Biographical Data
Beech, William James Robert Photo Credit: Unknown

 

Title	Commodore (RCN)
Official Number	O-5370

 

Birth	17/06/1895	Death	00/00/1975
Place	Salt Spring Island	Place	Victoria
Area	BC	Area	BC
Country	Canada	Country	Canada

 

Titles
Honours	Commander of the Legion of Merit (USA).
Awards	AdC.
Qualifications	psc.

 

Biography
In 1924 he married Beatrice Annie Wolfeden at Esquimalt BC.

 

Military Service

He was appointed as a Naval Cadet RCN 1912. He served in the Royal Naval College of Canada (Second Term) 1912. He was appointed as a Midshipman RCN 1916. He served in HMC Submarine CC-1 1916. He was appointed as an A/Sub-Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/12/1916). He served in H.M.S. Alecto For Duty in Submarines 1917. He was appointed as a Sub-Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 01/12/1917). He served in HM Submarine H-9 as First Lieutenant RCN 1917 (8th Flotilla North Sea operations). He served in HM Submarine L-8 as First Lieutenant Attached to H.M.S. Ambrose 1918. He was appointed as a Lieutenant RCN (With seniority dated 14/07/1918). He served in HMS Ambrose for HM Submarine L-1 as First Lieutenant 1919 (HMS Titania on the China Station). He served in HM Submarine L-1 (In command) 1920. He served in the Royal Naval College of Canada on Staff 1921. He served in H.M.S. Wakeful 1922. He served in H.M.S. Versatile 1923. He served in HMCS Thiepval (In command) 1924. He served in HMCS Patrician (In command) 1924. He was appointed as a Lieutenant-Commander RCN (With seniority dated 14/04/1926). He served in H.M.S. Repulse 1926-1928. He served in HMCS Naden 1928. He served in the Royal Naval Staff Course 1929. He served in NHQ 1930. He served in HMCS Naden 1931. He was appointed as a Commander RCN (With seniority dated 01/07/1933). He served in H.M.S. Cyclops (Depot Ship) For Duty as Staff Officer Operations for the 1st Submarine Flotilla 1935. He served in HMCS Saguenay (In command) 1936. He served in HMCS Stadacona (In command) 1938. He was appointed as an AdC. He served as Commander-in-Charge HMC Naval Establishments and in-command of Auxiliary Vessels based at Halifax and HMCS Kings Harbour Master 1940. He was appointed as an A/Captain RCN 1940. He was appointed as an A/Commodore 1st Class (WHA) RCN (With seniority dated 04/09/1940). He served in HMCS Naden as Commanding Officer Pacific Coast and Naval Superintendent HMC Dockyard Esquimalt 1940. He was appointed as a Captain RCN (With seniority dated 01/07/1941). He served in HMCS Burrard as Commanding Officer Pacific Coast 1942-43. He was appointed as an A/Commodore (2nd Class) (WHA) RCN (With seniority dated 01/09/1943). He served in HMCS Stadacona on Staff of Commander-in-Chief Canadian North West Atlantic as Chief of Staff Administration 1943-45. He was appointed as a Commodore (1st Class) RCN. He served in HMCS Niobe as Senior Canadian Naval Officer London. (He retired on 01/04/1945 as a Captain RCN.)

 

Vessels Owned
Aircraft Flown
Named Features	Beech Islet (BC);

 

Anecdotes

 

References
Government of Canada The Canadian Navy List Ottawa ON; Blatherwick, John (1992); MacFarlane, John M. (1994); BCELP Geographical Place Names Cards Correspondence To/From BC Chief Geographer;
Last update
2015-10-06 00:00:00

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