the Vixen, another steamer, Capt. Geo. Giffard. He was employed, 19 Aug. 1845, with the boats of a squadron under Capt. Chas. Talbot, carrying altogether 530 officers, seamen, and marines, at the destruction of the piratical settlement of Malloodoo, on the north end of the island of Borneo; at which place the British encountered a desperate opposition and sustained a loss of 6 men killed and 15 wounded.[1] Soon after the Vixen had been paid off he was promoted, 9 Nov. 1846, to the rank of Commander. He has been employed, since 20 July, 1847, in the Fury steam-sloop, of 515 horse-power, again on the East India station.
Commander Willcox married, 26 Sept. 1846, Amelia Jane Elizabeth Andover, eldest daughter of John Page Bailey, Esq., of Durnford-square, Stonehouse, and Hankhow House, Yorkshire. Agents – Messrs. Chard.
WILLCOX. (Commander, 1823. f-p., 21; h-p., 31.)
Robert Willcox entered the Navy, in March, 1795, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Lively of 38 guns and 251 men, Capts. Geo. Burlton and Lord Viscount Garlies. On 13 of the same month he assisted at the capture, off Ushant, of the French frigate La Tourterelle of 30 guns and 230 men, after a close action of three hours, in which the British had but 2 wounded, and the enemy, who were provided with a furnace and threw red-hot shot, as many as 16 killed and 25 wounded. He fought subsequently in the action off Cape St. Vincent, 14 Feb. 1797; and on 12 April in the following year was wrecked, on Rota Point, near Cadiz. Joining next, in June, 1798, the Superb 74, he continued employed in that ship for upwards of 11 years under Capt. John Sutton and the late Sir Rich. Goodwin Keats, as Midshipman and as Acting-Lieutenant and Lieutenant, order and commission dated 25 Oct. 1808 and 16 May, 1809. He bore a warm part in consequence in Sir Jas. Saumarez’ action with the Franco-Spanish squadron in the Gut of Gibraltar 12 and 13 July, 1801; accompanied Lord Nelson to the West Indies in 1805 in pursuit of the combined fleets; shared in the victory gained by Sir John Duckworth off St. Domingo 6 Feb. 1806; united in the operations of 1807 against Copenhagen; assisted, in Aug. 1808, at the embarkation from Nyeborg of the Spanish troops stationed in the Danish provinces under the Marquis de la Romana; and had charge of two gun-boats during the siege of Flushing in Aug. 1809. At Nyeborg he commanded one of several boats which, regardless of the opposition they encountered, boarded and took the Danish brig Fama, of 18, and her consort the Salorman cutter, of 12 guns. On at length leaving the Superb, Mr. Willcox joined, in Oct. 1809, the Naiad 38, Capts. Henry Hill and Philip Carteret. In her, on his return from a voyage to the West Indies, he served at the blockade of the different ports on the French coast, and took part, 20 and 21 Sept. 1811, in two actions with divisions of the Boulogne flotilla. On the last-mentioned occasion the Naiad sustained a loss of 2 men killed and 14 wounded, but succeeded in taking one of the enemy’s praams, La Ville de Lyons, of 12 long 24-pounders and 112 men, more than 30 of whom were either killed or wounded. In March, 1813 (he had left the Naiad in Nov. 1811), Mr. Willcox obtained an appointment to the Pembroke 74, Capt. Jas. Brisbane; with whom he continued employed in the Channel and Mediterranean until Aug. 1814. He aided in the boats, during that period, at the capture of a town on the coast of Spain and at the cutting out of a convoy with loss to the British. He was also present at the reduction of Genoa. His promotion to the rank of Commander took place 6 Sept. 1823, soon after he had been appointed First-Lieutenant of the Prince Regent yacht, Capt. sir Michael Seymour. From 21 Oct. 1843 until 1846 he was employed in the Victory 104, guardship at Portsmouth, Capts. Wm. Wilmott Henderson, Geo. Moubray, and John Pasco. He is now on half-pay.
