Nathaniel Bowden-Smith
Encyclopedia
Admiral Sir Nathaniel Bowden-Smith KCB
(21 January 1838 – 28 April 1921) was a Royal Navy
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
in 1852. He took part in the Second Anglo-Burmese War
later that year and in the Crimean War
in 1855.
He was present at the Battle of Fatshan Creek
in 1857 and at the attack on the Peiho Forts
in 1858 during the Second Opium War
.
Promoted to Captain in 1872 he commanded the frigate
s HMS Narcissus and HMS Undaunted
, the battleship
HMS Hercules
and the corvette
HMS Amethyst. He went on to command the training ship HMS Britannia
in 1883 and to be Commander-in-chief, Australia Station
in 1892 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1899. He retired in 1903.
In 1905 commenting on the Battle of Port Arthur
he said the "siege was distinguished by the most daring and persistent attacks [by the Japanese] and the most heroic defence [by the Russians] on record."
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(21 January 1838 – 28 April 1921) was a Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, The Nore.
Naval career
Bowden-Smith joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1852. He took part in the Second Anglo-Burmese War
Second Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
later that year and in the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
in 1855.
He was present at the Battle of Fatshan Creek
Battle of Fatshan Creek
The Battle of Fatshan Creek was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and Chinese pirates on June 1, 1857. Commodore Henry Keppel sought out and destroyed the Chinese fleet before advancing to the city of Canton for its capture....
in 1857 and at the attack on the Peiho Forts
Taku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
in 1858 during the Second Opium War
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
.
Promoted to Captain in 1872 he commanded the frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s HMS Narcissus and HMS Undaunted
HMS Undaunted (1861)
HMS Undaunted was a wooden screw frigate, the fifth ship of the name to serve in the Royal Navy....
, the battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
HMS Hercules
HMS Hercules (1868)
HMS Hercules was a central-battery ironclad of the Royal Navy in the Victorian era, and was the first warship to mount a main armament of calibre guns....
and the corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
HMS Amethyst. He went on to command the training ship HMS Britannia
HMS Prince of Wales (1860)
HMS Prince of Wales was one of six 121-gun screw-propelled first-rate three-decker line-of-battle ships of the Royal Navy. She was launched on 25 January 1860...
in 1883 and to be Commander-in-chief, Australia Station
Australia Station
The Australia Station was the British—and later Australian—naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent.-History:In the early years following the establishment of the colony of New South Wales, ships based in Australian waters came under the control of the East Indies...
in 1892 and Commander-in-Chief, The Nore in 1899. He retired in 1903.
In 1905 commenting on the Battle of Port Arthur
Battle of Port Arthur
The Battle of Port Arthur was the starting battle of the Russo-Japanese War...
he said the "siege was distinguished by the most daring and persistent attacks [by the Japanese] and the most heroic defence [by the Russians] on record."
Honours and awards
- 22 June 1897 - To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria Vice-Admiral Nathaniel Bowden-Smith is appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.