HENRY B. CECIL, CDR, USN

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall
Henry Cecil '10

Date of birth: February 17, 1888

Date of death: April 4, 1933

Age: 45

Lucky Bag

From the 1910 Lucky Bag:

1910 Cecil LB.jpg

Henry Barton Cecil

Huntsville, Tennessee

"Cash" "Costet" "Uncle Ike"

Harry Cecil, a Creole, by gar!
Crawled in while the gates were ajar.
He resembles Costet,
At least so they say.
And is thought to have once tended bar.

A GOOD-HEARTED, chubby little fellow from sunny Tennessee. Goes into life for all the pleasure the day may bring forth. His jolly laugh is welcomed by all but,—Oh you songster! Is ever ready to listen to your tale of woe and to give you one in return that will make you feel almost ashamed of ever thinking yourself ill used. Seldom goes on liberty (usually has the exact change to be on the grade). For three years he was always going to swear off smoking in a few days, and finally, First Class year, when he could smoke with impunity, he actually did knock off. After each hop says, "No more fussing for me," but . . . Youngster cruise after each liberty at New London he used to make the gun deck lively with descriptions of the thrilling experiences Sis had been brought through safely by the genius of his legal adviser, H. Barton Cecil.

Sharpshooter. One Stripe (a). Buzzard (b)

1910 Cecil LB.jpg

Henry Barton Cecil

Huntsville, Tennessee

"Cash" "Costet" "Uncle Ike"

Harry Cecil, a Creole, by gar!
Crawled in while the gates were ajar.
He resembles Costet,
At least so they say.
And is thought to have once tended bar.

A GOOD-HEARTED, chubby little fellow from sunny Tennessee. Goes into life for all the pleasure the day may bring forth. His jolly laugh is welcomed by all but,—Oh you songster! Is ever ready to listen to your tale of woe and to give you one in return that will make you feel almost ashamed of ever thinking yourself ill used. Seldom goes on liberty (usually has the exact change to be on the grade). For three years he was always going to swear off smoking in a few days, and finally, First Class year, when he could smoke with impunity, he actually did knock off. After each hop says, "No more fussing for me," but . . . Youngster cruise after each liberty at New London he used to make the gun deck lively with descriptions of the thrilling experiences Sis had been brought through safely by the genius of his legal adviser, H. Barton Cecil.

Sharpshooter. One Stripe (a). Buzzard (b)

Loss

Henry was lost when the airship USS Akron (ZRS 4) crashed off the coast of New Jersey on April 4, 1933. He was aboard as the Flight Division Head of Bureau of Aeronautics. He was naval aviator #42.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

Henry was nominated to the Naval Academy by Representative Hale and Congressman Stanley in April 1906.

In February 1919 Henry arrived in New York City from Liverpool on the S. S. Aquitania. He married Isa (McBean) Bindley on May 31, 1919, at the McAlpin Hotel in Manhattan. She was the daughter of Duncan Donald McBean, a wealthy business man of New York City who dug the Harlem River tunnel. She previously was married to Dr. James Bindley.

In 1920, Henry and Isa lived on the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. In December, Isa received her passport to travel with him to Cuba and Panama.

In February 1921, Isa sailed from the Cristobal, Canal Zone, to New York City. In November 1925 she arrived in New York City from Naples on the S. S. Conte Biancamano, and in August 1926 Henry and Isa took the same trip. In February 1929, Isa sailed from Cristobal, Canal Zone, to Los Angeles.

In March 1933, Henry and Lt. Commander Andrew C. McFall (‘16) flew to Pensacola Naval air base to hold a conference with Commander Ralph Wood. Henry was to head the air department aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in June.

Henry received the Certificate of Merit for meritorious and distinguished service due to his initiative, courage, and loyal devotion to duty in organizing and operating the U. S. Naval Air Station at L’Aber Vrach, France.

In 1900 Henry’s father Beaty was a farmer and judge who became a senator and representative in the Tennessee legislature. His mother was Polly, sister Minnie, and brothers were John, Thomas, and James.

Akron's executive officer, LCDR Herbert V. Wiley '15, one of only three survivors, was filmed shortly after the crash:

Photographs

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.

January 1911
Midshipman, Idaho
January 1912
Midshipman, Idaho

January 1913
Ensign, Monterey
January 1914
Ensign, Monadnock
January 1915
Ensign, USS Palos
January 1916
Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Saratoga
January 1917
Lieutenant (j.g.), Naval Aeronatic Station, Pensacola, Florida

March 1918
Lieutenant (j.g.), Naval Aviation Headquarters, Paris, France
January 1919
Lieutenant Commander, Naval Base, Brest, France

January 1920
Lieutenant Commander, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida

January 1921
Lieutenant Commander, USS Shawnut
January 1922
Lieutenant Commander, staff, Air Squadrons, Atlantic Fleet
May 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

July 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

September 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

November 1923
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

March 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

May 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

July 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

September 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

November 1924
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
January 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
March 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
May 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
July 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
October 1925
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
January 1926
Lieutenant Commander, Assistant Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy
October 1926
Lieutenant Commander, Battle Fleet Staff aviation officer, USS California

January 1927
Lieutenant Commander, Battle Fleet Staff aviation officer, USS California

April 1927
Lieutenant Commander, Battle Fleet Staff aviation officer, USS California


Others at or embarked at this command:
LTjg Matthias Marple, Jr. '23 (Observation Plane Squadron (VO) 2)
October 1927
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright
January 1928
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright

Others at or embarked at this command:
CDR Thalbert Alford '09 (Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet)
April 1928
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright

Others at or embarked at this command:
CDR Thalbert Alford '09 (Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet)
July 1928
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright

Others at or embarked at this command:
CDR Thalbert Alford '09 (Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet)
October 1928
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright
January 1929
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright
April 1929
Lieutenant Commander, executive officer, USS Wright
July 1929
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

October 1929
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1930
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

April 1930
Lieutenant Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

October 1930
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1931
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

April 1931
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

July 1931
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

October 1931
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1932
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

April 1932
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

October 1932
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

January 1933
Commander, Bureau of Aeronautics, Washington, D.C.

April 1933
Commander, USS Lexington


Others at or embarked at this command:
LT William Ault '22 (Torpedo and Bombing Squadron (VT) 1S)
LTjg Arthur Farrell '25 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
LTjg Henry Twohy '29 (Fighting Plane Squadron (VF) 5B)
ENS John Yoho '29 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
ENS Edwin Kelly '30 (Torpedo Squadron (VT) 1B)
ENS Victor Gaulin '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)
ENS Lance Massey '30 (Scouting Plane Squadron (VS) 3B)

Related Articles

William Moffett '90, Fred Berry '08, Frank McCord '11, Harold Maclellan '18, Joseph Severyns, Jr. '20, George Calnan '20, Richard Cross, Jr. '21, Herbert Wescoat '23, Robert Sayre '24, Charles Callaway '24, Hammond Dugan '24, Charles Miller '25, Charles Redfield '26, Wilfred Bushnell '26, and Cyrus Clendening '27 were also lost when USS Akron (ZRS 4) crashed into the sea off San Francisco on April 4, 1933.

Namesake

Naval Air Station Cecil Field was named for him.


Class of 1910

Henry is one of 15 members of the Class of 1910 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

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