Arthur Tillotson Brown[1] R. D., R. N. R., (10 April 1878[2] - June 1942) was a career sea officer who was the last captain of the first RMS Mauretania, and the first master of the second RMS Mauretania.
Career edit
ATB started his career on sailing ships, either as a runaway or an apprentice (Singapore Straits Times, 1938). Just before the 1st war he was Captain of an IoM ferry, joined the White Star company and joined the Royal Navy as an RNR officer in the First World War.
After the merger of White Star & Cunard, he became a Cunard captain and had served either as Staff Captain or Captain at various times on many Cunard ships, including the Andania, Aquitania, Berengaria, Britannic, Franconia and Mauretania II.
Brown was confirmed a sub-lieutenant from probationary sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve with seniority date of 12 August 1907.[3][4][5][6] Brown served in the Royal Navy during World War I. He took command of HMS Seal on 7 May 1917.[7] Brown was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1918,[8] and to commander on 30 June 1922.[9][10] He retired from the Naval List on 10 April 1928 with the rank of captain.[2]
Captain Brown delivered the RMS Mauretania from retired lay-up in Southampton, to the breakers, arriving at Rosyth, in Scotland, at about 0600 hrs. on 4 July 1935, during a half-gale.
Captain Brown commanded the new RMS Mauretania on her acceptance trials on the Clyde, out of Liverpool, from 31 May 1939, and on 17 June 1939 captained her first transatlantic crossing to New York.[11]
He died aboard onboard at Port Said in 1942 from the exhaustion of being in command on unaccompanied transits of hostile waters.
References edit
- ^ Supplement issue 34768 The London Gazette. 9 January 1940
- ^ a b "Catalogue description Name: Arthur Tillotson Brown . Rank: Captain (Retired) Date of Seniority: 10 April".
- ^ The Navy List, Admiralty, London, July 1908, page 493a.
- ^ "The Navy List". 1908.
- ^ The London Gazette, 15 December 1908, p. 9559.
- ^ Royal Naval Reserve The London Gazette
- ^ The Navy List, Admiralty, London, August 1917, page 397w.
- ^ "Catalogue description Name: Arthur Tillotson Brown . Rank: Lieutenant Commander . Date of Seniority: 1918".
- ^ The Navy List, Admiralty, London, August 1939, page 894.
- ^ Royal naval reserve. Retired officers
- ^ "RMS Mauretania 2 - 1938 to 1965".
