AQUITANIA ’S COMMANDERS, 1914-50

This document is intended to be read in conjunction with the list of captains and associated documentation published in RMS Aquitania – The ‘Ship Beautiful’. In one of the book’s appendices, the most comprehensive list of Aquitania ’s commanders yet compiled was based on the crew agreements and logs for the 1914-50 period, with considerable archival work from Hilary Thomas. To complement the list, a document entitled ‘Detail of Masters, 1943-49’ was also included, as it differed somewhat from the crew agreements.

The list of captains given here is taken from the registry papers relating to Aquitania which were filed in Liverpool . In that much of it is written in the same handwriting (one person’s writing for the period from 1914 to 1940 and then another person’s writing for 1941 to 1949), the list was presumably compiled towards the end of Aquitania’s time in service. It is very similar to that published in the book, yet there are some differences such as dates and the occasional omission of a captain’s service (i.e. Captain Loring is not mentioned). It is hoped that the interested reader or researcher can discover the details of an individual captain’s service history by means of comparing the documentation in the book and on this website, and pursue further research.

The register was handed to the Registrar of Shipping in Liverpool on February 24th 1950,[*] after Aquitania had arrived at the scrapper’s yard. Compiling a list of the commanders of any of the large liners is troublesome. Even primary source material can be conflicting. Handwriting can be faded or hard to read, sometimes entirely illegible. Errors of omission can creep in, or dates can be written next to the wrong name as the researcher works through a tedious set of documents. In Aquitania ’s case it is even more awkward owing to the length of her service. Captains’ names are written as they were recorded on the original document, as are their certificate numbers; and the dates given are for when each captain signed on – repeat voyages without a change of commander are excluded, as per the original.

