James Dalgleish

Commodore James Dalgliesh CBE (1891-1964) served as the Chief of the Seaward Defence Force,[1] which later became the South African Navy.[2]

James Dalgliesh CBE
Born	(1891-07-08)8 July 1891 Leith, Scotland
Died	May 30, 1964(1964-05-30) (aged 72)
Service/branch	South African Navy
Rank	Commodore
Commands held	Chief of the South African Navy
Battles/wars	World War II World War II
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

The grave of Commodore James Dalgleish, Warriston Cemetery, Edinburgh

Life

He was born in Edinburgh on 8 July 1891 the eldest son of John Dalgleish and his wife Jessie Morrie.

Naval Career

He joined the Merchant Navyat age 16 and served in the Royal Navy during World War I.

After demobilisation he served as a navigation officer on a survey vessel before being transferred to the hydrographic section of the South African Naval Service.[2] He later commanded the SAS Protea until it was decommissioned in 1933.[3]

He became director of the Seaward Defence Force on 28 March 1941 after the death of Rear Admiral Guy Hallifax and was promoted to the rank of captain. He was promoted to acting commodore on 1 May 1946 and confirmed in that rank on 1 August 1946.[3]

He retired on 30 November 1946.[2]

He died on 30 May 1964 and is buried with his parents in Warriston Cemetery in north Edinburgh. The grave lies in the modern sections to the north.

Awards and Decorations

• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

References

1. "FactFile: Chiefs of the South African Navy". DefenceWeb. Retrieved September 20, 2014.
2. C.J. Nöthling, E.M. Meyers (1982). "Leaders through the years (1912–1982)". Scientaria Militaria. 12 (2): 9e.
3. Harris, C J (1991). War at Sea: South African Maritime Operations during World War II. Ashanti Publishing. p. 41.

Military offices
Preceded by Guy Hallifax	Director, South African Naval Forces 1941–1946	Next: Frederick Dean