T. B. S. Adair

Rear-Admiral Thomas Benjamin Stratton Adair (6 November 1861 – 12 August 1928) was a British Royal Navy officer and Unionist MP for Glasgow Shettleston from December 1918 to October 1922.[1]

Adair was the son of General Sir Charles William Adair. He entered the Navy in 1874, was promoted to the rank of commander on 1 January 1894,[2] and to captain on 31 December 1899.[3] From 1900 to 1902 he was a member of the Navy's Ordnance Committee. He was appointed in command of the second class protected cruiser HMS Gladiator on 22 September 1902,[4] serving with her in the Mediterranean Fleet.

In 1906, as captain of HMS Montagu, he grounded the battleship at Shutter Point, Lundy Island, in a thick fog during naval manoeuvres. Despite extensive efforts, the ship could not be salvaged, and was dismantled in situ. Adair and his navigation officer were court-martialled for the stranding; Adair was sentenced to be severely reprimanded and dismissed from ship. His naval career was effectively ended by the incident.

He retired the following year and was advanced to rear-admiral on the retired list. After his retirement, he was Head of the Ordnance Department of W. Beardmore & Co. Ltd, Parkhead Steelworks, Glasgow.[5]

He was elected as a supporter of David Lloyd George's coalition government for Glasgow Shettleston in December 1918, serving until 1922.

  1. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 3)
  2. ^ "No. 26471". The London Gazette. 29 December 1893. p. 7581.
  3. ^ "No. 27150". The London Gazette. 2 January 1900. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Naval & Military intelligence". The Times. No. 36881. London. 24 September 1902. p. 4.
  5. ^ Who's Who 1897-1998 [CD-ROM edition] (A & C Black Publishers & Oxford University Press, 1998)