The Castaways' Club is a dining club for retired Warfare officers (previously known as Executive or Seaman officers) of the Royal Navy who left the service whilst still junior officers, typically with the rank of Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander. The club has no permanent rooms but meets once a year for dinner to which members invite guests who must be serving or retired Warfare officers.
The Castaways' Club was founded in 1895 'for the purpose of promoting social intercourse between gentlemen who had resigned their commissions as Executive Officers of Her Majesty’s Navy and who were desirous of keeping in touch with their former Service'. The Club has a considerable collection of mess silver which has been donated by guests and members since the Club was founded. This includes a silver cup presented to the club in 1908 by His Majesty King George V who was a frequent guest when Prince of Wales.
Today, the Castaways' Club annual dinner remains very popular in naval circles and the Club has maintained its original purpose. Membership elections are held once a year. Membership is limited to 120 and there is a considerable and undisclosed waiting list.
Members of the Club include or have included:
Admiral of the Fleet HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, KG KTAdmiral of the Fleet HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG KTCaptain The Rt Hon Lord Teynham DSO DSC, 19th Baron TeynhamCaptain The Hon D'Arcy Lambton, 8th son of 2nd Earl of DurhamCaptain The Hon Gerald FitzMaurice Digby, youngest son of 9th Baron DigbyColonel Sir Roderick Napoleon Brinckman Bt. DSO MC (late Lieutenant RN)Colonel Sir Godfrey Llewellyn Bt. CB CBE MC TD (late Sub Lieutenant RN)Colonel Sir John Crompton-Inglefield TD DL (late Sub Lieutenant RN)Commander The Rt Hon The Earl Beatty DSC, 2nd Earl BeattyCommander The Rev and Rt Hon Lord Sandford DSCCommander Sir George Armstrong Bt. CMGCommander Sir Melvill Ward Bt.Commander Sir George Bull Bt.Commander Sir Arthur Trevor Dawson Bt.Commander Sir John Page-Wood Bt.Commander Sir Hugh Dawson Bt. CBECommander Sir (Reginald) Thomas Butler Bt.Commander Sir Charles Craven Bt. OBECommander Lord Rennell of Rodd, 3rd Baron RennellCommander Sir John Page Wood Bt.Commander His Honour Judge L K A Block DSCCommander The Hon Lovel William Coke, youngest son of 2nd Earl of LeicesterLieutenant Colonel Sir Martin Archer-Shee KCMG DSO (late Sub Lieutenant RN)Lieutenant Commander The Earl of Abingdon, 8th Earl of Abingdon, 13th Earl of LindseyLieutenant Commander The Earl of Cork and OrreryLieutenant Commander The Lord Glenconner, 2nd Baron GlenconnerLieutenant Commander The Viscount Bridport, Duke of Bronte, 3rd Viscount BridportLieutenant Commander The Lord Congleton, 6th Baron CongletonLieutenant Commander Sir August Cayzer Bt.Lieutenant Commander Sir Keith Speed RDLieutenant Commander The Hon Douglas D E Vivian DSC, younger son of 4th Baron VivianLieutenant Commander The Hon James Bertie, youngest son of the 7th Earl of AbingdonLieutenant HSH Prince Alexander Albert of Battenberg, Marquess of Carisbrooke GCB GCVOLieutenant The Rt Hon David Mountbatten OBE DSC, 3rd Marquess of Milford HavenLieutenant The Duke of Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton, 10th Duke of BrandonLieutenant The Duke of Buccleuch, KT GCVO, 7th Duke of BuccleuchLieutenant The Earl of Westmorland, 14th Earl of WestmorlandLieutenant The Earl of Clanwilliam, 7th Earl of ClanwilliamLieutenant The Earl of Stradbroke, 5th Earl of StradbrokeLieutenant Lord Chatfield of Ditchling, 2nd Baron ChatfieldLieutenant Lord Ironside, 2nd Baron IronsideLieutenant Lord Francis Osborne, 2nd son of the 9th Duke of LeedsLieutenant The Rt Hon The Lord Janvrin GCB GCVO PCLieutenant The Viscount Monsell GBE, 1st Viscount MonsellLieutenant Sir George Armstrong Bt.Lieutenant Sir Hugo Huntington-Whiteley Bt.Lieutenant The Hon Martin Fortescue, younger son of 6th Earl FortescueLieutenant Sir John Drinkwater QCLieutenant Sir Hugh Cubitt CBE DLLieutenant The Hon Neil Donald Campbell DSC, younger son of 2nd Baron ColgrainLieutenant The Hon John Douglas Stuart, younger son of 1st Viscount Stuart of FindhornLieutenant Sir William Benyon DLLieutenant Sir Timothy Colman KGLieutenant The Very Rev'd Dr Christopher LewisLieutenant The Rev'd Canon David Henley
