Oliver Bevir, RN

Born  16 Feb 1891London, England, U.K.
Died  4 Nov 1967(76)Wells, England, U.K.


If you can help with photo or any information on this Officer please
use our comment form
.

Ranks

15 May 1908 Mid.
30 May 1911 S.Lt.
15 Feb 1912 Lt.
15 Feb 1920 Lt.Cdr.
30 Jun 1925 Cdr.
31 Dec 1932 Capt.
28 Jul 1942 Rear-Admiral
20 Dec 1945 Vice-Admiral

Retired: 20 Dec 1945


Decorations

1 Jan 1945 CB
13 Jun 1946 CBE

Warship Commands listed for Oliver Bevir, RN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HMS Resolution (09)Capt.Battleship11 Nov 193925 Oct 1940

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Battleship HMS Resolution (09)


12 Nov 1939
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) is undocked. (1)

17 Nov 1939
Around 1715A/17, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed Plymouth for Halifax. She was escorted until around 1720A/18 by the destroyers HMS Echo (Cdr. S.H.K. Spurgeon, DSO, RAN) and HMS Wanderer (Cdr. R.F. Morice, RN). (2)

26 Nov 1939
Around 1000Q/26, HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) arrived at Halifax from Plymouth. (1)

7 Dec 1939
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) conducted gunnery exercises off Halifax during which HMS Emerald (Capt. A.W.S. Agar, VC, DSO, RN), which arrived from Bermuda, served as target. (3)

30 Dec 1939 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1100Q/30, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) arrived at Halifax from Greenock. She was escorted in by the destroyers HMCS Ottawa (Capt. G.C. Jones, RCN) and HMCS Restigouche (Lt.Cdr. H.N. Lay, RCN). (4)

6 Jan 1940

Convoy HX 15.

This convoy departed Halifax on 6 January 1940.

It was made up of the following transports / tankers; Amakura (British, 1987 GRT, built 1924), Argos Hill (British, 7178 GRT, built 1922), Athelcrown (British (tanker), 11999 GRT, built 1929), Atlantic (British, 5414 GRT, built 1939), Auditor (British, 5444 GRT, built 1924), Barn Hill (British, 5439 GRT, built 1921), Bonnington Court (British, 4909 GRT, built 1929), Boulderpool (British, 4805 GRT, built 1928), Delilian (British, 6423 GRT, built 1923), El Aleto (British (tanker), 7203 GRT, built 1927), Geo W. McKnight (British (tanker), 12502 GRT, built 1933), Houston City (British, 4935 GRT, built 1934), I.C. White (Panamanian (tanker), 7052 GRT, built 1920), Inverarder (British (tanker), 5578 GRT, built 1919), Moveria (British, 4867 GRT, built 1935), Narragansett (British (tanker), 10389 GRT, built 1936), Oiltrader (British (tanker), 5550 GRT, built 1927), Panaghis (Greek, 5187 GRT, built 1920), San Roberto (British (tanker), 5890 GRT, built 1922), Sinfra (French, 4470 GRT, built 1929), Syrian Prince (British, 1990 GRT, built 1936), Trevalgan (British, 5299 GRT, built 1937), Voco (British (tanker), 5090 GRT, built 1925) and Wanderer (British, 5079 GRT, built 1925).

On departure from Halifax the convoy was escorted by the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) and the destroyers HMCS Saguenay (Cdr. G.R. Miles, RCN) and HMCS Skeena (Lt.Cdr. E.P. Tisdall, RCN).

The Canadian destroyers parted company to return to Halifax on 7 January 1940.

On 18 January 1940, the destroyers HMS Wren (Cdr. H.T. Armstrong, RN), HMS Vanessa (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Plumer, RN) and HMS Vanquisher (Lt.Cdr. C.B. Alers-Hankey, RN) joined the convoy to escort the bulk of it towards Liverpool.

Also on the 18th, the destroyers HMS Windsor (Lt.Cdr. P.D.H.R. Pelly, RN) and HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Townsend, RN) joined to escort HMS Resolution to Plymouth where they arrived on the 19th, minus HMS Viscount which did not enter harbour.

19 Jan 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1300A/19, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) and the destroyer HMS Windsor (Lt.Cdr. P.D.H.R. Pelly, RN) arrived at Plymouth from convoy escort duty. (5)

29 Jan 1940
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) is docked (in a floating dock) at the Devonport Dockyard and commenced a refit there. (6)

7 Mar 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) is undocked at the Devonport Dockyard. She continued to refit afloat. (7)

11 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1200A/11, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed Plymouth for Greenock. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN) and HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, RN). (8)

12 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1730A/12, HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN), HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN) and HMS Antelope (Lt.Cdr. R.T. White, RN) arrived at Greenock from Plymouth. (8)

22 Apr 1940
Around 1215A/22, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed the Greenock for the Narvik area.

At 1300A/23, she was joined in the Clyde by the destroyers HMS Basilisk (Cdr. M. Richmond, OBE, RN), HMS Wren (Cdr. H.T. Armstrong, RN) and HMS Hesperus (Lt.Cdr. D.G.F.W. MacIntyre, RN).

