Sir David William Bone CBE (22 June 1874 [1] – 17 May 1959) [2] was a Scottish Commodore and author of nautical fiction. [3] [4] [5] [6] His work includes The Brassbounder about a brassbounder, [4] a young apprentice on a British Merchant ship. [7] It was included as a recommendation in Literary Taste: How to Form It, a long essay with recommended readings written by Arnold Bennett. Brassbounder is "a classic of the squaresail era". [8]
Bone received the Coronation Medal from King George VI in 1937 for his long association with the Merchant Navy. [3] He was appointed a CBE in 1943 and awarded a knighthood in 1946. [3] [9]
Bone was born in Abbotsford Place in Glasgow, Scotland. [5] His father, David Drummond Bone (1841–1911) was a prominent newspaper publisher in Glasgow [10] and his great-grandfather was a boyhood companion of Robert Burns. [3] Elizabeth Millar Crawford (1847–1886) was his mother. His brothers included the journalist James Bone and artist Muirhead Bone who illustrated some of David's books, including Merchantmen-at-Arms. [11] [3] Bone studied at Partick Academy. [3]
Bone's career at sea began when he apprenticed at 15 on the City of Florence, "an old-time square-rigger". He also served on windjammers in Australia, with Anchor Line, and on a troop ship during the Boer War. [5] Bone captained the SS Tuscania from New York on its first trip to Glasgow. [12] Merchantman Rearmed describes his experiences during World War II, including the Allied invasion of Sicily. [13]
Sir David William Bone CBE (22 June 1874 [1] – 17 May 1959) [2] was a Scottish Commodore and author of nautical fiction. [3] [4] [5] [6] His work includes The Brassbounder about a brassbounder, [4] a young apprentice on a British Merchant ship. [7] It was included as a recommendation in Literary Taste: How to Form It, a long essay with recommended readings written by Arnold Bennett. Brassbounder is "a classic of the squaresail era". [8]
Bone received the Coronation Medal from King George VI in 1937 for his long association with the Merchant Navy. [3] He was appointed a CBE in 1943 and awarded a knighthood in 1946. [3] [9]
Bone was born in Abbotsford Place in Glasgow, Scotland. [5] His father, David Drummond Bone (1841–1911) was a prominent newspaper publisher in Glasgow [10] and his great-grandfather was a boyhood companion of Robert Burns. [3] Elizabeth Millar Crawford (1847–1886) was his mother. His brothers included the journalist James Bone and artist Muirhead Bone who illustrated some of David's books, including Merchantmen-at-Arms. [11] [3] Bone studied at Partick Academy. [3]
Bone's career at sea began when he apprenticed at 15 on the City of Florence, "an old-time square-rigger". He also served on windjammers in Australia, with Anchor Line, and on a troop ship during the Boer War. [5] Bone captained the SS Tuscania from New York on its first trip to Glasgow. [12] Merchantman Rearmed describes his experiences during World War II, including the Allied invasion of Sicily. [13]