Ryland Dillard Tisdale
Encyclopedia
Ryland Dillard Tisdale was born on 15 November 1894 at the Naval Ordnance Proving Ground (now the Naval Ordnance Station) located in Charles County, Maryland
, about 25 miles south of Washington, D.C. He was appointed a midshipman
at the U.S. Naval Academy on 7 July 1911 and graduated on 5 June 1915. Between his commissioning and the entry of the United States into World War I, Ens. Tisdale served in and .
ed off Brest, France
, on 17 October.
Tisdale subsequently received a special letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for displaying ". . . coolness and courage in command of the forward guns, . . ." and for not leaving his post ". . . until he was forced to dive from the bridge of the sinking vessel." Tisdale also assisted other Antilles survivors onto life rafts. He was picked up by either or and taken into Brest. On 23 October, he took passage on for Great Britain, where he reported for duty to the senior United States Navy
officer present. After temporary duty on , he returned to the United States on 12 December.
. From there, he went to Bath, Maine
, for duty in connection with the outfitting and commissioning of . When she was placed in commission on 31 July, Lt. Tisdale became her engineering officer. From Wickes, he went to as executive officer
and in December 1919 moved to where he held the same post.
Tisdale's tour of duty in Hogan ended on 11 June 1920 when he reported to the Naval Academy for post graduate studies in engineering. A year later, he checked in at the New York Navy Yard for practical instruction during the summer, before entering Columbia University
on 28 September for further course work which lasted until the early summer of 1922, when he moved to the General Electric
Co. in Schenectady, New York
, until the end of July. Tisdale rounded out his scholastic efforts late that summer with six weeks of study at the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co., at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
.
Tisdale returned to sea duty in the fall of 1922. On 16 October, he reported to in Philadelphia and, on 8 November, transferred to . He served in that battleship
until April 1925, when he went ashore once more, this time to a billet in the Bureau of Engineering. In 1927, he completed his tour in Washington and returned to sea as executive officer
of . On 25 September 1928, he reported for duty at Shanghai, China.
. That command lasted 13 months. He was detached on 31 October 1929 and, after a month with the 16th Naval District, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale took over his second command, , and began patrolling the upper reaches of the Yangtze in that gunboat
. During this tour of duty, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale earned the Navy Cross
. Late in July 1930, he and his ship were in the vicnity of Changsha when that city was attacked, taken, looted, and lost by Chinese
communists. Tisdale and his crew assisted in the evacuation of Americans and other foreigners. He also led his crew and ship past the city for two firing passes as a show of force to discourage looting of the foreign concessions. The citation states, in part, that, ". . . the loss of American and other foreign property was limited by his timely action."
Lt. Comdr. Tisdale's next assignment took him to the Georgia School of Technology for a two-year tour of duty with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
detachment located there. From there, he went back to the Asiatic Fleet to join the staff of the Commander, Destroyer Squadron 5. He served in that capacity from 19 January to 11 November 1935 when he became Captain of the Yard at Olongapo in the Philippines
. Tisdale was placed on the retired list on 30 June 1936, with the rank of commander
.
at Washington, D.C. In October, he was relieved of duty; however, within another month, he was back on active duty. On 14 January 1941, Comdr. Tisdale reported for duty at the Cavite
Navy Yard near Manila
in the Philippines
. Tisdale spent the remainder of his life in the Philippines. He served in the defense of those islands after the Japanese
invasion on 8 December 1941. After the surrender at Corregidor
in May 1942, Comdr. Tisdale continued to resist the enemy on Mindanao
. On 23 May 1942, he was killed at Tamparan in Lanao Province during action with Moros
—who had collaborated with the Japanese. Comdr. Tisdale was awarded the Silver Star
for his actions in the Philippines. The citation states: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Commander (Retired) Ryland D. Tisdale (NSN: 0-8990), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the Philippine Islands during World War II. Commander Tisdale was offered passage on the last plane to leave Corregidor when it was apparent that surrender was inevitable. Commander Tisdale refused and offered his place in the plane to Mr. Kuder who also refused. Commander Tisdale was quoted as saying that he preferred to remain and see the thing through. Mr. Kuder stated that on Thursday, 30 April 1942, the fighting in the area around Damsalan was very heavy, and that Commander Tisdale banded together a small group of officers and enlisted men, including some civilians, and threw in with Lieutenant Colonel Vesy of the Philippine Army to make a last stand against the Japanese.
Charles County, Maryland
Charles County is a county in the south central portion of the U.S. state of Maryland.As of 2010, the population was 146,551. Its county seat is La Plata. This county was named for Charles Calvert , third Baron Baltimore....
, about 25 miles south of Washington, D.C. He was appointed a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
at the U.S. Naval Academy on 7 July 1911 and graduated on 5 June 1915. Between his commissioning and the entry of the United States into World War I, Ens. Tisdale served in and .
World War I participation
On 5 June 1917, less than two months after the declaration of war, Tisdale reported on board USAT Antilles, apparently for duty with an armed-guard gun crew assigned to that chartered Army transport. He served in that ship until she was torpedoTorpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
ed off Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, on 17 October.
