David Haslam

Who was David Haslam?

Rear-Admiral Sir David William Haslam KBE CB was a Royal Navy officer.

David Haslam was born in Derby and educated at Ashe Preparatory School, Etwall and, from 1936, at Bromsgrove School, Worcestershire.

He joined the Royal Navy as a Special Entry Cadet in 1941. He saw service in the cruiser HMS Birmingham, in the destroyer HMS Quickmatch and in the battleship HMS Resolution, in the Indian Ocean, between 1942-43. In 1944 he specialised in hydrographic surveying and joined HMS White Bear for surveys in waters off Burma and Malaya between 1944-46.

He was in command of Survey Motor Launch 325 in 1947 and then spent two years on exchange service with the Royal Australian Navy from 1947-49. This was followed by service in the surveying vessel HMS Scott from 1949–51 and her sister ship HMS Dalrymple 1951-53.

After a period in command of the Royal Navy Survey Training Unit at Chatham from 1953–56, as a Lieutenant-Commander, he was First Lieutenant of the new survey vessel HMS Vidal until 1957.