell under his command in this post.[11]

Ryan was promoted to the rank of Captain on 14 December, 1919.[12]

Though Tarlair it may have moved on from Hawkcraig in mid-1919, Ryan remained in Tarlair until 5 January, 1920 when he was sent to Vernon for the Mining School, where he ran the Hydrophone Service until being superseded on 30 June, 1921.[13]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Philip A. Bateman-Champain
Captain of H.M.S. Earnest
after Jul, 1903[14] – 22 Sep, 1903[15]
Succeeded by
Dennis A. H. Larking
Preceded by
Lancelot N. Turton
Captain of H.M.S. Panther
22 Sep, 1903[16] – 31 Oct, 1904[17]
Succeeded by
Norman H. Carter
Preceded by
Arthur B. S. Dutton
Captain of H.M.S. Locust
31 Oct, 1904[18] – Jul, 1905[19]
Succeeded by
William F. Benwell
Preceded by
William F. Benwell
Captain of H.M.S. Quail
Jul, 1905[20] – 9 Jan, 1906[21]
Succeeded by
William F. Benwell
Preceded by
William F. Benwell
Captain of H.M.S. Banshee
10 Jan, 1906[22] – 13 Jul, 1906[23]
Succeeded by
Basil G. Washington
Preceded by
Alan C. Bruce
Captain of H.M.S. Usk
22 Oct, 1906[24][25] – 7 Sep, 1909[26]
Succeeded by
William D. Irvin
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Afridi
7 Sep, 1909[27][28] – 29 Nov, 1910[29]
Succeeded by
George H. H. Holden
Preceded by
New Command
Command of Hawkcraig Experimental Station
1 Apr, 1917[30] – 5 Jan, 1920[31]
Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. "Cadetships In The Navy." The Times (London, England), Thursday, Mar 07, 1889; pg. 13; Issue 32640.
  2. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 178.
  3. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 178.
  4. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 178.
  5. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 178.
  6. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44. f. 178.
  7. Find and Destroy. p. 113.
  8. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  9. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1915. p. 178, Plates 92-95.
  10. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  11. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 1087.
  12. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  13. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  14. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  15. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  16. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  17. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  18. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  19. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  20. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  21. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  22. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  23. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  24. The Navy List. (January, 1907). p. 388.
  25. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  26. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  27. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  28. The Navy List. (April, 1910). p. 273.
  29. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  30. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.
  31. Ryan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/160. f. 178.