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Adapted from "Edwin Denby, Secretary of the Navy," ZB File, [no date] Navy Department Library. 

Topic
Document Type
  • Biography
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War I 1917-1918
  • Spanish-American War 1898
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  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials

Edwin Denby

18 February 1870 - 8 February 1929


Portrait of Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby

PDF Version [1.2MB]

Edwin Denby was appointed Secretary of the Navy and served from 6 March 1921 until 10 March 1924. He had served as Gunners' Mate, 3d class, Michigan Naval Reserve, on USS Yosemite, during the Spanish-American War. He was for ten years in the customs service in China, under Sir Robert Hart, Inspector-General of Customs, while his father Honorable Charles Denby was Minister to China.

Service
in the
World War.

1917 April 26 Applied for enlistment in the Marine Corps at the Marine Recruiting Station, Detroit, Michigan, for the duration of the war.
  May 5 Enlisted in the Marine Corps at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, South Carolina, and was assigned to duty at that station.
  June 22 Appointed a Corporal in the Marine Corps.
  August 14 Appointed a Sergeant in the Marine Corps.
  November 23 Qualified as sharpshooter.
1918 January 28 Honorably discharged, upon settlement of accounts, in order to enroll as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps Reserve.
  January 29 Enrolled as a Second Lieutenant (Provisional) in Class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, and assigned to active duty same date at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island., SC.
  March 15 Appointed a First Lieutenant (Provisional) in Class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, with rank from March 14, 1918.
  July 10 Appointed a Captain (Provisional) in Class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, with rank from same date.
  August 15 Absent on temporary foreign shore expeditionary service in Europe for duty as an observer of the methods of instruction for Depot Replacements and Division Replacements; sailed from New York, New York, on USS Henderson August 15, 1918, and arrived at Brest, France, August 25, 1918. Visited St. Aignan, Noyer, Toul, Nancy, Chalon-sur-Marne, Rheims, Banis, and Headquarters of the Second Division at Somme-Pi. Sailed for the United States on USS Northern in October 1918 and arrived at Hoboken, New Jersey 24 October 1918. He reported for duty at Headquarters, Marine Corps, Washington, DC, and resumed duty at the Marine Barracks, Parris Island, SC, 8 November 1918.
  December 28 Appointed a Major (Provisional) in Class 4, Marine Corps Reserve, with rank from same date.
  December 31 Relieved from all active duty and placed on the inactive list of the Marine Corp Reserve.
1919 July 26 Honorably discharged from the Marine Corps Reserve as Major (Provisional) in Class 4.

[END]

Published: Fri Jan 31 09:23:10 EST 2020