Lieutenant Dermot Patrick CATHER RN
HMS Bruce, Royal Navy

Date of birth: 21st May 1894
Date of death: 26th March 1985

Died aged 90
Unknown
Dermot Patrick Cather was born at Enfield in Middlesex on the 21st of May 1894 the second son of Robert Gabriel Cather, a tea merchant, and Margaret Matilda (nee Shillington) Cather of "Red Roofs", Limpsfield in Surrey, later of 35 Circus Road Mansions, St John's Wood, London.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until July 1905 when he went on to Summerfields Preparatory School at Oxford.

On the 15th of May 1907 he passed into the Royal Naval College, Osborne, from where he passed out 9th out of 60 on his course, He went on to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth from May 1909 to April 1911. After further training he was appointed as a Midshipman in the Royal Navy on the 15th of January 1912 and was posted to the dreadnought HMS Neptune.

He was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of May 1914 and to Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of November 1914 and was posted to the destroyer HMS Morris on the 4th of December 1914, shortly before she took part in the sinking of the German armoured cruiser Blucher at the Dogger Bank on the 24th of January 1915. He also saw action at Jutland in May 1916 and was promoted to Acting Lieutenant on the 15th of June 1916. He was serving as second in command to Lieutenant Commander Percy Ralph Passawer Percival DSO RN of HMS Morris when she torpedoed and sank a German torpedo boat during a night action against enemy destroyers off the Belgian coast on the 21st of March 1918. HMS Morris also opened fire on the enemy destroyer Botha which was disabled, was taken under tow by her and brought back to England. For his part in this action he was mentioned in despatches which was announced by the Admiralty on the 21st of June 1918. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 27th of February 1918 and he joined the newly commissioned destroyer HMS Bruce the following month.

Following a six month torpedo course he was posted to the shore establishment HMS Vernon in late 1919 and in the summer of 1920 was posted to the torpedo school ship HMS Defiance. On the 29th of August 1921 he was posted as Torpedo and Electrical Officer to the battlecruiser HMS Tiger, serving with her until the 7th of April 1922 when he was sent on a course at HMS Victory. He attended the torpedo school at HMS Vernon from the 28th of July 1922 until he was appointed as Torpedo Officer on the light cruiser HMS Calypso on the 31st of August 1922, serving with her until the 1st of May 1923 when he was appointed as Torpedo Officer to the light cruiser HMS Ceres of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron. He was promoted to Lieutenant Commander on the 15th of February 1924 and left Ceres in August 1924. From October 1924 he attended the torpedo school, HMS Defiance after which he served as Torpedo Officer to the heavy cruiser HMS Cumberland from the 15th of October 1926 until the 3rd of December 1929. He attended a Staff Course from the 10th of December 1929 and was promoted to Commander on the 31st of December 1929. He attended a course at HMS Victory from the 3rd of February 1930. Later in 1930 he returned to HMS Defiance as Executive Officer and on the 26th of April 1933 he was posted to the Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Admiralty, serving there for a year before joining the cruiser HMS Berwick as Executive Officer on the China Station. After a short period in the Tactical Division, he returned to the Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Admiralty on the 9th of November 1938. He was awarded the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937.

He served throughout the Second World War and was promoted to Captain on the 21st of May 1944.

He was married at Cambridge to Elizabeth Joyce (nee Shillington-Scales) on the 24th of July 1930 and they lived at Battle in Sussex.

His brother, Lieutenant Geoffrey St George Shillington Cather VC 9th (Service) Battalion (County Armagh) Royal Irish Fusiliers, was killed in action on the 2nd of July 1916.

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