A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Neale, John
NEALE. (Retired Commander, 1846. f-p., 16; h-p., 35.)
John Neale entered the Navy, 30 May, 1796, as Midshipman, on board the Venerable 74, Capts. Wm. Johnstone Hope and Wm. Geo. Fairfax, bearing the flag of Lord Duncan, under whom he fought as Signal-Midshipman in the action off Camperdown 11 Oct. 1797. While attached, between March, 1798, and Nov. 1804, to the Kent 74, Capts. W. J. Hope, Mansell, John Stewart, Pulteney Malcolm, and John White, successive flag-ship of Lord Duncan and Sir Rich. Bickerton, he was at first employed in the operations connected with the expedition to Holland, where he served on shore with a party of seamen and two field-pieces throughout the whole campaign. He also, in 1801, assisted in expelling the French from Egypt, after having participated, with the naval brigade under the orders of Sir Wm. Sidney Smith, in the battles of 8, 13, and 21 March. On 3 Aug. 1805, at which period he had been nine months in the North Sea on board the Adamant 50, Capt. Geo. Burlton, he was there nominated Sub-Lieutenant of the Starling gun-brig, Lieut.-Commander Chas. Napier. He removed as Acting-Lieutenant, 31 Jan. 1806, to the Romulus 36, Capt. Burton; and on 22 Sept. in the same year he was confirmed into the Roebuck 44, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Billy Douglas at Yarmouth. In 1809 he took part, in the Acute gun-brig, in the siege of Flushing, and was often in action with the enemy’s gun-boats, privateers, &c. Assuming command, 22 March, 1810, of the Alert cutter, he effected the capture, on one occasion, of four gun-boats, whose resistance occasioned him a loss of nearly a third of his crew; and on another, he landed on the coast of Holland, and succeeded, after overcoming severe opposition, in recovering a gentleman who had been employed on shore on secret service. He left the Alert in Feb. 1812; and accepted his present rank 27 Oct. 1846.