Tisdale subsequently received a special letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for displaying ". . . coolness and courage in command of the forward guns, . . ." and for not leaving his post ". . . until he was forced to dive from the bridge of the sinking vessel." Tisdale also assisted other Antilles survivors onto life rafts. He was picked up by either or and taken into Brest. On 23 October, he took passage on for Great Britain, where he reported for duty to the senior United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer present. After temporary duty on , he returned to the United States on 12 December.
Between-the-Wars activity
In late January 1918, Tisdale took a three-week course of instruction at the Fuel Oil Testing Plant in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. From there, he went to Bath, Maine
Bath, Maine
Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,266. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County. Located on the Kennebec River, Bath is a port of entry with a good harbor. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its...
, for duty in connection with the outfitting and commissioning of . When she was placed in commission on 31 July, Lt. Tisdale became her engineering officer. From Wickes, he went to as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
and in December 1919 moved to where he held the same post.
Tisdale's tour of duty in Hogan ended on 11 June 1920 when he reported to the Naval Academy for post graduate studies in engineering. A year later, he checked in at the New York Navy Yard for practical instruction during the summer, before entering Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
on 28 September for further course work which lasted until the early summer of 1922, when he moved to the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
Co. in Schenectady, New York
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, until the end of July. Tisdale rounded out his scholastic efforts late that summer with six weeks of study at the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co., at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
.
Tisdale returned to sea duty in the fall of 1922. On 16 October, he reported to in Philadelphia and, on 8 November, transferred to . He served in that 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...
until April 1925, when he went ashore once more, this time to a billet in the Bureau of Engineering. In 1927, he completed his tour in Washington and returned to sea as executive officer
Executive officer
An executive officer is generally a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization.-Administrative law:...
of . On 25 September 1928, he reported for duty at Shanghai, China.
Earning the Navy Cross
Five days later, he assumed his first command, the Asiatic Fleet destroyerDestroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
. That command lasted 13 months. He was detached on 31 October 1929 and, after a month with the 16th Naval District, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale took over his second command, , and began patrolling the upper reaches of the Yangtze in that gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
. During this tour of duty, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale earned the Navy Cross
Navy Cross
The Navy Cross is the highest decoration that may be bestowed by the Department of the Navy and the second highest decoration given for valor. It is normally only awarded to members of the United States Navy, United States Marine Corps and United States Coast Guard, but can be awarded to all...
. Late in July 1930, he and his ship were in the vicnity of Changsha when that city was attacked, taken, looted, and lost by Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
communists. Tisdale and his crew assisted in the evacuation of Americans and other foreigners. He also led his crew and ship past the city for two firing passes as a show of force to discourage looting of the foreign concessions. The citation states, in part, that, ". . . the loss of American and other foreign property was limited by his timely action."
Lt. Comdr. Tisdale's next assignment took him to the Georgia School of Technology for a two-year tour of duty with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program is a college-based, commissioned officer training program of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.-Origins:...
detachment located there. From there, he went back to the Asiatic Fleet to join the staff of the Commander, Destroyer Squadron 5. He served in that capacity from 19 January to 11 November 1935 when he became Captain of the Yard at Olongapo in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Tisdale was placed on the retired list on 30 June 1936, with the rank of commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
.
World War II Activity
In 1940, the United States began preparing for the contingency of war. Comdr. Tisdale returned to the colors in July and served for a brief period in the Bureau of ShipsBureau of Ships
The United States Navy's Bureau of Ships was established by Congress on June 20, 1940, by a law which consolidated the functions of the Bureau of Construction and Repair and the Bureau of Engineering. The new Bureau was to be headed by a Chief and Deputy-Chief, one selected from the engineering...
at Washington, D.C. In October, he was relieved of duty; however, within another month, he was back on active duty. On 14 January 1941, Comdr. Tisdale reported for duty at the Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
Navy Yard near Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Tisdale spent the remainder of his life in the Philippines. He served in the defense of those islands after the Japanese
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
invasion on 8 December 1941. After the surrender at Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
in May 1942, Comdr. Tisdale continued to resist the enemy on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. On 23 May 1942, he was killed at Tamparan in Lanao Province during action with Moros
Moros
In Greek mythology, Moros is the personification of impending doom, who drives mortals to their deadly fate. He is one of the offspring of Nyx , who had conceived him without male intervention, and brother of the Moirae ....
—who had collaborated with the Japanese. Comdr. Tisdale was awarded the Silver Star
Silver Star
The Silver Star is the third-highest combat military decoration that can be awarded to a member of any branch of the United States armed forces for valor in the face of the enemy....
for his actions in the Philippines. The citation states: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Commander (Retired) Ryland D. Tisdale (NSN: 0-8990), United States Navy, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action in the Philippine Islands during World War II. Commander Tisdale was offered passage on the last plane to leave Corregidor when it was apparent that surrender was inevitable. Commander Tisdale refused and offered his place in the plane to Mr. Kuder who also refused. Commander Tisdale was quoted as saying that he preferred to remain and see the thing through. Mr. Kuder stated that on Thursday, 30 April 1942, the fighting in the area around Damsalan was very heavy, and that Commander Tisdale banded together a small group of officers and enlisted men, including some civilians, and threw in with Lieutenant Colonel Vesy of the Philippine Army to make a last stand against the Japanese.