Commander Willcox jumped overboard while serving in the Superb and Pembroke, although the ships were at the time under sail, and had the good fortune on each of the two occasions to save the life of a fellow-creature. He is married, and has issue.
WILLCOX. (Lieutenant, 1842.)
Robert Willcox entered the Navy 8 June, 1832; passed his examination 14 Feb. 1839; was a Student in 1841 at the Royal Naval College; and was promoted (soon after he had been nominated Mate of the Alfred 50, Capt. John Brett Purvis) to the rank of Lieutenant 7 March, 1842. His appointments have since been – 18 April, 1842, to the Indus 78, Capt. Sir Jas. Stirling, in the Mediterranean – 28 Jan. 1845, as First (the Indus had been paid off in June, 1844), to the Rolla 10, Capt. John Simpson, fitting for the coast of Africa, whence he returned in the early part of 1846 – 5 Sept. in the latter year, for a few months, to the Recruit brig, Capt. Adolphus Slade, on the Home station – 6 Nov. 1848, to the Coast Guard – and, 17 Feb. 1849, to the command of the Harpy Revenue-cruizer.
WILLES. (Lieutenant, 1840.)
George Ommanney Willes is son of the late Capt. G. W. Willes, R.N., K.F.M.
This officer entered the Navy in 1836; obtained his commission 11 Dec. 1844; was appointed, 4 March, 1845, to the Hibernia 104, flag-ship of Sir Wm. Parker in the Mediterranean; and since 3 April, 1848, has been in command, on the same station, of the Spitfire steamer, of 140 horse-power.
WILLES, K.F.M. (Captain, 1814.)
George Wickens Willes died in command of the Vanguard 80, at Malta, 26 Oct. 1846, aged 61. He was brother of Lieut. Cornelius Willes,[2] R.N., who died at Gosport, Hants, 10 July, 1810, aged 22; also of Lieut.-Colonel Jas. Irwin Willes, R.M. (1848); and cousin of Lieut. Jas. Irwin, R.N. His father, who was in the service, lost a leg early in life.
This officer entered the Navy, in 1794, as a Volunteer, on board the Royal William, Capt. Fras. Pickmore, bearing the flag of Sir Peter Parker at Spithead. He removed, towards the close of 1796, to the Fancy,[3] Capt. John Irwin, stationed in the North Sea; and he was next, between 1797 and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant 6 Nov. 1801, employed off Cadiz, and in the Channel and Mediterranean, as Midshipman, in the Prince George 98, Lively 32, Boston 32, Formidable 98, Queen Charlotte 100, all commanded by the officer last mentioned, Success 32, Capt. Shuldham Peard, and Barfleur 98, commanded again by Capt. Irwin. The Prince George, Formidable, Queen Charlotte, and Barfleur bore the flags of Admirals Wm. Parker, Sir Chas. Thompson, and Cuthbert Collingwood. In the Prince George Mr. Willes fought in the action off Cape St. Vincent, 14 Feb. 1797: in the Success he served at the blockade of Malta, and assisted at the capture, 18 Feb. and 24 Aug. 1800, of the French 74-gun ship Le Généreux, and 40-gun frigate La Diane. He was on board of her too when she was herself taken, 13 Feb. 1801, by a French squadron under M. Ganteaume. At the capture of Le Généreux he was severely wounded in the head and breast. His appointments, in the capacity of Lieutenant, were to the Sophie sloop, Capts. Philip L. J. Roeenhagen and Wm. Mansell, Active 38, Capt. Rich. Hussey Moubray, and Spartan of 46 guns, Capt. Jahleel Brenton. In the Active he passed the Dardanells with Sir John Duckworth, and united in the attack made upon the Turkish squadron off Point Pesquies 19 Feb. 1807, on which occasion he succeeded, in the boats
- ↑ Vide Gaz. 1845, p. 6536.
- ↑ Lieut. C. Willes was First of the Grasshopper 18, in an action with three Spanish vessels of war off Cape Palos. (See Rear-Admiral Thos. Searle.) In his exertions to get one of them afloat (she having run ashore) he burst a blood-vessel – the cause, ultimately, of his death.
- ↑ Or Fairy.
