Robert B. Dashiell | |
---|---|
Born | Woodville, Virginia, U.S. | July 29, 1860
Died | March 8, 1899 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 38)
Buried | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1883–1899 |
Rank | Assistant Naval Constructor |
Unit | Naval Construction Corps (1895–1899) |
Robert Brooke Dashiell (July 29, 1860 – March 8, 1899) was an officer in the United States Navy noted for his naval ordnance technical expertise.
Dashiell was born in 1860 near Woodville, Virginia. [2] He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1881, ranked seventh in his class. [3] One of his classmates was John W. Weeks, [3] who later served in Congress and was Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925. Following his graduation, Dashiell served for 16 months on the USS Essex. [2]
Dashiell was commissioned as an ensign on July 1, 1883. [2] [4] First assigned to the naval ordnance department, [5] he was transferred in 1885 to the USS Pensacola, [6] under the command of then-Captain George Dewey. [7] He served on the Pensacola until early 1888, when he was again assigned to naval ordnance. [2]
In 1889, Dashiell received an honorary Master of Arts degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. [8] He was dispatched by the Bureau of Ordnance to construct a naval ordnance center in Indian Head, Maryland, [9] where he served as Inspector in Charge of Ordnance from 1890 to 1893. [10] The resulting facility, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, has played a significant role in ordnance development and testing for the United States. [9]
In May 1893, Dashiell was assigned to the armored cruiser USS New York. [11] In December of that year, he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade. [11] In 1895, while still serving on the New York, [12] he resigned as a line officer and was appointed a staff corps officer in the Naval Construction Corps. [13] An inventor of important ordnance mechanisms and an authority on dock construction, he was commissioned Assistant Naval Constructor on February 7, 1895. [14]
Dashiell served in his specialty until his death due to meningitis in 1899 in Washington, D.C. [15] He was survived by his wife and three children. [15] A brother, Paul Dashiell, was a professor and football coach at the Naval Academy. [16] One of his daughters, Eleanor, married future Army major general Julian Hatcher in October 1910. [17] Another daughter, Nancy, married future Navy vice admiral Thomas Leigh Gatch in June 1917. [18]
In 1943, the destroyer USS Dashiell (DD-659) was named in his honor. [19] The Dashiell was commissioned 20 March 1943 and decommissioned 29 April 1960.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Robert B. Dashiell | |
---|---|
Born | Woodville, Virginia, U.S. | July 29, 1860
Died | March 8, 1899 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 38)
Buried | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1883–1899 |
Rank | Assistant Naval Constructor |
Unit | Naval Construction Corps (1895–1899) |
Robert Brooke Dashiell (July 29, 1860 – March 8, 1899) was an officer in the United States Navy noted for his naval ordnance technical expertise.
Dashiell was born in 1860 near Woodville, Virginia. [2] He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1881, ranked seventh in his class. [3] One of his classmates was John W. Weeks, [3] who later served in Congress and was Secretary of War from 1921 to 1925. Following his graduation, Dashiell served for 16 months on the USS Essex. [2]
Dashiell was commissioned as an ensign on July 1, 1883. [2] [4] First assigned to the naval ordnance department, [5] he was transferred in 1885 to the USS Pensacola, [6] under the command of then-Captain George Dewey. [7] He served on the Pensacola until early 1888, when he was again assigned to naval ordnance. [2]
In 1889, Dashiell received an honorary Master of Arts degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. [8] He was dispatched by the Bureau of Ordnance to construct a naval ordnance center in Indian Head, Maryland, [9] where he served as Inspector in Charge of Ordnance from 1890 to 1893. [10] The resulting facility, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, has played a significant role in ordnance development and testing for the United States. [9]
In May 1893, Dashiell was assigned to the armored cruiser USS New York. [11] In December of that year, he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade. [11] In 1895, while still serving on the New York, [12] he resigned as a line officer and was appointed a staff corps officer in the Naval Construction Corps. [13] An inventor of important ordnance mechanisms and an authority on dock construction, he was commissioned Assistant Naval Constructor on February 7, 1895. [14]
Dashiell served in his specialty until his death due to meningitis in 1899 in Washington, D.C. [15] He was survived by his wife and three children. [15] A brother, Paul Dashiell, was a professor and football coach at the Naval Academy. [16] One of his daughters, Eleanor, married future Army major general Julian Hatcher in October 1910. [17] Another daughter, Nancy, married future Navy vice admiral Thomas Leigh Gatch in June 1917. [18]
In 1943, the destroyer USS Dashiell (DD-659) was named in his honor. [19] The Dashiell was commissioned 20 March 1943 and decommissioned 29 April 1960.
This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.