Temeraire's Officers and Crew

As a heavyweight, Temeraire had a flight crew of about thirty or forty men, plus a ground crew. During long periods of service, this number might be considerably reduced by casualties. For example, of the eight topmen originally assigned to Temeraire in 1805, five were dead by the end of the year and one more was killed in 1806.

After William Laurence was convicted of treason in late 1807, all of Temeraire's remaining crew were reassigned. When Laurence was temporarily recommissioned to the Aerial Corps during Napoleon's invasion of Britain, only Emily Roland, Allen, Demane, Sipho, Fellowes, Blythe and Dorset returned.

The following list is not all-inclusive, as the names of all crew members may not be known.

Flight Crew

• Captain: William Laurence
• 1st Lieutenant: John Granby - became Iskierka's captain in October or November 1806.
• 2nd Lieutenant: Evans - suffered a badly broken leg in the Valerie engagement, November or December 1805, and had to be returned to Britain.
• 3rd Lieutenant and captain of the topmen: Henry Ferris - served as acting 2nd lieutenant after Evans' departure and acting 1st lieutenant after Iskierka hatched. Broken out of the Aerial Corps for being presumed of abetting Laurence in late 1807.

Topmen:

• Lieutenant Johns - killed in action in the Battle of Dover, November 1805.
• Midwingman Challoner - killed in action in the Battle of Dover, November 1805.
• Midwingman Croyn - killed in action in November or December 1805, when the British attempted to stop a French convoy from reaching Le Havre.
• Midwingman Macdonaugh - briefly reassigned to Maximus after the Battle of Dover but returned to Temeraire after the Valerie engagement. Killed during the attack by raiders in the Taklamakan desert in August 1806.
• Midwingman Ezekiah Martin - reassigned to Orchestia after Laurence was convicted of treason.
• Midwingman Portis - briefly reassigned to Maximus after the Battle of Dover but returned to Temeraire after the Valerie engagement.
• Midwingman Quarle - killed in action in November or December 1805, when the British attempted to stop a French convoy from reaching Le Havre.
• Midwingman Wright - killed in action in the Battle of Dover, November 1805.

Bellmen:

• Lieutenant Baylesworth - killed in an avalanche in the Pamirs in the summer of 1806.
• Midwingman Miggsy - killed in action in the Valerie engagement, November or December 1805.
• Midwingman Therrows
• Midwingman Wickley - reassigned to Arkady in early 1807.
• Possibly four others?

Riflemen:

• Lieutenant Riggs
• Midwingman Collins - killed in action in the Battle of Dover, November 1805.
• Midwingman Donnell - killed in action in the Valerie engagement, November or December 1805.
• Midwingman Dunne - reassigned to Arkady in early 1807.
• Midwingman Hackley
• Possibly seven or eight others?

Lookouts:

• Ensign Allen, forward port lookout - reassigned to the clerks after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.
• Ensign Digby, forward starboard lookout - promoted to midwingman in Istanbul in the summer of 1806 but killed shortly afterwards during the crew's escape from this city.
• Ensign Harley
• Ensign Salyer - promoted to midwingman in or shortly before arriving in Istanbul in the summer of 1806, but demoted back to ensign after allowing Dunne and Hackley to slip out of quarters while he was on guard.

Signal-Ensign: Turner

Runners:

• Cadet Peter Dyer - promoted to ensign apx September 1807.
• Cadet Emily Roland - promoted to ensign apx September 1807. Reassigned as "fifth lookout" to Artemisia after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.
• Cadet Andrew Morgan - killed in action in the Valerie engagement, November or December 1805.
• Cadet Demane Dlamini - taken on by Laurence as a runner after Dyer and Roland were promoted to ensigns. Reassigned to Arkady after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.
• Cadet Sipho Tsuluka Dlamini - taken on by Laurence as a runner after Dyer and Roland were promoted to ensigns. Reassigned to Maximus as ground crew after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.

Ground Crew

• Ground crew chief: Hollin - left Temeraire's crew to become Elsie's captain in November 1805.
• Armourer: Pratt
• Armourer's mate: Blythe - reassigned after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.
• Leatherworker: Bell
• Gunner: Calloway
• Harness master: Fellowes - reassigned after Laurence was convicted of treason but returned to Temeraire when Laurence was temporarily recommissioned.
• Harness-men - Originally eight, but four were killed in action in the Valerie engagement, November or December 1805. The remaining four included Willoughby, killed in action in Peking in the summer of 1806.
• Surgeon: Keynes - left Temeraire's crew in early 1807 to treat other dragons ill with the Dragon Plague.
• Surgeon: Dorset - assigned as Temeraire's surgeon to replace Keynes.

Temeraire himself considered Gong Su to be part of his crew. However, "dragon chef" was not a position generally recognized within the Aerial Corps.