Early Life :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Although many perished in times of national conflict and in the service of their country, many more survived including those interned as Prisoners of War. Stories of those who did survive are included as part of this site, especially those with high gallantry awards, those included against an external rolls of honour and those who had a distinguished career in wartime and military leaderhip.

Detail :

see also: Dreadnought Project.

Watkins was promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant 30th March 1905, Leiutenant 1st April, 1908 and Lieutenant-Commander on 1 April, 1916.

He was in command of the submarine E-45 on 19 October, 1917 when she was wrongly thought to have sunk UC-79. He received a Bar to his D.S.O. for this action, the citation appearing as gazetted 19th December, 1917.

Watkins ran two experimental torpedoes ashore in Sandown Bay in 1920 and was found therein to have violated "Portsmouth General Order No. 668 of 22.5.20." Watkins was appointed in command of the submarine K 15 on 9 August, 1920.Watkins was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1920. On 11 November, 1921, torpedo number 1166 was lost from "K 5" (perhaps K 15 is meant) and a Court of Enquiry two days later cleared Watkins of fault, though it noted that he was using maximum air pressure in these torpedoes when minimum was mandated. He was appointed to the light cruiser Dauntless as executive officer on 27 December, 1924. He was superseded in November, 1926 and in early 1927 was lent to the Royal Air Force for "instruction in Air Matters." Watkins was promoted to the rank of Captain on 31 December, 1928. Watkins was appointed in command of the light cruiser Champion in April, 1930. He was scolded for hoisting the French national flag in H.M.S. Mackay while on passage from England in 1935 — an act that was deemed to have betrayed a serious lack of judgment. On 6 May, 1938 he was appointed to Cormorant additional as Chief Staff Officer to Rear Admiral, Gibraltar vice Thomas Balfour Fellowes.

Probate WATKINGS Geoffrey Robert Sladen D.S.O. of Five Thorns Brockenhurst Hampshire died 30 July 1950 at Lymington and District Hospital Lymington Hampshire Probate Bristol 1 November to Phyllis Mable Watkins widow. Effects £9850 4s. 9d.

Masonic :

In the records of United Grand Lodge for Letchworth Lodge it shows Geoffrey initiated in 1912 at Gibraltar. He is listed as a Lieutenant, R.N., resident in Gibraltar. The contribution record shows that initially Geoffrey had "Died 1919 - Date unknown" but this is then struck out, with a further note of "error" and "Clearance Cert. granted 10/7/1928. The clearance granted could possibly mean that he continued with his Freemasonry later on, however there is no other reference to membership in the ledgers up to 1921.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley