Ryland Dillard Tisdale

Ryland Dillard Tisdale was born on 15 November 1894 at the Naval Ordnance Proving Ground (now the Naval Ordnance Station) located in Charles County, Maryland, about 25 miles south of Washington, D.C. He was appointed a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy on 7 July 1911 and graduated on 5 June 1915. Between his commissioning and the entry of the United States into World War I, Ens. Tisdale served in USS|Virginia|BB-13|3 and USS|Nevada|BB-36|3.

World War I Participation

On 5 June 1917, less than two months after the declaration of war, Tisdale reported on board USAT "Antilles", apparently for duty with an armed-guard gun crew assigned to that chartered Army transport. He served in that ship until she was torpedoed off Brest, France, on 17 October. Tisdale subsequently received a special letter of commendation from the Secretary of the Navy for displaying ". . . coolness and courage in command of the forward guns, . . ." and for not leaving his post ". . . until he was forced to dive from the bridge of the sinking vessel." Tisdale also assisted other Antilles survivors onto life rafts. He was picked up by either USS|Alcedo|SP-166|2 or USS|Corsair|SP-159|2 and taken into Brest. On 23 October, he took passage on USS|Bridge|AF-1|2 for Great Britain, where he reported for duty to the senior United States Navy officer present. After temporary duty on USS|Seattle|CA-11|2, he returned to the United States on 12 December.

Between-the-Wars Activity

In late January 1918, Tisdale took a three-week course of instruction at the Fuel Oil Testing Plant in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From there, he went to Bath, Maine, for duty in connection with the outfitting and commissioning of [USS Wickes (DD-75). When she was placed in commission on 31 July, Lt. Tisdale became her engineering officer. From Wickes, he went to USS|Lamberton|DD-119|3 as executive officer and in December 1919 moved to [USS Hogan (DD-178) where he held the same post. "Tisdale's" tour of duty in Hogan ended on 11 June 1920 when he reported to the Naval Academy for post graduate studies in engineering. A year later, he checked in at the New York Navy Yard for practical instruction during the summer, before entering Columbia University on 28 September for further course work which lasted until the early summer of 1922, when he moved to the General Electric Co. in Schenectady, New York, until the end of July. Tisdale rounded out his scholastic efforts late that summer with six weeks of study at the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co., at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tisdale returned to sea duty in the fall of 1922. On 16 October, he reported to USS|Argonne|AP-4|3 in Philadelphia and, on 8 November, transferred to USS|California|BB-44|3. He served in that battleship until April 1925, when he went ashore once more, this time to a billet in the Bureau of Engineering. In 1927, he completed his tour in Washington and returned to sea as executive officer of USS|Bridge|AF-1|3. On 25 September 1928, he reported for duty at Shanghai, China.

Earning the Navy Cross

Five days later, he assumed his first command, the Asiatic Fleet destroyer USS|Stewart|DD-224|3. That command lasted 13 months. He was detached on 31 October 1929 and, after a month with the 16th Naval District, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale took over his second command, USS|Palos|PG-16|3, and began patrolling the upper reaches of the Yangtze in that gunboat. During this tour of duty, Lt. Comdr. Tisdale earned the Navy Cross. Late in July 1930, he and his ship were in the vicnity of Changsha when that city was attacked, taken, looted, and lost by Chinese communists. Tisdale and his crew assisted in the evacuation of Americans and other foreigners. He also led his crew and ship past the city for two firing passes as a show of force to discourage looting of the foreign concessions. The citation states, in part, that, ". . . the loss of American and other foreign property was limited by his timely action." Lt. Comdr. "Tisdale's" next assignment took him to the Georgia School of Technology for a two-year tour of duty with the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment located there. From there, he went back to the Asiatic Fleet to join the staff of the Commander, Destroyer Squadron 5. He served in that capacity from 19 January to 11 November 1935 when he became Captain of the Yard at Olongapo in the Philippines. Tisdale was placed on the retired list on 30 June 1936, with the rank of commander.

World War II Activity

In 1940, the United States began preparing for the contingency of war. Comdr. Tisdale returned to the colors in July and served for a brief period in the Bureau of Ships at Washington, D.C. In October, he was relieved of duty; however, within another month, he was back on active duty. On 14 January 1941, "Comdr. Tisdale" reported for duty at the Cavite Navy Yard near Manila in the Philippines. Tisdale spent the remainder of his life in the Philippines. He served in the defense of those islands after the Japanese invasion on 8 December 1941. After the surrender at Corregidor in May 1942, "Comdr. Tisdale" continued to resist the enemy on Mindanao. On 23 May 1942, he was killed at Tamparan in Lanao Province during action with Moros—who had collaborated with the Japanese.

Namesake

The USS|Tisdale|DE-33, commissioned on 11 October 1943, was named in his honor.

References

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