Port	Captain’s Name	Certificate Number	Date
Liverpool	W. T. Turner	02168	May 26^th 1914
Liverpool	D. Dow	011565	May 17^th 1915
Liverpool	C. A. Smith	012114	June 21^st 1915
Greenock	E. T. Britten	031493	March 28^th 1916
Greenock	C. A. Smith		March 31^st 1916
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles	015759	March 5^th 1918
Southampton	C. A. Smith		February 12^th 1919
Liverpool	J. T. W. Charles		February 19^th 1919
Southampton	W. R. D. Irvine	019984	August 11^th 1921
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		August 30^th 1921
Southampton	E. T. Britten		August 13^th 1926
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		September 3^rd 1926
Southampton	A. H. Rostron	022747	January 25^th 1927
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		February 15^th 1927
Southampton	A. C. Greig	035096	April 8^th 1927
Cherbourg	S. G. S. McNeil	022337	April 9^th 1927
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		April 26^th 1927
Southampton	S. G. S. McNeil		August 9^th 1927
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		August 31^st 1927
Southampton	A. H. Rostron		November 2^nd 1927
Southampton	E. G. Diggle	025938	January 16^th 1928
Southampton	J. T. W. Charles		June 27^th 1928
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		July 18^th 1928
Southampton	W. Prothero	025281	November 23^rd 1928
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		January 22^nd 1929
Southampton	W. Prothero		April 5^th 1929
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		April 26^th 1929
Southampton	W. Prothero		August 8^th 1929
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		August 31^st 1929
Southampton	W. Prothero		April 23^rd 1930
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		June 26^th 1930
Southampton	W. Prothero		August 28^th 1930
Southampton	E. G. Diggle		September 18^th 1930
Southampton	R. B. Irving	002045	August 7^th 1931
Southampton	P. A. Murchie	003023	October 21^st 1931
Southampton	R. B. Irving		November 4^th 1931
Southampton	J. C. Townley	034482	June 16^th 1932
Southampton	R. B. Irving		July 8^th 1932
Southampton	J. C. Townley		September 7^th 1932
Southampton	R. B. Irving		September 30^th 1932
Southampton	G. Gibbons	036447	March 8^th 1933
Southampton	R. B. Irving		March 27^th 1933
Southampton	G. Gibbons		June 3^rd 1933
Southampton	R. B. Irving		June 23^rd 1933
Southampton	J. C. Townley		April 20^th 1934
Southampton	G. Gibbons		July 6^th 1934
Southampton	P. R. Vaughan	030781	January 21^st 1935
Southampton	G. Gibbons		April 17^th 1935
Southampton	P. R. Vaughan		May 7^th 1935
Southampton	R. V. Peel	031038	June 18^th 1935
Southampton	G. Gibbons		September 17^th 1935
Southampton	R. V. Peel		October 9^th 1935
Southampton	R. B. Irving		December 31^st 1935
Southampton	A. T. Brown	035106	November 4^th 1936
Southampton	R. B. Irving		December 14^th 1936
Southampton	G. R. Dolphin	003254	August 25^th 1937
Southampton	J. C. Townley		October 5^th 1937
Southampton	E. Edkin	035196	November 30^th 1937
Southampton	J. C. Townley		January 5^th 1938
Southampton	G. Gibbons		April 12^th 1938
Southampton	J. C. Townley		May 24^th 1938
Southampton	G. Gibbons		July 6^th 1938
Southampton	J. C. Townley		July 26^th 1938
Southampton	G. Gibbons		January 13^th 1939
Southampton	J. C. Townley		January 28^th 1939
Southampton	G. Gibbons		February 11^th 1939
Southampton	P. A. Murchie		March 24^th 1939
Southampton	J. C. Townley		April 8^th 1939
Southampton	G. Gibbons		June 20^th 1939
Southampton	J. C. Townley		August 9^th 1939
Southampton	G. Gibbons		August 23^rd 1939
Southampton	A. R. MacDonald	037036	February 14^th 1940
Southampton	G. Gibbons		March 9^th 1940
Sydney	W. C. Battle		February 3^rd 1941
Singapore	G. Gibbons		April 25^th 1941
Sydney	J. D. Snow		January 9^th 1942
New York	W. C. Battle		[Undated.]
Glasgow	C. M. Ford		May 1943
Glasgow	R. B. Woolatt		November 29^th 1943
Glasgow	C. M. Ford		December 21^st 1943
Glasgow	C. G. Illingworth		March 23^rd 1944
Glasgow	E. M. Fall		July 1^st 1944
Glasgow	R. Spencer		September 13^th 1944
Glasgow	W. C. Battle		October 8^th 1944
Glasgow	E. M. Fall		February 2^nd 1945
Glasgow	G. E. Cove		June 20^th 1945
Southampton	C. M. Ford		October 16^th 1945
Southampton	J. D. Snow		January 26^th 1946
Southampton	A. R. MacDonald		May 14^th 1946
Southampton	J. D. Snow		August 6^th 1946
Southampton	G. E. Cove		March 8^th 1947
Southampton	J. D. Snow		December 11^th 1947
Southampton	G. E. Cove		December 29^th 1947
Southampton	H. Grattidge		July 22^nd 1948
Southampton	R. B. G. Wollatt		November 8^th 1948
Southampton	R. G. Thelwell		March 25^th 1949
Southampton	R. B. G. Wollatt		April 19^th 1949
Southampton	R. G. Thelwell		August 22^nd 1949
Southampton	R. B. G. Wollatt		September 29^th 1949


Above: ‘Cunard Captains.’ Top row, left to right: Captain J. T. W. Charles; Captain J. C. Barr; Captain W. T. Turner; middle row, left to right: Captain C. A. Smith; Captain D. Dow; bottom row, left to right: Captain D. S. Miller; Captain W. R. D. Irvine; Captain A. H. Rostron. (Courtesy Mike Poirier.)	Above: More ‘Cunard Captains.’ Top row, left to right: Captain E. G. Diggle; Captain H. M. Benison; Captain W. Prothero; middle row, left to right: Captain G. W. Melsom; Captain S. G. S. McNeil; bottom row, left to right: Captain R. Capper Captain R. G. Malin. (Courtesy Mike Poirier.)

Home

[*] Maritime Archives & Library, Merseyside Maritime Museum. Cunard collection, reference B/CUN/3/5/1.

Home / Books Index / Interviews Index / Articles Index / News Index / Updates / Sitemap