They arrived at Harstad around 1115A/26. (9)

27 Apr 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) proceeded from Harstad to Tromso. (8)

30 Apr 1940
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed Tromso to participate in bombardment operations near Narvik.

It is likely that destroyers would have been with her, several were operating in the area at the time but we currently do not know which of these (if any) were with HMS Resolution although HMS Basilisk (Cdr. M. Richmond, OBE, RN) seems to be one of them. (8)

2 May 1940
The battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) fuelled the following destroyers while anchored in the 'Narvik area'; HMS Campbell (Lt.Cdr. R.M. Aubrey, RN), HMS Witch (Lt.Cdr. J.R. Barnes, RN), HMS Acasta (Cdr. C.E. Glasfurd, RN), HMS Ardent (Lt.Cdr. J.F. Barker, RN), HMS Havant (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Burnell-Nugent, RN) and HMS Havelock (Capt. E.B.K. Stevens, DSC, RN).

In the evening HMS Resolution fired some 6" shells against German troop concentrations. (10)

3 May 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) carried out bombardments on German troop concentrations in the 'Narvik area'.

In the afternoon she was attacked by German aircraft which dropped eight small bombs. (10)

4 May 1940
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) carried out a bombardment on German troop concentrations in the 'Narvik area'.

She later left the area immediately off Narvik due to the threat of air attacks. She proceeded to Harstad.

Also 147 survivors from the Polish destroyer ORP Grom (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) A. Hulewicz) were put on board by HMS Faulknor (Capt. A.F. de Salis, RN) and HMS Bedouin (Cdr. J.A. McCoy, DSO, RN). They were taken off later the same day by ORP Burza (Kmdr.ppor. (Cdr.) W.R. Francki). (10)

16 May 1940
Around 1130A/16, HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN), still anchored in Tjeldsund, is hit by a bomb during an air raid (a 1000kg bomb dropped by a Ju-88 aircraft of II./KG 30). It penetrated through three decks before it exploded. Casualties were one dead and twenty-seven wounded. Despite the damage she was able to remain in operation. (10)

17 May 1940
Around 0215A/17, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed Tjeldsund for sea to patrol in the Lofoten area. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Wren (Cdr. H.T. Armstrong, RN) and HMS Vansittart (Lt.Cdr. W. Evershed, RN).

At 0403A/18, HMS Wren reported a torpedo approaching from starboard. [No German submarine reported an attack, and none were in the area anyway.]

On the 19th they were ordered to proceed to Scapa Flow.

Around 0745A/20, the destroyer HMS Fortune (Cdr. E.A. Gibbs, DSO, RN) departed Scapa Flow to join them which she did around 1830A/20.

Around 1100A/21, HMS Resolution, HMS Fortune, HMS Wren and HMS Vansittart arrived at Scapa Flow.

(10)

28 May 1940
The C-in-C Narvik, requisted HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) to return to the area. The requist was denied by the Admiralty due to the threat of air attack and HMS Resolution remained at Scapa Flow for the moment where she was undergoing repairs by local resources wich were completed on 3 June 1940.

3 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) conducted D/G trials at Scapa Flow. (11)

4 Jun 1940 (position 0.00, 0.00)
Around 1400A/4, the battleship HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN) departed Scapa Flow for Gibraltar. She was escorted by the destroyers HMS Wolverine (Cdr. R.H. Craske, RN), HMS Witherington (Lt.Cdr. J.B. Palmer, RN) and HMS Viscount (Lt.Cdr. M.S. Townsend, OBE, RN)

Around 1235A/5, the destroyers were detached in approximate position 57°00'N, 12°50'W to return to Scapa Flow.

Around 1435A/8, the destroyer HMS Active (Lt.Cdr. E.C.L. Turner, RN) joined coming from Gibraltar.

Around 1556A/8, the destroyer HMS Velox (Cdr.(Retd.) J.C. Colvill, RN) joined having parted company with convoy HG 33F previously. (11)

10 Jun 1940
Around 0600A/10, HMS Resolution (Capt. O. Bevir, RN), HMS Velox (Cdr.(Retd.) J.C. Colvill, RN) and HMS Active (Lt.Cdr. E.C.L. Turner, RN) arrived at Gibraltar. (12)

Sources

  1. ADM 53/110205
  2. ADM 53/110205 + ADM 53/111082
  3. ADM 53/108503 + ADM 53/110206
  4. ADM 53/110206
  5. ADM 53/113092 + ADM 53/113450
  6. ADM 53/113092
  7. ADM 53/113094
  8. ADM 53/113095
  9. ADM 53/113095 + ADM 199/361 + ADM 199/376
  10. ADM 53/113096
  11. ADM 53/113097
  12. ADM 53/113097 + ADM 199/647

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


You can help improve officers Oliver Bevir's page
Click here to Submit events/comments/updates for this officer.
Please use this if you spot mistakes or want to improve his page.

Allied Commanders main page