Allied Warship Commanders

Gerald Maxwell Bradshaw Langley OBE, RN

Born  14 Dec 1895
Died  17 Apr 1971(75)


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Ranks

1 Jan 1915 Mid.
1 Jan 1917 A/S.Lt.
15 Mar 1917 S.Lt.
15 Oct 1918 Lt.
15 Oct 1926 Lt.Cdr.
31 Dec 1931 Cdr.
31 Dec 1936 Capt.
2 Jan 1946 Rear-Admiral
22 Jun 1949 Vice-Admiral (retired)

Retired: 22 Jun 1949


Decorations

12 Dec 1919 OBE
1 Jan 1941 Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
10 Jun 1948 CB

Warship Commands listed for Gerald Maxwell Bradshaw Langley, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Carlisle (D 67)Capt.Light cruiser21 Nov 19397 Feb 1941
HMS Devonshire (39)Capt.Heavy cruiser11 Jan 19451 Jan 1946

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (39)


17 Jan 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) is undocked. (1)

23 Jan 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Plymouth for Scapa Flow. (1)

25 Jan 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Scapa Flow from Plymouth. (1)

6 Feb 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted torpedo firing and gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. (2)

16 Feb 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted underway refuelling exercises at Scapa Flow during which she fuelled HMS Verulam (Lt.Cdr. D.H.R. Bromley, DSC, RN).

Later HMS Devonshire herself fuelled from the RFA tanker Blue Ranger (3417 GRT, built 1941). (2)

23 Feb 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Berwick (Capt. S.H.T. Arliss, DSO, RN) and HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted exercises off Scapa Flow. (3)

6 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. (4)

16 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow. (4)

22 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted special radar trials off Scapa Flow. (4)

24 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted special radar trials and 4" gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow. (4)

29 Mar 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted torpedo firing and gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. (4)

5 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Scapa Flow. (5)

9 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted radar trials off Scapa Flow. (5)

17 Apr 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the morning, HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), conducted underway refuelling exercises at Scapa Flow with the destroyer HMS Carysfort (Lt.Cdr. L. St.G. Rich, DSO and Bar, RN).

In the afternoon HMS Devonshire conducted gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. (5)

2 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the morning, HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), conducted underway refuelling exercises at Scapa Flow with the destroyer HMS Obdurate (Lt.Cdr. R.D. Franks, DSO, DSC, OBE, RN).

In the afternoon HMS Devonshire conducted gunnery exercises at Scapa Flow. (6)

3 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
In the morning HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) conducted gunnery radar calibration trials off Scapa Flow.

In the afternoon HMS Devonshire conducted full power trials off Scapa Flow. (6)

9 May 1945
Around 2120B/9, the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), light cruiser HMS Diadem (Capt. A.M. Knapp, RN, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral A.E.M.B. Cunninghame-Graham, CBE, RN) and destroyer HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN) departed Scapa Flow for Rosyth where they arrived around 0730B/10. (7)

11 May 1945

Operation Kingdom.

The object of this operation was to transport the Norwegian Crown Prince, together with Norwegian Government officials and military commanders and also members of the Allied Shaef mission (Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force).

For this operation the heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), fast minelayers HMS Apollo (Capt. J.A. Grindle, CBE, RN), HMS Ariadne (Capt. F.B. Lloyd, OBE, RN), destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN), HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN), HMS Campbell (Lt. B.W. Meaden, RN), escort destroyer HNoMS Arendal departed Rosyth around 1630B/11. They arrived at Oslo in the afternoon of the 13th.

The were swept in by the minesweepers HMS Catherine (Cdr. Kenneth Hillam Fraser, RN), 6541 HMS Cynthia (T/A/Lt.Cdr. C.L. Chatwin, RNVR), HMS Elfreda (T/A/Lt.Cdr. L. Jolly, RNVR), HMS Grecian (T/A/Cdr. C.R. Fraser, DSC and Bar, RNR) and HMS Gazelle (Lt.Cdr. J.D. Sutcliffe, RN), HMS Maenad (Cdr. C.E. Duggan, RD, RNR), HMS Steadfast (T/A/Lt. A.H. Hall, RNVR) and HMS Tattoo (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) F.G. Rogers, RD, RNR) which had come from Copenhagen. (8)

18 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
The heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN) and HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) departed Oslo for Copenhagen. (6)

19 May 1945
The heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN) and HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) arrived at Copenhagen from Oslo.

During passage of Swedish territorial waters they had first been escorted by the Swedish destroyer Karlskrona and later by the destroyers Ehrensköld and Nordenskjöld. (6)

24 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
The heavy cruiser HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN), light cruiser HMS Dido (Capt. R.F. Elkins, OBE, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Iroquois (Capt. K.F. Adams, RCN) and HMS Savage (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC and Bar, RN) departed Copenhagen escorting the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and light cruiser Nürnberg to Wilhelmshaven.

During the passage through Swedish territorial waters they were escorted by the Swedish destroyer Norrköping.

HMS Devonshire and HMS Dido parted company around 0800B/26 west of Helgoland in position 54°10'N, 07°21'E and then set course for Rosyth.

The German cruisers continued on to Wilhelmshaven escorted by HMCS Iroquois and HMS Savage. (9)

27 May 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) and HMS Dido (Capt. R.F. Elkins, OBE, RN) arrived at Rosyth. (10)

15 Jun 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Plymouth where she is to be fitted out for trooping duties by the Devonport Dockyard. (11)

29 Jun 1945
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Plymouth for Australia. (12)

5 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Port Said from Plymouth. (13)

6 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) passed the Suez Canal southbound and arrived at Suez. (13)

8 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Suez for Aden. (13)

11 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Aden from Suez. She departed for Colombo later the same day. (13)

16 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Colombo from Aden. (13)

17 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Colombo for Fremantle. (13)

23 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Fremantle from Colombo. (13)

24 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Fremantle for Sydney. (13)

28 Jul 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Sydney from Fremantle. (13)

6 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Sydney to return to the U.K. First leg of the trip is to Fremantle. (14)

11 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Fremantle from Sydney. (14)

12 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Fremantle for Colombo. (14)

18 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Colombo from Fremantle. (14)

21 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Colombo for Port Said. (14)

28 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Port Said from Colombo. (14)

29 Aug 1945 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) departed Port Said for Gibraltar. (14)

2 Sep 1945
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Gibraltar from Port Said. She departed for Plymouth later the same day. (15)

5 Sep 1945
HMS Devonshire (Capt. G.M.B. Langley, OBE, RN) arrived at Plymouth from Gibraltar.

[With the war now over HMS Devonshire continued trooping duties for a considerable time.] (15)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/121215
  2. ADM 53/121216
  3. ADM 53/120994 + ADM 53/121216
  4. ADM 53/121217
  5. ADM 53/121218
  6. ADM 53/121219
  7. ADM 53/121219 + ADM 53/121230 + ADM 199/1440
  8. ADM 53/121219 + ADM 199/1440
  9. ADM 53/121219 + ADM 53/121242 + ADM 199/1440
  10. ADM 53/121219 + ADM 53/121242
  11. ADM 53/121220 + ADM 199/2552
  12. ADM 53/121220
  13. ADM 53/121221
  14. ADM 53/121222
  15. ADM 53/121223

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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