Sir David William Bone CBE (22 June 1874[1] – 17 May 1959)[2] was a Scottish Commodore and author of nautical fiction.[3][4][5][6] His work includes The Brassbounder about a brassbounder,[4] a young apprentice on a British Merchant ship.[7] It was included as a recommendation in Literary Taste: How to Form It, a long essay with recommended readings written by Arnold Bennett. Brassbounder is "a classic of the squaresail era".[8]
Bone received the Coronation Medal from King George VI in 1937 for his long association with the Merchant Navy.[3] He was appointed a CBE in 1943 and awarded a knighthood in 1946.[3][9]
Bone was born in Abbotsford Place in Glasgow, Scotland.[5] His father, David Drummond Bone (1841–1911) was a prominent newspaper publisher in Glasgow[10] and his great-grandfather was a boyhood companion of Robert Burns.[3] Elizabeth Millar Crawford (1847–1886) was his mother. His brothers included the journalist James Bone and artist Muirhead Bone who illustrated some of David's books, including Merchantmen-at-Arms.[11][3] Bone studied at Partick Academy.[3]
Bone's career at sea began when he apprenticed at 15 on the City of Florence, "an old-time square-rigger". He also served on windjammers in Australia, with Anchor Line, and on a troop ship during the Boer War.[5] Bone captained the SS Tuscania from New York on its first trip to Glasgow.[12] Merchantman Rearmed describes his experiences during World War II, including the Allied invasion of Sicily.[13]
Bibliography
edit- The Brassbounder (1910) by David W Bone
- Broken Stowage by David W Bone (1915), a collection of short stories
- Merchantmen-at-arms; the British merchants' service in the war by David W Bone (1919)[11]
- The Lookoutman by David W Bone (1923)
- Capstan Bars by David W Bone (1931)
- Merchantman Rearmed (1949)
- The Queerfella by David W Bone (1952)[4]
- Landfall at Sunset; the life of a contented sailor by David W Bone (1955)
References
edit- ^ Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
- ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
- ^ a b c d e f "Sea captain and novelist". www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk.
- ^ a b c "Dave Bone and M.C. Bailey".
- ^ a b c "David W. Bone".
- ^ "David W. Bone (Bone, David W. (David William), 1874-1959) - The Online Books Page". onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu.
- ^ "brassbounder". Merriam Webster.com. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "The Brassbounder : David W Bone : 9781409991687". www.bookdepository.com.
- ^ "London Gazette". 28 December 1945.
- ^ The Late Mr David D. Bone. The Scottish Referee, 27 October 1911. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
- ^ a b "Merchantmen-at-arms : the British merchants' service in the war by David W. Bone". gutenberg.org. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
- ^ "The Nautical Gazette". 10 February 1922 – via Google Books.
- ^ David Bone (1949). Merchantman Rearmed. Chatto & Windus.
External links
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